[Fawn]

Fable 01
The Hound and the Rooster

A mock-fable featuring Heli’s Snarl of Black Hound and Strut of Ring-Necked Rooster

Once upon a time there was a rooster. He took his job very seriously. He woke the sun each morning, but at night, he guarded the moon. One day, a hound saw what the rooster was doing and approached.

"What are you doing, Brother Rooster?" asked the hound.

"None of your business!" said the Rooster, who was as proud of his job as he was serious about it.

"Hm." Said the hound, and he decided to make it his business.

So the hound heard from the birds and the trees that the rooster only answered to one thing: the sky.

The hound, who had become rather fond of the moon the rooster was guarding, spoke to the sky.

"Father Sky, Father Sky, who is it that wakes the sun each day?"

"Why, it is the rooster." said Father Sky.

"Who is it that guards the moon at night?"

"Why, it is the rooster." said Father Sky.

"So when does the rooster rest? If he spends all night guarding the moon, he will be too tired to wake the sun on time." said the hound.

"We shall see," said Father Sky.

The hound had a plan. He watched the rooster very closely for the next few days and nights. The rooster did a very good job of guarding the moon, strutting in the moonlight like a lone sentry. But the rooster, thinking himself alone, tucked his head under his wing and dozed as soon as the moon sank below the horizon.

The hound went to the biggest, oldest tree known to animalkind. The oldest, biggest tree also had the oldest, biggest leaves, and it was a time of falling. The hound gripped the stem of the biggest leaf he could find, and he carried it back to the rooster.

While the rooster continued to nap with its head beneath its wing, the hound held the leaf over the rooster, blocking the first few rays of dawn from falling on the rooster's feathers.

The rooster slept on.

When the other animals became confused - the sun did not rise, for she did not hear the rooster's call, and the birds would not chirp without the morning's light - Father Sky said to the rooster.

"Why have you not woken the sun, Brother Rooster?"

The rooster, startled from his nap, woke to find the sun still hiding behind the horizon. The hound and his leaf were nowhere to be found.

Ashamed, the rooster woke the sun and said. "I am sorry Father Sky. I... I dozed off."

The hound, who had been watching all of this occur, appeared before the rooster and Father Sky.
"Don't be angry with him, Father Sky. Brother Rooster guarded the moon all night, and he worked so hard, he could hardly keep his eyes open any longer."

Brother Rooster puffed out his chest, pleased with the compliment. "That's right, I did."

"You have done well, Brother Rooster. Guard the moon at night, and rest during the day." said Father Sky.

"But who will wake the sun?" asked the hound. "I cannot do it."

So Father Sky asked all of animalkind, who among them had a voice strong enough to wake the sun from her deep slumber.

Brother Rooster again puffed out his chest. "I am the best at waking the sun."

"He is right," said the hound. "He is better at it than I."

"If Brother Rooster wakes the sun, then who will guard the moon?" asked Father Sky.

"I will guard the moon," said the hound. It was his one true wish.

"Brother Hound will guard the moon, Brother Rooster will wake the sun." So it was decreed.

But the Rooster looked sullen, until Brother Hound spoke to him.
"We cannot be good at everything. We all have our own skills."

The Rooster ruffled his feathers, offended. "You must be very good at holding leaves over my head, Brother Hound."

Brother Hound was shocked. "How did you know it was me?"

"The sun told me. She doesn't like you very much." said the rooster.

Brother Hound nodded, accepting this. "It is good then that I am guarding the moon and not waking the sun."

"But I like the moon as much as I like the sun," complained the rooster. "Why can't I guard both?"

"Because you are the only one who can wake the sun," said Brother Hound. "Isn't it enough to be the best at one thing?"

"You're right," said Brother Rooster. "I will be the best at waking the sun, and you will be the best at guarding the moon."

And so the rooster and the hound found peace with one another, as long as the hound promised not to make the rooster sleep in again.