The rooster considered himself an important public servant.
Nobody had officially appointed him.
This detail never seemed to bother him.
Every morning, before sunrise had fully organized itself, the rooster announced the day’s arrival.
Loudly.
Extremely loudly.
Repeatedly.
At first, the village tolerated this arrangement.
Then people began setting clocks by it.
Farmers started work.
Bakers lit ovens.
Market stalls opened.
Fishing boats pushed away from shore.
The rooster observed these developments with great satisfaction.
His influence was clearly expanding.
Years later, the village had grown considerably.
New houses appeared.
New roads appeared.
New families arrived.
The rooster studied the situation carefully and reached an obvious conclusion.
The village was responding exceptionally well to his leadership.
After all, every major improvement had occurred shortly after one of his speeches.
Coincidence seemed unlikely.
The rooster continued his work with renewed dedication.
The village continued growing.
Neither side questioned the arrangement.
And so, for many years, an entire community prospered under the watchful supervision of a bird whose primary qualification was being awake first.
Livora Gracely 
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