The Impudent Rooster is an adaptation of a traditional Romanian tale by Sabina Rascol.
Frustrated at being poor, an old man yells at his rooster one day for not laying eggs. Crushed, the rooster leaves his best friend and master.
The rooster then finds a money pouch he desires to take back to his master so he can eat but along the way it’s stolen by a greedy nobleman. The rooster enters a series of tests as the nobleman tries to rid himself of this impudent rooster.
In the end, the rooster succeeds at outsmarting the nobleman and ends up bringing back riches to his master.
The best part of this story is the emphasis on forgiveness:
“The old man asked the rooster’s forgiveness for his ill-tempered words, and the rooster rubbed his head against the old man’s hand. He had long since forgiven his master.”
The old man uses his wealth in the end to provide for the poor and help others.
The pictures by Holly Berry are bright, cheery, and fun.
Wonderful, uplifting story kids (and adults) of all ages need to hear.