This book contains the story of a horizontal hen's ambitious journey of self-discovery, dreaming of becoming a rooster.
This satirical novel by Chang Xinjiang, winner of the China Writers Association's Outstanding Children's Literature Award three times, tells a twisted story about the world through the cheeky perspective of a proud and passionate rooster.
We may laugh and cry together at the sight of a rooster struggling to protect its pride, and at some point, we may find ourselves heartbroken by the cool satire that penetrates the essence.

It is difficult to be a good rooster, but it is very easy to be a good meat chicken.
All you have to do is eat and sleep all day.
Without having to learn anything, if you weigh this much kilograms, you'll be good enough to be served on the master's table.
It means that you have fulfilled the mission you were born to carry out.
How easy it is!

--- From the text

The signs of a rooster were gradually appearing in my body.
One morning, while the landlady was feeding the animals, she suddenly spoke loudly.

“Is this a rooster? Oh my, it wasn’t a hen.”

I was startled in the darkness and quickly squeezed into the group of magpies, avoiding the gaze of the landlady.
All day long, I trembled sweetly imagining the landlady's table.
The chicken on the plate and the chicken bones the owners were spitting out lingered before my eyes.
… …
My father warned me.
“Don’t avoid me any longer.
Now we have to face reality.
If you want to survive, be reborn as a true rooster.
“Don’t shrug your neck or contract the muscles in your vocal cords!”--- pp.48~49


Even though there was a wide road around, the white feather insisted on coming in front of me and telling me to get out of the way.
My father was watching what was happening from over there.
My father was talking to me with his eyes.
Seeing those eyes gave me confidence.
My father, fearing that I might not notice his intentions, raised his neck high up toward the sky.
It meant that I wanted to stand up straight with my head held high like my father.

I did not give way to the white feather.
At the same time, he counterattacked with his eyes.
The white feather seemed to think there was no need for words as it rushed towards me and pecked me with its beak.
The fight has begun.
Then the rooster nature hidden within me was revealed.
We fought in the yard, then climbed up onto the chicken coop and had a fight.
Then they came down from the chicken coop and went to the grass outside the yard and continued fighting.

The fight was fierce.
But my father remained silent the whole time.
The white feather had bitten me with such ferocity that the wound was very painful.
But I didn't turn around.
I remembered what my father said: If you turn around first and show your butt to your opponent during a fight, you lose.

I made a resolution in my heart once again.

"Don't turn around." ---pp.58-59


My father walked in front, and I followed quietly behind him.
If my father didn't turn his head, I didn't turn either.
When my father raised his head and looked at the sky, I also raised my head and looked at the sky.


Dad said with a smile.

“It’s not enough to just learn what’s on the surface.”

It was a simple statement, but difficult to understand.
I said with an embarrassed face.


“It’s not easy being a horizontal barnacle.”
“Is that so? It’s hard to be a good rooster, but it’s very easy to be a good meat chicken.
All you have to do is eat and sleep all day.
Without having to learn anything, if you weigh this much kilograms, you'll be good enough to be served on the master's table.
It means that you have fulfilled the mission you were born to carry out.
How easy it is!”---p.70


I didn't move at all.
It wasn't that I couldn't move, but I deliberately stayed still to gather my body's strength.
A large leather shoe stopped in front of my eyes.
The moment the chicken wholesaler bent down and reached out to grab my wing, I flew high with all my might.
Then he pecked his face with ferocious force.

“Mom.”

The chicken wholesaler fell backwards, covering his face with both hands.
Still, my anger didn't completely subside.
I endured the pain in my right wing and pecked at his hand and head, which were still covering his face.
The chicken wholesaler screamed and cried out for help.

“Save people.
“A chicken ghost appeared.”---p.239


As I followed the gaze of the white feather, tears welled up in my eyes.
From the oak tree, I could look down on the village, the owner's house, and the chicken coop where we lived.
I noticed that the white feathers had not left the village and were constantly hovering around it.
When it became too difficult to bear any longer, he chose this oak tree that would be with us forever.

My throat was choked up and I could barely speak.

“You idiot! I came to see you, and you didn’t even know that!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the hard, white feathered body fell with a rustling sound onto the yellow rice stalks beneath the tree.
I said, crying out loud.

“I know how you feel, White Feather.
"You wanted to see me one more time, didn't you? You died with your eyes wide open because you regretted not seeing me!" ---p.231

I had to go on an adventure.
Otherwise nothing will change.
Of course, I knew very well that it would be very difficult for us to live in the middle of the harsh nature.
But we had to leave.
If we hesitate here now, all that's left for us is the fate of being slaughtered by the blades of men.
The signs of a rooster were gradually appearing in my body.
One morning, while the landlady was feeding the animals, she suddenly spoke loudly.

“Is this a rooster? Oh my, it wasn’t a hen.”

I was startled in the darkness and quickly squeezed into the group of magpies, avoiding the gaze of the landlady.
All day long, I trembled sweetly imagining the landlady's table.
The chicken on the plate and the chicken bones the owners were spitting out lingered before my eyes.
… …
My father warned me.
“Don’t avoid me any longer.
Now we have to face reality.
If you want to survive, be reborn as a true rooster.
“Don’t shrug your neck or contract the muscles in your vocal cords!”--- pp.48~49


Even though there was a wide road around, the white feather insisted on coming in front of me and telling me to get out of the way.
My father was watching what was happening from over there.
My father was talking to me with his eyes.
Seeing those eyes gave me confidence.
My father, fearing that I might not notice his intentions, raised his neck high up toward the sky.
It meant that I wanted to stand up straight with my head held high like my father.

I did not give way to the white feather.
At the same time, he counterattacked with his eyes.
The white feather seemed to think there was no need for words as it rushed towards me and pecked me with its beak.
The fight has begun.
Then the rooster nature hidden within me was revealed.
We fought in the yard, then climbed up onto the chicken coop and had a fight.
Then they came down from the chicken coop and went to the grass outside the yard and continued fighting.

The fight was fierce.
But my father remained silent the whole time.
The white feather had bitten me with such ferocity that the wound was very painful.
But I didn't turn around.
I remembered what my father said: If you turn around first and show your butt to your opponent during a fight, you lose.

I made a resolution in my heart once again.

"Don't turn around." ---pp.58-59


My father walked in front, and I followed quietly behind him.
If my father didn't turn his head, I didn't turn either.
When my father raised his head and looked at the sky, I also raised my head and looked at the sky.


Dad said with a smile.

“It’s not enough to just learn what’s on the surface.”

It was a simple statement, but difficult to understand.
I said with an embarrassed face.


“It’s not easy being a horizontal barnacle.”
“Is that so? It’s hard to be a good rooster, but it’s very easy to be a good meat chicken.
All you have to do is eat and sleep all day.
Without having to learn anything, if you weigh this much kilograms, you'll be good enough to be served on the master's table.
It means that you have fulfilled the mission you were born to carry out.
How easy it is!”---p.70


I didn't move at all.
It wasn't that I couldn't move, but I deliberately stayed still to gather my body's strength.
A large leather shoe stopped in front of my eyes.
The moment the chicken wholesaler bent down and reached out to grab my wing, I flew high with all my might.
Then he pecked his face with ferocious force.

“Mom.”

The chicken wholesaler fell backwards, covering his face with both hands.
Still, my anger didn't completely subside.
I endured the pain in my right wing and pecked at his hand and head, which were still covering his face.
The chicken wholesaler screamed and cried out for help.

“Save people.
“A chicken ghost appeared.”---p.239


As I followed the gaze of the white feather, tears welled up in my eyes.
From the oak tree, I could look down on the village, the owner's house, and the chicken coop where we lived.
I noticed that the white feathers had not left the village and were constantly hovering around it.
When it became too difficult to bear any longer, he chose this oak tree that would be with us forever.

My throat was choked up and I could barely speak.

“You idiot! I came to see you, and you didn’t even know that!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the hard, white feathered body fell with a rustling sound onto the yellow rice stalks beneath the tree.
I said, crying out loud.

“I know how you feel, White Feather.
"You wanted to see me one more time, didn't you? You died with your eyes wide open because you regretted not seeing me!" ---p.231

I had to go on an adventure.
Otherwise nothing will change.
Of course, I knew very well that it would be very difficult for us to live in the middle of the harsh nature.
But we had to leave.
If we hesitate here now, all that's left for us is the fate of being slaughtered by the blades of men.

---p.242