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 #12 Scratching With Joe 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

Click on the name of any of Roddy's friends in the story to see links to other stories they feature in.

Written by Roddy Lee It was in the middle of the darkest night and all you could hear at Roddy The Rooster's farm was... Scratch, scratch! Itch, itch! It was Joe The Jolly Jumbuck who couldn't sleep. Something was making him itch. And there's nothing worse than a sheep that can't sleep! Nearby Mrs Cow was standing sound asleep when she was woken by Joe's cursing. "Curse this incessant itch!" Mrs Cow recognised Joe's voice. "What's the problem, Joe? Why can't you sleep?" she asked. "Something is making me itch." Mrs Cow trotted over to Joe and no sooner had she arrived beside him that she started to itch too. "Ohh!" she cried jumping up and down. Mrs Cow knew straight away what the problem was. "Joe," she cried, "you're standing on an ants nest!!" Both Mrs Cow and Joe leapt aside and felt instant relief. "How did you end up standing in an ants nest?" asked Mrs Cow. "I don't know!" said Joe. Just then Ollie Owl spoke up, "Hoot, hoot! I know! I saw it!" "How could you see it?" asked Joe, "It's too dark to see anything!" "I'm an owl. I can see in the dark!" Ollie reminded Joe. Ollie had been resting on a branch in a tree above the farmyard. He was a very wise owl so Joe and Mrs Cow listened intently. "I saw Joe walk across the yard and stand right on top of that ants nest." "I did not!" said Joe, "I wouldn't be so silly!!" "Then," continued Ollie, "It can only mean one thing. Joe sleep walks!" Joe was shocked, "I never knew..." Mrs Cow butted in, "Of course you never knew! How could you know you're sleep walking when you're asleep?" Mrs Cow had a good point. So Ollie promised to watch Joe from the branch in the tree above the farmyard for the rest of the night and make sure Joe didn't sleep walk onto that ants nest again. And the following day Joe and Mrs Cow watched the ants move across to the other side of the farmyard. "Somewhere we can get a quiet night's sleep!" yelled one cheeky little ant making Joe and Mrs Cow laugh. 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

Click here