Saturday, June 02, 2007

1907.……MY MOTHER AND HER PET ROOSTER


In January, 1907, this adorable picture of my mother and her pet rooster, Teddy, appeared in the “Boston Globe”, along with the following article:

“Roosters are not unknown as pets, but little Ruth P. of West Brattleboro, Vt., has an exceptional rooster, Teddy, in that he will allow her to do anything she may wish with him.

The way this little mistress manages her bird playfellow is extremely interesting. She never punishes him because he never needs a rebuke. She speaks to him in a quiet tone, but there is in her eyes a certain power of the will, a power which is rare in children, which forces him to submit to her kind, though sometimes odd, treatment.

In the morning he struts into the kitchen and with a jolly “crowing” he mounts the low table at Ruth’s command, steps into the washbowl and patiently submits to a sponging with soap and water. After shaking his feathers a bit he is dried off with a towel and then brushed until his coat shines bright and clean.

Then follows another of her favorite pastimes. She hitches Teddy to her small doll-cart and drives her noble steed by “gee” and “haw” out through the woodshed, down the front yard to the sidewalk for a jaunt... both child and bird with tiny white hoods crowning their heads.

Ruth has had this strange comrade for several years and has trained him entirely herself. Teddy shows a great fondness for his mistress and obeys her without the least hesitancy.”

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My mother lived to the grand age of 92 and, as one of her five daughters, I can attest to the fact that she “trained” us pretty much in the same way that she did Teddy!

9 Comments:

Blogger dmmgmfm said...

What an incredible story! A real day brightener. Thank you!

6:40 PM  
Blogger kenju said...

Ginnie, what a sweet story this is, and how nice it is that you have that photo. It is charming!

9:19 PM  
Blogger Anvilcloud said...

You should have cried fowl for raising you like that!

9:28 PM  
Blogger Pam said...

Well, now, this is just the BEST story. I love the photo and the article tells of a very unique person.

8:17 AM  
Blogger KGMom said...

The story is marvelous, but the photo--that takes all. What a good chuckle. Or should I say--cluckle? Oh groan, sorry about that.

7:45 PM  
Blogger Cazzie!!! said...

love this story.
I had a pet rooster and I named him Boofa. We hatched him in an incubator at primary school. He went on to be a dad to many a chicken at a friend's farm.

12:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This was great!
Imagine having a pet rooster and little did she know it was all pre-training for those daughters to come.
Loved this story and here's hoping you have your mother's incredible longivity.

4:28 AM  
Blogger Melly` said...

Wonderful story and what a photo!

5:54 AM  
Blogger Maya's Granny said...

I'm picturing you hitched to a small cart, being driven through the wood shed. Wearing a small, white cap, of course.

5:02 PM  

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