The story spark was Familiar Folk Sayings. You should be able to figure out which one I took.
Eggs in a Basket
“Hey, idiot! Do you see all my fine hens laying their eggs in the same basket? Do you think collecting them in a single basket is a wise choice? screamed a rather outspoken rooster. “After all, you only sell those eggs in single containers?”
All Henry was trying to do was collect the eggs he needed from all the hens in the coop to sell at the farmer’s market on Sunday. It was unusual for the rooster to hang around crowing at the top of his lungs, what sounded like “Cock-a-doodle-dipshit”.
“And furthermore,” the rooster continued, “What about my progeny? Have you checked to see if any of those eggs contain the seeds of my chicks?”
Again, all Henry heard was “Cock-a-doodle-with chicks.” He stared at the rooster.
The rooster just stared right back at Henry. “That’s right, I’m talking to you.”
Henry heard, “Cock-a-doodle-to you”
So Henry decided to crow back at the rooster, “Cock-a-doodle-do.” which were the only words in rooster he knew.
The rooster tilted its head and glared at Henry. Imagine being called a horny domestic fowl, which was the translation of what Henry had said to the rooster.
The rooster was getting well beyond being annoyed.
Henry needed a Rooster-to-English translator so they could understand each other better. But there was none.
Well, if a human can’t even listen to a simple suggestion, then it was time to take control of the situation under his own wing.
The rooster flew straight at Henry, screaming, “Try holding onto that basket while I peck your brains out!”
Of course, Henry only heard, “ROCK YOUR DOODLE DO!” He dropped the basket and ran back into the house. The basket, however, did not land gently, and all of the eggs Henry had already collected broke, leaving a big mess. And that’s no yolk.
From that day on, Henry was very careful when collecting his eggs. He stayed clear of the rooster whenever possible and made sure he collected eggs one carton at a time.
For, as most of us who understand rooster-talk know. You should never put all your eggs in one basket.
