Little Rooster's Diamond Button
Margaret Read MacDonald Title: Little Rooster's Diamond Button Storyteller: Margaret Read MacDonald Language: English Date of Telling: 2016-04-17 Location of Telling: Des Moines, Washington Duration of Story: 06:22 Source of Story: Little Rooster’s Diamond Button, by Margaret Read MacDonald (Albert Whitman, 2007) Location of Story: N/A Subject Headings: Animals; Kings and rulers Notes: |
|
Somewhere, someplace across the seven seas, lived a little old lady and her little pet rooster. They were very poor but they were very happy. One day the rooster went out to peck out something to eat. He pecked and he pecked and he pecked and he pecked and he pecked out a diamond button.
“Cockadoodledo”, said the little rooster. “I like diamond buttons. I will take it home to my good mistress because she likes diamond buttons, too.” And he started walking home. But just then, along came the king. The king was a very large man. He wore a pair of big baggy trousers. His pants were so baggy he had to have three servants walk behind him and hold up his pants so he could walk. He came walking down the road and the three servants came behind, holding up his baggy pants. He saw the little rooster and the diamond button in his beak. He wanted that diamond button for himself.
He called the three servants and said, “Catch that little rooster! Take that diamond button away from him and put it in the king’s treasure chamber in the palace.” The three servants caught that little rooster. They took the diamond button away and put it in the king’s treasure chamber in the palace.
The little rooster was mad. He flew right to the king’s palace. He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. You give me back my diamond button.”
Oh, the king was mad! He said, “Catch that little rooster and throw him in a well full of water. I want to get rid of him.” They caught the little rooster and threw him in a well full of water but he had a magic stomach.
He called, “Come my magic stomach, come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach. Drink up all the water in the well.” His stomach started to drink, sup, sup, sup. He drank, he drank, he drank, he drank, he drank all the water in the well. He got very fat. He did not drown. He flew right back to the king’s palace. He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. Give me back my diamond button.”
Oh, the king was angry! “Catch that rooster, throw him in the fire and let him burn.” They caught the little rooster and threw him in the fire.
He called, “Come my full stomach, come my full stomach. Spit out all the water from the well.” His stomach spit out the water, pshshsh. Put out the fire. Didn’t hurt him at all. He flew right back to the king’s palace.He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. Give me back my diamond button.”
Oh the king was furious! “Catch that rooster and throw him in a beehive. Let the bees sting him.” They caught the rooster and threw him in the beehive.
But he called out, “Come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach and eat up all the bees in the beehive.” zzzzzzzzz. His stomach ate all the bees and they could not sting his magic stomach. He flew right back to the king’s palace. He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. Give me back my diamond button.”
The king was infuriated! “Catch that rooster and bring him to me. What will I do with that rooster?”
The first servant said,”If I were you, chop his head off.”
Second servant said, “If I were you, hang him from a tree.”
Third servant said, “If I were you, I know what I would do. I would sit on him and squash him.” That was a great idea. He was this really heavy king.
He said, “Catch that rooster and drop him in the big bag of my baggy pants behind. I am going to sit on him and squash him.” They caught the little rooster and they dropped him in the big bag on the king’s baggy pants behind. He started to sit on him.
The rooster said, “Come my full stomach, come my full stomach and spit out all the bees and sting that king.” “iyayaya.”
He was jumping around his throne and he said, “Catch that little rooster and take him to my treasure chamber and let him have his old diamond button. I just don’t want to see him ever again.” They took the little rooster and they left him all alone in the king’s treasure chamber.
They said, “Take your diamond button and then go home.” The rooster looked around. He saw all the diamonds, all the gold and silver, all the emeralds and rubies in the king’s treasure chamber.
He said, “This is the treasure the king has been stealing from the villagers all these years. Well then, come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach. Eat up all the treasure in the king’s treasure chamber.” His stomach ate up all the diamonds, all the emeralds and rubies, all the gold and silver. When he was very fat he waddled home and gave it all to his good mistress. They lived happily and richly ever after.
“Cockadoodledo”, said the little rooster. “I like diamond buttons. I will take it home to my good mistress because she likes diamond buttons, too.” And he started walking home. But just then, along came the king. The king was a very large man. He wore a pair of big baggy trousers. His pants were so baggy he had to have three servants walk behind him and hold up his pants so he could walk. He came walking down the road and the three servants came behind, holding up his baggy pants. He saw the little rooster and the diamond button in his beak. He wanted that diamond button for himself.
He called the three servants and said, “Catch that little rooster! Take that diamond button away from him and put it in the king’s treasure chamber in the palace.” The three servants caught that little rooster. They took the diamond button away and put it in the king’s treasure chamber in the palace.
The little rooster was mad. He flew right to the king’s palace. He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. You give me back my diamond button.”
Oh, the king was mad! He said, “Catch that little rooster and throw him in a well full of water. I want to get rid of him.” They caught the little rooster and threw him in a well full of water but he had a magic stomach.
He called, “Come my magic stomach, come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach. Drink up all the water in the well.” His stomach started to drink, sup, sup, sup. He drank, he drank, he drank, he drank, he drank all the water in the well. He got very fat. He did not drown. He flew right back to the king’s palace. He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. Give me back my diamond button.”
Oh, the king was angry! “Catch that rooster, throw him in the fire and let him burn.” They caught the little rooster and threw him in the fire.
He called, “Come my full stomach, come my full stomach. Spit out all the water from the well.” His stomach spit out the water, pshshsh. Put out the fire. Didn’t hurt him at all. He flew right back to the king’s palace.He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. Give me back my diamond button.”
Oh the king was furious! “Catch that rooster and throw him in a beehive. Let the bees sting him.” They caught the rooster and threw him in the beehive.
But he called out, “Come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach and eat up all the bees in the beehive.” zzzzzzzzz. His stomach ate all the bees and they could not sting his magic stomach. He flew right back to the king’s palace. He perched on the window sill. He called out, “Cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo, cockadoodledo. Give me back my diamond button.”
The king was infuriated! “Catch that rooster and bring him to me. What will I do with that rooster?”
The first servant said,”If I were you, chop his head off.”
Second servant said, “If I were you, hang him from a tree.”
Third servant said, “If I were you, I know what I would do. I would sit on him and squash him.” That was a great idea. He was this really heavy king.
He said, “Catch that rooster and drop him in the big bag of my baggy pants behind. I am going to sit on him and squash him.” They caught the little rooster and they dropped him in the big bag on the king’s baggy pants behind. He started to sit on him.
The rooster said, “Come my full stomach, come my full stomach and spit out all the bees and sting that king.” “iyayaya.”
He was jumping around his throne and he said, “Catch that little rooster and take him to my treasure chamber and let him have his old diamond button. I just don’t want to see him ever again.” They took the little rooster and they left him all alone in the king’s treasure chamber.
They said, “Take your diamond button and then go home.” The rooster looked around. He saw all the diamonds, all the gold and silver, all the emeralds and rubies in the king’s treasure chamber.
He said, “This is the treasure the king has been stealing from the villagers all these years. Well then, come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach, come my empty stomach. Eat up all the treasure in the king’s treasure chamber.” His stomach ate up all the diamonds, all the emeralds and rubies, all the gold and silver. When he was very fat he waddled home and gave it all to his good mistress. They lived happily and richly ever after.