Sunday, November 14, 2010

The barly eird and whe torm

A cock a ra co is the Indian equivalent of a cock a doodle doo; for it is quite apparent that desi roosters don’t doodle they just go a ra or arrghh hararaaah if they’ve got sore throat or trained in rajasthani folk music. Now apart from being the main ingredient for chicken tandoori or a 65 or a chettinadu and just roosting about the countryside playing the part of a hen–pecked husband, the rooster performs a very important function in the day to day proceedings of any village or farmhouse. They crow, early in the morning to signify the start of the day.

The last time I saw a rooster anywhere, fully attired was in the VH1 morning show- Jumpstart or Good Morning something. So I was actually surprised when my mother sighted rather tracked some down and that too right from the kitchen window. So I joined her sans binoculars or RFID trackers in the kitchen to scrutinize. There was not just a rooster but his brood of five hens pecking about nearby. They were sighted often in the days to come busy with their peckings about. There was one sore point though. I thought I was mistaken when I heard him crow at 0930 hrs IST the first morning. But that was not to be; for the next day too I heard him sharp at the exact hour. This was followed by some more crowing at random hours in the days to come. It was then that their pecking order became clear. It was just at seeds n fruits. Guess the master chefs n cooks got the early bird and the worm!!

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