Rebel Rogue Is Her Name

"Hey, Calvin, did you see the chicken?"  He swiveled his head to find the fowl.

"What shall we call her?  I think she's going to be here a while."

"Little Red Hen?"

"Just plain Red?"

"Chickie?"

"Rebel!"

"Rogue?"

"Bach-Bach?"

"Russell, Russet, Rusty?"

We threw out names and I explained how she "came to be."

             * * *

I heard weird noises outside, so I went to the front window and saw 3 people in the middle of the yard!  

"Can you believe that?  3 people out there in the middle of the grass hootin' and hollerin' ?  I didn't know who they were; they didn't come to the house to say "Hi", either."

One short, chubby, middle aged man was crouched down clapping his hands.  The other two, a few feet behind him, one an average height, muscular thin man, and a red-haired woman mid-sized, were watching from the side of a black car.

Then I spied this red feathered hen.  

She was strutting around, bobbing her head keeping an eyeball on those three.

She went to the crouched clapping man who tossed her a cracker.  He said "She's clapped trained."  

I didn't know what that was, so I asked him.  Supposedly, when he claps, the chickens come running.  Well, she wasn't about to cooperate, she took the cracker and ran!  Away!

Those people came up to me while we watched the hen scratch.  She investigated the dead leaves up there between us and the neighbors.  "Look, she's making a nest," one of them said.

I cautioned them, "Sammy and Charlie will eat her!"

"You mean your neighbors like grilling chicken?"

"No.  Sammy & Charlie are Australian Heelers.  Those dogs will eat her.  Shoot, they want to eat me!"

The other day the dogs' owner was rubbing their backs as they were growling at me and he said, "Oh now, calm down, be nice, you know Pam.  She's given you treats before, you know her.  And then they let out a loud rumble in their chests and barked all aggressive-like "WOOF!"  

Their mouths were wide open, their white fanged teeth were showing, and their legs were splayed.  Yah, they're friendly, alright.  Humpth.  There was going to be an onward assault, I was sure of it!

Shoot, they want to eat ME!

Those three were just about to give up.  Said they'd been here the day before, and would come back in the morning to try again if they couldn't catch her now.  

"It's not like she's essential," said the big man, "I've got 38 more.  We live just 2 miles away around the corner of the mile square."

"How'd she get here?"

Thin man came up, "Hi. Sorry.  I came to your neighbor's sale, Thursday.  I didn't know she'd rode over with me in my truck until I saw her jump out of the back of it.  I couldn't catch her, I had to leave."   And he grinned real wide, a friendly grin.

"But we're gonna catch her now."

Well, they didn't.  And it came up a rain the next day.  And they didn't.  And it's 4 days later, and they still didn't.

* * *

So, Calvin and I were watching this chicken as she made herself at home under the evergreen tree.  I was wondering if she'd laid any eggs somewhere.  He thought she was a rebel, probably enjoying not being one of a crowd.  She may have even been pecked on in that big group.  

I thought she was rogue; she didn't come when called, she didn't stay in, or out, of the fenced area, she wasn't the least bit personable, and by golly, you can't forget that she jumped a ride out of Dodge!

It was decided.  Rebel Rogue's her name, and saucy is her game.

 

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