The Prodigal Rooster

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Scripture: “Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.”
Mt. 13:34, NIV
    Once upon a time last week, a Farmer separated the hens in his flock of chickens from all the roosters but one, who, like King Solomon of old, had a harem of five lovely lady hens.
This was done to fulfill the expectation that the hens would prove to be good and faithful servants.
   Daily, the wife of the Good Farmer would go to the hen harem and examine the nests,
proclaiming loudly, “Where’s the EGGS?”
Seeing none, she protested to the Good Farmer, who said,
“Be patient, allow more time. I will feed them and water them for a time,
and if they do not produce, then we can talk about chicken and noodles.”
   The Prodigal Rooster left his bretheran roosters and arose to a perch above the harem.
While admiring the hens, he was let down through the ceiling. He was pounced upon and badly beaten up by the guardian of the harem, in which condition the Good Samaritan Farmer found him.
    The Good Farmer gave him food and drink, and placed him in an Inn Cage over night. The farmer patched the hole in the chicken wire ceiling, and moved the wounded rooster, whose name is Capo (because his feathers form a beautiful coat of many colors on his back) to another barn, where he spent two days eating and drinking.

    Then, he disappeared! The Good Farmer did seek for him, but did not find. He asked the sheep, dog, and cat residents of the barn, but did not receive an answer. Capo was given up for lost.
    Then, while keeping watch over the flocks by evening, Lo! What should appear but a rooster, his silvery cape shining in the light! Exclaimed the Good Farmer,
“My rooster, which was dead, is now alive!” And he went and reported to the housewife, “Rejoice with me, the lost rooster is found!”
    To which she replied, “Still no chicken and noodles?”
January 19, 2003

Special notes about The Prodigal Rooster - 2008
    The story is based on an actual event that happened on our small farm. 'Capo' was a real rooster, and one of the few chickens in our flock that had a name. He was hatched in a clutch of eggs in the summer of 2002, and passed from this earthly life in August of 2008, elderly in chicken years. He was interred on a hill in a nearby woodlot, next to a barn buddy, Boots, the Cat.

     We keep a small flock of mostly bantam chickens that have the free run of the place, in addition to the laying flock - hens that are kept in the barn (harem, in the story) to provide brown eggs for sale. The red rooster in the photo is the 'guardian' mentioned in the story.
    As described, I separated the roosters after their little episode, and released a rather bedraggled Capo after a night in a 'coop.' We didn't see him for several days, so we assumed that he had either died of his injuries or fallen prey to one of the predators that live in the area.
    I was suprised to see him come to the watering trough just as I was finishing chores one evening. It was a moment that triggered inspiration! The words came tumbling out - liberally referencing Bible stories and parables. It became my "Seeds For Thinking" article for that week. I also made up a folded 5 x 8 inch card illustrated with a photo, and began handing them out to friends and family members who do not attend our small church. That led to the series of cards that you see on my web pages.

    What began with a simple incident in everyday farm life resulted in a 'ministry' of promoting Bible reading through these cards, e-mail, and the World Wide Web.
    I can't help but think how the Apostle Peter's life was changed by a rooster, crowing at the break of dawn on that fateful morning so long ago. We never know how the Lord will touch us; this was my "rooster" event.
    I pray that many others will find inspiration and meaning from these stories, perhaps indeed turning to the Bible daily.
        Please pray for this ministry, that it may be fruitful.

                Leland Hubbell

REFERENCES
(required reading)
The Sheep & Goats:
Mt. 25:31-36
King Solomon’s Wives:
1 Kings 11:1-3
Good, Faithful Servants:
Mt. 25:21
The Barren Fig Tree:
Luke13:6-9
The Prodigal Son:
Luke 15:11-32
The Good Samaritan:
Luke 10:30-37
The Coat of Many Colors:
Genesis 37:3
Seek and Find:
Luke 11:9
Shepherds:
Luke 2:8,9
The Lost and Found:
Luke 15:3-6; 8, 9

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