Click here Roddy The Rooster Contest Answer three simple questions (all answers at this site) to enter a monthly draw to win Roddy The Rooster & Friends video, cd and colour-in book and consolation prizes. Story #34 Joe's Crazy Bargains If you would like to have Roddy's Story of the Month sent to you each month by e-mail, subscribe to Roddy's Story of the Month Mailing List! You can also read previous months' feature stories, one for each month since August 1997. Most have a picture, so have a look! - Other Farmyard Stories

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Written by Roddy Lee The rain fell down on Tumbledown Creek Farm the morning of Joe The Jolly Jumbuck's planned garage sale. Inside Roddy The Rooster's barn Joe The Jolly Jumbuck was muttering to himself as he set up his bargain stall just inside the barn door. "What a day to rain," moaned Joe, "The day of my Crazy Bargains Garage Sale!" Joe had been planning this day for two weeks. Roddy The Rooster and his friends were looking forward to swapping toys and trinkets with Joe's outstanding collection of memorabillia that he had decided to trade. Roddy The Rooster and his friends gathered around the table as Joe displayed his merchandise. He laid out an old poster advertising Uncle Tim's Bush Band. He also had three aces from a deck of playing cards. He added two toy cars to the table and a small steel bolt he had found a long time ago in the paddock by the fence. Four glass marbles, a colourful ball, two old medals and a red and white handkerchief. "Wow, Joe," said Roddy The Rooster, "These are all your favourite things. Are you going to trade them all?" Joe looked up to Roddy, "Yes," he replied, "I've had these old things for so long. It's time I got some new treasures to enjoy." "Very well," said Roddy, "I'd like the poster, Joe. I've always loved that poster of yours! Would you swap the poster for my marshmallow stick?" Roddy produced a long stick ideal for cooking marshmallows over an open fire. Joe The Jolly Jumbuck thought for a moment, then smiled, "Okay, Roddy. That's a fair swap." And with that Joe handed Roddy The Rooster the poster advertising Uncle Tim's Bush Band and Roddy gave Joe his marshmallow stick. Roddy was excited, "Thanks Joe, I'll go and put it up on the wall beside my coop right now!" Joe watched Roddy leave his stall. "I hope you enjoy my poster, Roddy!" he called out. The Cheeky Chicks had their eyes on Joe's colourful ball. "Can we have the ball, Joe?" asked the Cheeky Chicks. "What have you got to swap?" asked Joe. "Mum said we could swap her flower pot if we saw anything we liked on your stall," said one of the Cheeky Chicks. Joe The Jolly Jumbuck thought for a moment, then smiled, "Okay, Cheeky Chicks. That's a fair swap." "Yippee," cried the happy Chicks and they gave Joe the flower pot and raced off with the colourful ball. "I hope you enjoy my colourful ball, Cheeky Chicks!" he called out. "Ahem!!" Joe The Jolly Jumbuck swung around to see Mr Horse standing at the end of his stall. "I'd like to trade that small steel bolt, Joe!" said Mr Horse, "How would you like one of my old horseshoes for the bolt?" Joe The Jolly Jumbuck thought for a moment, then smiled, "Okay, Mr Horse. That's a fair swap." "Great," Mr Horse said gleefully, "I can hang my chow bag on this bolt. Thanks, Joe!" "I hope you enjoy my steel bolt, Mr Horse!" he called out as Mr Horse left the stall. "Hey Joe," said Desmond Duck, "How about my hat for the two toy cars?" Joe The Jolly Jumbuck thought for a moment, "Well, the hat's a bit small for me but, okay Desmond. That's a fair swap." "Fantastic, I'll put them with my others!" said Desmond as he handed over his hat to Joe The Jolly Jumbuck and grabbed the two toy cars. "I hope you enjoy my toy cars, Desmond!" he called out as Desmond Duck raced off with his new toys. The Crazy Bargains Garage Sale was over by midday. And what a success it had been. Joe The Jolly Jumbuck had traded all his old things for new treasures. The rain was still falling down on Tumbledown Creek Farm as Roddy The Rooster's friends spent the afternoon admiring their new possessions. Joe The Jolly Jumbuck sat behind his stall looking at all his new treasures, but he couldn't help but feel a little sad watching all his customers from the morning playing with his old things. "What's wrong, Joe?" came the voice of Roddy The Rooster. "You look a little sad. Didn't your Crazy Bargains Garage Sale go well?" "Yes," said Joe, "It went very well, thanks Roddy. I got rid of all my old things and I have a lot of new treasures. But somehow they don't feel the same as my old things." Roddy The Rooster could tell that Joe was missing his old things. "I tell you what," said Roddy, cheerfully, "I'll swap you back the poster for my marshmallow stick. Come marshmallow time what am I going to use for cooking? What do you say, Joe?" Joe The Jolly Jumbuck thought for a moment, then smiled, "I really would love my poster back. It means much more to me that your marshmallow stick. Besides I already have my own marshmallow stick. I'd never swap that!" Roddy The Rooster laughed, "Yes, Joe, we all know how much you love cooking marshmallows!!" Roddy's laugh was stopped when the Cheeky Chicks appeared at the stall. "Joe, mum wants her flower pot back. She doesn't like the colourful ball we swapped it for. She says that flower pot is very sentimental to her." Joe The Jolly Jumbuck looked at the flower pot, "Well, I'm not very sentimental about it! If it pleases Mrs Hen I'll swap the ball back." Then one by one the morning customers returned. Mr Horse found the steel bolt was too small to hold up his chow bag. Joe The Jolly Jumbuck happily swapped back the old horseshoe for his prized bolt. "It's funny what one gets attached to," Joe said to Roddy, "But I've had this steel bolt for so long that it really feels like a part of me!" Joe was happy to get back his two toy cars and return Desmond's hat to him. Desmond Duck already had those two toy cars in his collection. He didn't need doubles! The rain continued to fall on Tumbledown Creek Farm into the late afternoon as Joe The Jolly Jumbuck sat at his stall admiring all his old things. As it turned out all of his customers had reasons to swap back their bargains, much to Joe's pleasure. He looked to Roddy The Rooster, "I'll never do that again, Roddy - swap all of my old things for new treasures. New treasures are nice but it's the old things that you can't replace!" "Spot on, Joe," agreed Roddy The Rooster, "Old things are important, everyone grows to love their old things but they aren't a patch on the memories that we have. And today is a day that you or I will never forget!" More Roddy The Rooster's Farmyard Stories #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 #36

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