Does crowing always mean a roo?

[offleash]

Ever hear the old adage about 'whistling girls and crowing hens'? No? Well here is the whole poem:
Mothers cluck and grandmothers frown –
“Hush up your mouth! Let that skirt down!
Whistling girls and crowing hens
Will always come to some bad ends.”

Still they come on the market day,
Rowdy girls of a wild way,
Rucking up skirts to free their legs,
Swinging their baskets full of eggs.

Says Joan, “I’ve saved to buy a sword.”
“I’ll just rescue a handsome lord,”
Brit says, winking, her cheeks aglow.
Marian grins and strings her bow.

The years roll on, and not one weds,
Though sisters go to marriage beds.
Their mothers wail and cry, “What for?”
Then, hark – the distant horns of war!

Joan grabs her sword and steals a horse
To change the battle’s bitter course.
The men she leads are full of heart.
They slay the foe. Joan does her part.

Brit finds the kidnapped prince’s cell –
Six hens distract the guard dogs well.
She sets him free and off they fly.
He swears to wed her, by and by.

Wedding bells ring for King and Queen
As Mark and Brit walk up the green.
A traitor tries to steal the crown –
Marian’s there to shoot him down.

Joan weds a scout; Marian, too,
Chooses a soldier, brave and true.
Joan wears her sword upon the day;
Marian’s crowned with thorns of May.

Daughters come to them each in time,
Greeted in turn with this new rhyme:
“Whistling girls and crowing hens
Do more good than anyone kens!”

That's fantastic!

 

[Sadness Child]

That's fantastic!

I know right, now I wonder why we weren't taught this song as kids in the 21st century

 

[Chullicken]

I have a crowing hen, product of everything else dying, being killed or re-homed so she's all alone. Started crowing for about a month and it was the most awkward sound I've ever heard a chicken make. She's back to being her salty broody self now. But to the point, I never actually knew that was a poem, thought it was just an expression. XD

 

[Sadness Child]

That is a long expression, so you start singing this as a song to your friends they clap and say "wow nice song" then your just going to say "oh that was just an expression" WHO DOES THAT

Ok sorry bout that, anyway... I have always wanted a crowing hen

 

[Aunt Angus]

That is a long expression, so you start singing this as a song to your friends they clap and say "wow nice song" then your just going to say "oh that was just an expression" WHO DOES THAT

That was a bit of an... abrasive thing to say. You misunderstand what is being referred to as the expression. Eggscaping wrote, "Ever hear the old adage about 'whistling girls and crowing hens'?" THAT is the expression.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Ever hear the old adage about 'whistling girls and crowing hens'? No? Well here is the whole poem:
Mothers cluck and grandmothers frown –
“Hush up your mouth! Let that skirt down!
Whistling girls and crowing hens
Will always come to some bad ends.”

Still they come on the market day,
Rowdy girls of a wild way,
Rucking up skirts to free their legs,
Swinging their baskets full of eggs.

Says Joan, “I’ve saved to buy a sword.”
“I’ll just rescue a handsome lord,”
Brit says, winking, her cheeks aglow.
Marian grins and strings her bow.

The years roll on, and not one weds,
Though sisters go to marriage beds.
Their mothers wail and cry, “What for?”
Then, hark – the distant horns of war!

Joan grabs her sword and steals a horse
To change the battle’s bitter course.
The men she leads are full of heart.
They slay the foe. Joan does her part.

Brit finds the kidnapped prince’s cell –
Six hens distract the guard dogs well.
She sets him free and off they fly.
He swears to wed her, by and by.

Wedding bells ring for King and Queen
As Mark and Brit walk up the green.
A traitor tries to steal the crown –
Marian’s there to shoot him down.

Joan weds a scout; Marian, too,
Chooses a soldier, brave and true.
Joan wears her sword upon the day;
Marian’s crowned with thorns of May.

Daughters come to them each in time,
Greeted in turn with this new rhyme:
“Whistling girls and crowing hens
Do more good than anyone kens!”

Great historical references in there. Love the allegory!!! Wonder how I missed this as a literature instructor who majored in British Lit and minored in Ancient Lit....

 

[Sadness Child]

I flunk English 1 so I don't know

 

[Eggscaping]

I have never heard this before and I love it

That was from, to give credit where credit is due:
The Wordsmith's Forge
The Writing & Other Projects of Elizabeth Barrette

 

[Eggscaping]

Great historical references in there. Love the allegory!!! Wonder how I missed this as a literature instructor who majored in British Lit and minored in Ancient Lit....

Here's where I found it:
The Wordsmith's Forge
The Writing & Other Projects of Elizabeth Barrette