A CocK FOR A CLOCK

A CocK FOR A CLOCK 

                          Once there was an old woman.  Her husband was dead.  Her children were married.  She lived alone with her helpers This old woman was a hard working woman.  She was not lazy.  She got up with the cock.  The cock crowed at 4 O'  clock.  She woke up the helpers.  Then they began to work.  They swept the house and dusted the furniture.  They swept the compound and cleaned the garden.  They watered the flowers and weeded the garden.  They picked the vegetables and prepared the meals.  They washed the clothes and then bathed and rested.  Again the following morning they got up with the cock.  The helpers did not like to get up early.  They thought of a plan. "We'll get rid of the cock,  then we don't have to get up early.  We can sleep till late."  they said.  So they got rid of the cock.  The old woman was sad. "Oh!  what can we do?" she said.  She could not tell the time by the light.  So she woke up the helpers when she opened her eyes.  Sometimes it was 2 O’clock in the night.  Sometimes it was 3 O’clock.  Often it was 4 O'clock.  It was her habit to get up at 4 o'clock earlier.  But now it was always before four. "What have we done!" cried the helpers,  now we have less sleep without the cock.