My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R.

Roces

My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R. Roces Characters: Kiko Alejandro Kiko & Alejandros Father and Mother Tenienteng Tasio Head of the Village Mr. Eduardo Cruz Operator of a large egg farm

Settings: Cornfield House Village Town

Scene 1: At Cornfield. Early one morning while Kiko and Alejandro were driving the chickens from cornfields. The corn had just been planted, and the chickens were scratching the seeds out for food. Suddenly they heard the rapid flapping of wings. They turned in the direction of the sound and saw two chickens fighting in the far end of the field. Kiko: Look at the rooster fight! Why, if I had a rooster like that I could get rich in the cockpit. Alejandro: let us go and catch it. Kiko: No, you stay here. I will go and catch it.
Janina Reign F. Santos Grade 7 St. Peter Calungsod Page 1

My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R. Roces

(Kiko slowly approached the battling chickens). The chickens were so busy fighting that they did not notice Kiko. When Kiko got near them, he dived and caught one of them by the leg. It struggled and squawked. Kiko finally held it by both wings and it became still. Alejandro ran over where Kiko was and he took a good look at the chicken. Alejandro: Aba, it is a hen! Kiko: What is the matter with you? Is the heat making you sick? Alejandro: No. Look at its face. It has no comb or wattles. Kiko: No comb and wattles! Who cares about its comb or wattles? Didnt you see it in fight? Alejandro: Sure, I saw it in fight. But I still say it is a hen. Kiko: A hen! Did you ever see a hen with spurs on its legs like these? Or a hen with a tail likes this? Alejandro: I dont care about its spurs or tail. I tell you it is a hen. Why, just look at it.

Sceen 2: At the House. The argument went on in the fields the whole morning. At noon they went to eat lunch. They argued about it on the way home. When they arrived at our house Kiko tied the chicken to a peg. The chicken flapped its wings and then crowed. Kiko: There! Did you hear that? I suppose you are going to tell me now that carabaos fly. Alejandro: I dont care if it crows or not, that chicken is a hen.

Janina Reign F. Santos Grade 7 St. Peter Calungsod

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My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R. Roces

Kiko: It is not a hen, it is a rooster. Alejandro: It is a hen. Kiko: It is not. Alejandro: It is. Mother: Thats enough! How many times must Father tell you, boys, not to argue during lunch? What is the argument about this time? (Mother went out look to at the chicken.) Mother: That chicken, she said, is a binabae. It is a rooster that looks like a hen. (Father also went out to see the chicken.) Father: No, Mother, you are wrong. That chicken is a binalake, a hen which looks like a rooster. Mother: Have you been drinking again? Father: No. Mother: Then what makes you say that that is a hen? Have you ever seen a hen with feathers like that? Father: Listen. I have handled fighting cocks since I was a boy, and you cannot tell me that that thing is a rooster. (Father and Mother were arguing about the chicken.) Mother: (crying.) You know very well that that is a rooster. You are just being mean and stubborn. Father: I am sorry. But I know a hen when I see one.

Janina Reign F. Santos Grade 7 St. Peter Calungsod

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My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R. Roces

Father puts his arms around Mother and called the corny names like my Reina Elena, my Madonna and my Maria Clara. Kiko and Alejandro felt very much embarrassed, so they left the house without finishing their lunch.

Scene 3: At the Village. Kiko: I know who can settle this question. Alejandro: Who? Kiko: Tenienteng Tasio. Tenienteng Tasio was the head of the village. That did not mean that he was the wisest, but anything always carried more weight if it is said by a man with gray hair. So kiko untied the chicken and they took it to the chief. Kiko:Tenienteng Tasio, is the chicken a male or female? Tenienteng Tasio: That is a question that should concern only another chicken. Kiko: Look Teniente.(with special interest) Just say yes or no. Is this a rooster? Tenienteng Tasio: It does not look like any rooster I have ever seen. Alejandro: Is it a hen, then? Tenienteng Tasio: It does not look like any hen I have ever seen. (Kiko and Alejandro were speechless.) Tenienteng Tasio: Have you two ever seen an animal like this before? (Kiko and Alejandro were speechless.) Tenienteng Tasio: Then how do you both know it is a chicken?
Janina Reign F. Santos Grade 7 St. Peter Calungsod

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My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R. Roces

Kiko: well, what else could it be? Tenienteng Tasio: It could be another kind of a bird. Kiko; Oh, God, no! (Kiko and Alejandro walking) Alejandro: Well, what do we do now? Kiko: I know what. Lets go to town and see Mr. Cruz. He would know.

Scene 4: At Town. Mr. Eduardo Cruz lived in a nearby town of Alcala. He had studied poultry husbandry at Los Banos. He owned and operated the largest poultry business in town. (Kiko and Alejandro took the chicken to Mr. Cruz office.) Kiko: Mr. Cruz, is this a hen or a rooster? Mr. Cruz: (looking at the bird curiously.) Hmmmm. I dont know. I couldnt tell at one look. I have never run across a birdy like this before. Kiko: Is there any other way you can tell? Mr. Cruz: why, sure. Look at the feathers on its back. If the ends are round, its a she. If they are pointed, then its a he. The three examined its feather closely. And the chicken had both! Mr. Cruz: Hmm. Very peculiar. Kiko: Is there any other way you could tell? Mr. Cruz: I could kill it and examine its inside.
Janina Reign F. Santos Grade 7 St. Peter Calungsod Page 5

My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R. Roces

Alejandro took the plumed creature in his arms and they walk back to their barrio. Kiko was silent most of the way. Kiko: I know how I can prove to you that this is a rooster. Alejandro: How? Kiko; Would you agree that is a rooster if it fights in a cockfight and it wins? Alejandro: if this hen of yours can beat a gamecock, I would believe anything. Kiko: Alright, we will take it to the cockpit this coming Sunday. So that Sunday they took the chicken to the cockpit. Kiko looked around for a suitable opponent. He finally picked a red rooster. Alejandro: Dont pit your hen against the rooster. That red rooster is not a native chicken. It was brought over from Texas. Kiko; That does not mean anything to me. My rooster will kill it. Alejandro: Dont be a fool. That red rooster is a killer. It has killed more chickens than the cholera. There is no rooster in this province that can take the gaff. Pick on a less formidable rooster. (Kiko didnt listen.) The match was made and the birds were readied for the killing. Sharp steel gaffs were tied to their left legs. Everyone wanted to bet on the red gamecock. The fight was brief. Both birds were released in the center of the arena. They circled around once and then faced each other.

Janina Reign F. Santos Grade 7 St. Peter Calungsod

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My Brothers Peculiar Chicken Alejandro R. Roces

A lovesick expression came into the red roosters eyes. Then it did a love dance. That was all kikos chicken needed. It rushed at the red rooster with its neck feathers flaring. In one lunge, it buried its spurs into its opponents chest. The fight was over. Crowd: Tiope! Tiope! Fixed fight! The riot broke out. People tore bamboo benches apart and used them as clubs. (Kiko and Alejandro leave through the back way.) Kiko: Now are you convinced it is a rooster? Alejandro: Yes. (In the back of his mind) I was glad the whole argument was over.

(Chicken began to quiver.) Alejandro: (Wondering..) something around and warm dropped on his hand. (Chicken cackled with laugher). Alejandro: (Looking at his hand) -- an egg!

Janina Reign F. Santos Grade 7 St. Peter Calungsod

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