1. This is the story I fain will tell, Of the ad-
ventures and exploits of a young cock-
erel.
Acquired from a pet shop to roam at will,
Between fenced boundaries with license
to kill, The myriads of insects, pests and
any swarm
Which night and day did the garden
much harm. Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)
At first Georgie gallus settled quite
nicely in place,
Seeking, scratching, and dispatching in-
sects apace.
Then, despite the variety, his appetite
palled,
As he thought of responding to Adven-
ture’s call,
With young strong blood and his lust to
feed,
To his purchased purpose he paid scant
heed.
From over the fence he heard first a
thrilling cry,
Its origin mysterious till the day he es-
pied
A pretty young chick in feathers so fine,
In form, figure and movements, a bird di-
vine.

2. Or so he thought, when he saw her first,
And decided she was just what he needed
To make life a sonnet of sweetness and mirth.
Forsaking his owners, and his feast of bugs,
He listened to his desires and his heartbeat tugs. “Oh sweet bird of my fervent desires,
Please join with me in all life’s aspires, Or if it is better times you want, Let’s both tend the
garden and you’ll never be gaunt.” So he first proclaimed for all to hear, His undying love for
his lady feathered fair. Startled and taken aback by this unintroduced approach, The poult
named Apple spun and disdain-fully began her reproach.
‘Why you young fool, you’re either blind or a dolt, To seek romance with a young turkey
poult.”
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)

3. By
Ken Lans
“What on earth makes you address me this way ?
Just like all the young cocks you wish to make a play, Wherever and when-
ever you fancy you can score. Be off with you! You are really a bore!”
Tailoring her words by her actions, she spoke, To him with beak and claws so furiously,
He realized the import of sufficient space and took,
Aflight and flapped his wings so lustily. That right quickly there was scarce a trace
Of him, except for some lost feathers left in place.
His injured pride and betrayed ignorance to hide, Back to his own baliwack he flew to pon-
der The reasons behind his terrible blunder. “Was there something in my suit that I handled
wrong For her to turn on me so strong? She is my only true love, of that I’m sure. “
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)

4. By
Ken Lans
“I’ll give her some time, and she I will lure.
My love is so great, there’s no need to make haste.
I will woo her from here, I won’t tempt fate.
It is the safe thing to do, I’ll plead my case
With patience and vocabulary in which I am skilled
When I sing my refrain, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”
“Oh Apple! Apple! Apple,
What have you done to me!
Since I first had you in my
sight,
I have been in a kind of ec-
stasy!
Is this what Eve experienced,
When she her first Apple
picked from the garden and
bit?
No wonder then that she
wanted Adam too, to experi-
ence it!
Now I am in troubled waters
deep,
With banks on both sides
steep, For the more I see is
the more I want to try,
To earn your love and around
you to fly. “

5. They stay in the garden both night and day,
‘”
Week after week and more and still,
For I find it better and more fun, To peck
I fear my growing wants have outstripped my
‘” around in my tiny brain to zoom in and out
meagre vocabulary! And that has me in a bind, seeking for some pun,
How can you be so unkind? Like some feathered superswain,
Where can I find the ability, Tossing phrases and ideas in the air,
To win, too woo, you already proclaim me silly. And catching them before they crash,
A chicken’s heart is all I have before you to lay, On the stony ground like that of your
I’ve lost the instinct and drive to heart.”
insects kill.”
Itō Jakuchū (1716–
1800)

6. By
Ken Lans
“Some times I see stars appear, with the stress on my tiny brain
What kind of female causes such fear, and inspires such pain and alarm
In a bird who has done them no harm,
Except to declare my love and ask for thine?
How can I know if the fault is yours or mine!
At least Eve had a serpent to blame,
And Adam and all the priests to follow blamed Eve.
The story goes that they were both banished, The price they paid was
very high and shame And so your scorn lingers and therefore I languish. “
Itō Jakuchū (1716–
1800)

7. By
Ken Lans
“When I first laid eyes on you I did not know there was a penalty
When I flew into your space I had to pay with feathers lost, the price
And now time’s lost thinking sweet refrains to gain your spice For
such a longing has afflicted me, I’ve got the “Always Wanting Fever‟
“Wanting something much better than bugs aplenty.
It wouldn’t be so bad if better couldn’t be had,
I might be satisfied with what’s around me,
But everytime I think I’ve gained some mastery,
You put on some new air to tempt me.
I then relapse into gratification fever,
A burning desire to immediately caress you
Entirely consumes my reason and I’m eager,
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)
When I see what you have to deliver.”

8. By Ken Lans
So diligently did Georgie crow his loving devotion, His owners took notice,
and they questioned the commotion. “He needs a mate,” they eventually
did decide
Next morning, they purchased a chick to reside, In the yard as a compan-
ion one named Saida gallus For their lovesick bug-terminator Georgie gal-
lant.
Sadly, in their haste to procure what Georgie needed, No great discrimi-
nation or choice was heeded, And what Georgie saw approaching with
some fear,
What kind of beast are you?” was his greeting dismayed,
To the poor young bird, who at her first sight,
Of him fell madly in love, and was with delight,
Thanking her lucky stars at such good fortune and said.
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)

9. By
Ken Lans
“I am a clean-neck fowl, an aristocrat among peers,
Quite highly considered, in spite of your jeers.
From the first time I saw you, I surrendered my heart
It’s common in true romances to have a bad start.
The fates have decided, an arranged marriage it’s true
You’ll soon come to touch me and I will let you.”
This was Saida’s brave rejoinder, hiding her growing dismay
At this unexpected turn of events, on such an auspicious day
With sudden pity for her condition so much like his,
He spoke very softly to this so quickly love-lorn miss.
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)

10. By
Ken Lans
“I’m sorry my dear, but I’ve given my love and thoughts of romance
To a bird next door and she has spurned my advances
With words and feet aloft and a beak like cruel lances.”
“Why what a horrid creature, to treat you this way !
You’re too good for her, and with me you should stay.”
His confiding in her encouraged her next play,
And she sidled up to him, her charms to display.
But angry at her brashness, he chased her away,
And as she fled his fury grew even more,
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)

11. By
Ken Lans
So he chased after her to give her what for,
He caught her and sitting on her held on quite fast,
Determined to teach her a lesson that would last.
She struggled and squirmed, as though to get far away,
When suddenly, without warning, instincts came into play
Georgie’s what for kept him astride till spent
He released her at last, and she cluckingly went
To tell the wide world of her conquest and sent
Her clucks to the sky with all her might and main,
The sounds of her immodest cries caused him deep pain,
For in his heart, he burned he thought, with love long in vain.
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800)

12. By
Ken Lans
Crestfallen, consumed with guilt, he heard the turkey poult
Jeering at his display of infidelity and repeating taunts of dolt.
She recounted all of the attentions, the presents and the lyrics
He had employed to claim that his love was not just a gimmick.
“We turkeys are not famed for our smarts but I have to maintain
That cockerels and drakes are not the swains that they proclaim.”
Itō Jakuchū (1716
–1800)