Chapter 4: chapter 4

Why the Rooster Crows Every MorningThe sun can be so harsh during summer. His scorching hot rays make everyone sigh and sweat and so sleepy, especially since Mamma refuses to let you step out in the hot sun and play outdoors during the summer holidays.But don’t you dare complain about the sun to anyone! You know how hot-tempered he can get when he’s in a mood. He could walk out on us and plunge our world into complete darkness. In fact, that’s what happened once, many centuries ago. And then it was up to Rustom, the red rooster, to follow the sun and coax him to return.Who is Rustom? A very stubborn rooster indeed.Once upon a time, aeons ago, the sun was in a particularly mischievous mood. He playfully decided to turn up the heat—literally. It was the height of summer, and the sun was glaring down at the Earth in all his blazing glory. It was so hot that people started fainting. Some collapsed, dehydrated because they’d been sweating so much, and others bled from their noses.It only took a few days for people to refuse to step out of their homes. Those who were forced to leave their houses for work cursed and complained about the sun quite loudly. Some even threatened the sun openly.‘Oh my God! Can we, like, tone down the heat, please?’ asked Samayra sarcastically.‘God save us from this cruel heat!’ said old man Ramanna.But Rustom, the rooster, really flew off the handle. ‘What’s with our man in the sky these days? Hey, buddy, don’t you have anything better to do? Relax!’ he loudly shrieked at the sun.The sun couldn’t take this criticism.He had worked for many years without taking a single holiday or a vacation. Even when he felt ill and under the weather, he would stick his head out and greet the world cheerfully every morning. So what if he had played a harmless prank on everyone just one time? Couldn’t these people take a simple joke? Even the birds were upset—and they were supposed to be his best friends! They spent all day in the sun, after all!After sitting in a corner and sulking for a few minutes, he grumbled, ‘I’ll teach them all a lesson. I won’t show them my face at all.’So he flew across to the edge of the sky to find some deep, dark and dingy cave where he could mope in peace.The whole world was plunged into complete darkness. Everyone began to shiver because of the freezing cold. The trees started drooping. The birds stopped singing. Children stopped waking up on time to go to school. The grass became brown. Butterflies disappeared because flowers dried up.People soon realised it had been a mistake to curse the sun. They begged the sun to forgive them and pleaded with him to be his sunny self again. But he refused to budge.The birds decided to take matters into their claws. Knowing that it was Rustom who had hurt the sun the most with his comments, they all agreed that Rustom and his team of roosters should go to the sun and coax him to return to his rightful place in the sky.And so went Rustom and his team to the far corner of the sky. The rooster stood outside the dark, dingy cave found at the very edge of midnight and called out to the sun.‘O sun. We are sorry. The world is not the same without you. The plants are dying. The birds have stopped singing, and the children can’t go out to play anymore. Do come back and put the world right again?’‘Go away, you meanie. I will never come back,’ retorted the sun, clearly still in a mood.‘Aww, come on. In this dark, the birds and humans are not safe anymore. The wildlife has become even more dangerous. They pounce on all of us. I can’t even go home through the forest now. I am sure some feral cat will attack me and eat me up,’ pleaded Rustom.‘Hmph, too bad,’ said the sun, refusing to relent.Then, suddenly, Rustom had an idea.He loudly sighed and said, ‘Well, I suppose my friends and I will have to go back through the woods in the dark, where the fiercest wild animals will be ready to jump on us. If we get eaten, it’s on you. At least come out and rescue us if we start to crow, when in danger.’Rustom began walking back with his team. But as soon as he rounded a corner when the sun could no longer see him, he started crowing as loudly as possible.Despite his temper, he knew the sun would rush to help him. And soon enough, the sun appeared in a flash, looking around for the rooster. ‘Oh no! Where is my friend? I need to save him!’ he cried.Rustom had already leapt away from sight and run across the heavens. The sun rushed across the sky to look for the rooster, determined to help him, bringing all his majestic warmth and light. But each time, Rustom ran and hid out of reach.And that is why the rooster crows at the crack of dawn—so that the sun, still looking for his friend, will come out every day.