Brewster the Rain Makin' Rooster

Brewster the Rain Makin' Rooster
Written by:  Tim Ross
Illustrated by:  Scott Ross
 

Just south of Salina, near a town known as Wooster,
On a lovely small farm, lives a rooster named Brewster.

He’s not just a clucker that you ought to take lightly.
He’s proud and he’s bold, and  prances quite sprightly.

Folks say he’s a rooster of unusual variety,
One destined to climb to some high notoriety.

But  to the farmer’ son, Paul, he’s not a big deal,
Just another loud chicken in search of a meal.

Long about sunrise, each day, give or take,
Out to ol’ Brewster a trip does Paul make.

It’s one of his chores that he does twice a day.
Perhaps not his favorite, but he says, “It’s okay.”

This day would be different, and quite a surprise.
This one would really pop open Paul’s eyes!

He crawled out of bed, though still half asleep.
When he got to the birds, he could hear ‘em all peep.

They were hungry, it seems, and just couldn’t wait,
For Paul to throw open that small wooden gate.

Paul worked his way back  to the end of the coop.
Last, but not least, he threw Brewster a scoop.

His fine feathered friend schnarfed it right down.
No kernels of corn did he leave on the ground.

But still he kept pecking, that silly ol’ bird.
When the dust had all settled, Paul noticed a word.

Brewster had scribbled the word, “rain” in the dirt.
And as hot as it was, a quick squirt wouldn’t hurt.

Paul was amazed and threw Brewster more corn.
Then another small wonder his rooster performed.

With a twitch and a twaddle, and then a small tweak,
The bird scratched the words, “NEXT WEEK,” with his beak!

Paul was in shock, and not a little bedazed.
At Brewster the rooster he was truly amazed!

If this clucker was right, the drought would be broken,
But  the “source” of this news could never be spoken.

Who would believe him?  Who could he tell?
“Everyone knows that a chicken can’t spell.

“Paul!” they would ask, “Are you feeling all right?”
Brewster can’t speak,  and you know he can’t write!”

Paul kept to himself for the rest of the day.
He told not a soul, not a word did he say.

Weatherman Tim, on the TV that night,
Told of the drought, and it’s terrible plight.

He went on to say that no rain would be falling.
Yes, once again, Mom Nature was stalling.

Yet Paul couldn’t forget what he saw Brewster do,
And Weatherman, Tim, would want to know too.

He picked up the phone, and gave it a dial,
“May I please speak to Tim?” he asked with a smile.

Weatherman Tim, came right  to the phone,
And the farmer’s son, Paul, drove his point home.

“I’m a little bit nervous, and a little bit scared,
You’d better sit down, you’ll be better prepared.”

“Of what I will tell you, no one’s heard a peep,
I’ll tell it to you, if my promise you’ll keep.”

Paul told the story of Brewster’s great feat,
And Weatherman Tim thought it was neat.

“Paul, I must tell you,” Tim said with all candor,
“I’d like to come out and take a small gander!”

“Your story is great, but I do have my doubts.
Are you sure you haven’t left anything out?”

The next day at noon, the news crew arrived
To see if this story of Brewster survived!

Paul took ‘em right  to him... the rooster was real!
But Tim wasn’t  so sure he’d perform for his meal.

Paul threw a few kernels of corn on the ground,
And straight to the feast ol’ Brewster did bound.

He gobbled ‘em up, and still he kept pecking,
“Was he writing the words that Paul was expecting?”

“Yes, there it is!”  Paul screamed with delight!
“I told you he could... I told you last night!”

“RAIN VERY SOON,” it was plain as can be,
Scratched in the dirt for the news crew to see.

Tim’s crew from the station stood there dumbfounded,
Confused, and amazed, and completely confounded!

A rooster who writes, now who would have guessed?
Brewster the rooster had passed the first test!

But what about forecasts for rain, wind and snow?
“Was Brewster for real?  Does anyone know?”

Was what they had seen just a bunch of dumb luck,
Or was Brewster the rooster one mighty smart cluck?

“Next week” came so quickly, the weather still hot.
The sun was still burning, and rain there was not!

The ponds were all dry, and so were the creeks.
You’d be dry too with no drink for eight weeks!

Tim’s competition, those guys across town,
Were forecasting sun, they weren’t backing down!

Said weatherman, Tim,  “I’ve a decision to make.
“What should I do?  Which road should I take?”

Now this weatherman, Tim, was a popular guy,
And if Brewster was right, his ratings would fly!

But forecasting rain, when the computers say, “Sunny!”
Might ruin his name, and that’s not too funny!

Just then the phone rang, it was Paul at the farm.
Yes!,  Brewster the rooster had pulled the alarm!

“RAIN BY TOMORROW!”  he had scratched in the dirt.
And Paul was convinced they’d get a big squirt!

Tim was excited, but Tim was still sensible.
To make a mistake would be indefensible!

He thought long and hard,  then thought once again.
Still he kept thinking until suddenly when...

“I’ll do it!  I’ll do it! “ screamed weatherman Tim!
I’m forecasting rain, though chances seem slim!

So later that night, on the tube he did go,
To forecast some rain and let everyone know!

The phones rang a lot, they rang off the wall!
“You’re weatherman’s nuts!” they said when they called!

Much later that night, some storm clouds were  forming.
It appeared that ol’ Brewster was right with his warning.

Not long after that, the rain began falling,
And falling... and falling... and falling... and falling!

Weatherman Tim called Paul at the farm,
“Have you ever seen such a terrible storm?”

Paul and his rooster both cackled together,
“Three cheers for this storm, and this rainy, wet weather!”

The next day in the paper, the headlines were huge,
About Weatherman Tim,  and his stormy deluge!

He was the “talk of the town,” and that’s putting it lightly.
His weathercasts, now, the whole town would watch nightly.

For the next several months, Tim’s forecasts were right.
He never missed once... not one single night!

When he called for some rain, the rain always fell,
And the same was all true for wind, snow, and hail.

His ratings rose quickly to the top of the heap.
But of Brewster the rooster, there wasn’t a peep!

Tim was excited,  but he knew the whole story.
It was Brewster the Rooster who deserved all the glory.

Yes, Brewster was still a most integral part,
Of the TV reports that Tim did impart.

Tim would consult his maps, charts, and science
But on Brewster the rooster there was total reliance.

So imagine Tim’s shock, when Paul shared the words,
That his father, the farmer, was selling his birds!

“Did I hear you right?   He’d be selling his birds?”
To Weatherman Tim, these were startling words!

Tim asked again,  “Are you sure this is true?”
What  can be done?  What can I do?”

The buyer had spoken, and soon they’d be gone,
But Tim raised his voice, “Yuh gotta hold on!”

“Give me some time, I’ll think this thing through,
I’ve gotta decide what it is I can do!”

He worried that day, and the next day as well.
He wondered aloud when the chickens might sell.

 Weatherman Tim ‘bout drove himself nuts.
He needed that rooster, no ifs, ands or buts!

Though Tim knew nothing of chickens or farming,
The thought of this loss was very alarming.

He got on the phone and talked to Paul’s dad,
He wanted those chickens, he wanted ‘em  bad!”

Weatherman, Tim, and Paul’s father, the farmer,
Got together to talk, and ol’ Tim was a charmer.

The farmer new nothing of Brewster’s great talent,
And Tim’s “chicken pitch” seemed rather gallant.

So he sold Tim the chickens, the rooster included.
“Now Brewster is mine!,” Tim shouted and hooted!

It had been a close call, there’s no doubt about that.
But Brewster was Tim’s, so he’d stay where he’s at.

For Brewster the rooster, the red carpets rolled out.
That this clucker was special, could there be any doubt?

The station constructed a most beautiful facility
For their chicken of choice... this bird of nobility.

No chicken had lived in a coop quite so beautiful
But not many roosters had been so darn dutiful!

To Paul’s farmer father, Brewster harbored no malice.
No rooster on earth had ever seen such a palace!

Paul kept the BIG secret, not a soul did he tell.
And his rooster was happy, so that’s just as well.

And weatherman Tim,  flashed a bright TV grin,
'Cause his forecasts were “right” again and again!

Copyright ©  2012   timrossMEDIA