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A verse drama set among anthropomorphic barnyard birds centers on a proud rooster whose conviction that his crowing sustains the dawn shapes his identity. Conversations and quarrels with hens, songbirds, and ostentatious fowl stage debates about art, vanity, sincerity, and leadership, while satiric and lyrical passages examine theatricality and human foibles. Across four acts, pastoral imagery, comic episodes, and escalating tensions force the community to face rivalries, external danger, and tests of courage, prompting reflection on commitment, sacrifice, and the responsibilities of belief.
Corner of a kitchen-garden, enclosed on the sides by hedges. At the back, espaliers. Vegetables and flowers of all kinds. Cold frames. Among the fruit trees, an upright pole, rigged in an old frock-coat, pair of trousers, and opera hat, fills the function of scarecrow.