Our Neighborhood Friends

I don't know what it is about little animals and me. Not long ago a beautiful tame rabbit showed up in our yard. I knew Bugs Bunny liked carrots and I thought this little guy might also, so I got a carrot from the refrigerator to feed him. He liked it. He liked it well enough to eat it from my hand. I fell in love with the little rabbit. It wasn't long until he no longer came to our house every day. Without doubt someone caught him and penned him up. I missed him.

Recently at daybreak Douglas and I was awakened by the crowing of a rooster. It had been a long time since we had heard that in the early morning hours. We got out of bed and went to the front, and there he strolled around our driveway telling everyone it was time to rise and shine. He was so pretty and very unusual to us. He was small but had lots of feathers down near his feet. I started telling him how pretty he was and he started coming toward me. I remembered at about 5 years old having a rooster try to spur me. I cried and bent over to cover my legs. Mother yelled for me to stand up or he might put my eyes out. Wow, I couldn't get away from him fast enough. I don't remember him ever spurring me though. Being older now, it never occured to me to be frightened of that pretty little rooster with the beautiful wake up call. I went and got bird seed and started feeding him. He liked the seed, and it seemed he liked me.

One day I showed mother the little rooster underneath a berry tree across the road. I told her to watch me and how he would come to me when I went outside. He saw me come out and he immediately stepped off the curb and started across the street. He came down the driveway and got closer and closer until he made it all the way to the porch where I was. He would follow us all over the yard. Sometimes it frightened me at how fast he could get near my feet. I guess I showed that fear because he started coming up to me sideways, and even today he ruffled his feathers someway making a sound that really got my attention. I could tell he wanted to fight me. Talking firm to him didn't work. Walking faster didn't work because he got faster too. So I took off my jacket as he stood and watched. I thought I would throw my jacket over him if he kept threatening me. You see I wasn't just protecting myself today. I had taken mother over to the church building on her wheelchair and I was more concerned about protecting her. Her skin is so fragile and I didn't want him to tear it. We made it into the house safely and I went and got some seed and once again fed the rooster. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see him alive. A large bird swooped down and killed the little rooster at the end of our house late this afternoon. I suppose he was hungry too and the beautiful little rooster provided him food. Somehow I think God also was looking out for us, protecting us, and I thank Him.