BeakSpeak 4: Fiesta Texas

By Peggy Marceaux

In this action-packed adventure, the BeakSpeak chickens learn about Fiesta Texas. They throw flowers at the Battle of the Flowers Parade, Dance on the River, bull ride for Charreda, and get “lit up” at the Flamenco Parade.

Afterwards, someone gets carted off by a coyote & helped by a chicken whisper, while another gets to hatch some baby chicks!

The chickens will experience countless of adventures that children of all ages will enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erin Go Bragh Publishing
• Release date: Aug 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005596064

Book preview

BeakSpeak 4

Fiesta

San Antonio

By: Peggy Marceaux

© Copyright © 2021 BeakSpeak by Peggy Marceaux

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-941345-82-5 PB

ISBN: SW 978-1-005596-06-4 e

Erin Go Bragh Publishing

Canyon Lake, TX

Manufactured in the United States of America

Book Design by Kathleen’s Graphics

The text of the book is Amarante & Calibri

Illustrations by Mike Forshay

Original Character Designs by Debbie Marceaux in 2009

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Researching Fiesta San Antonio

Chapter 2 Teaching Their Events

Chapter 3 Jayne’s Dream

Chapter 4 Walt in BIG Trouble

Chapter 5 Walt Finds His Answer

Chapter 6 Pascual Leaves

Chapter 7 Renée

Chapter 8 Jayne’s Nesting Room

Chapter 9 Matilda’s Surprise

Chapter 10 Jayne Gets Scared

Chapter 11 Floaties

Chapter 12 Decorating the Chick Olé

Chapter 13 Fiesta San Antonio: Battle of the Flowers Parade

Chapter 14 Chicks and Catfish

Chapter 15 Cornyation & the Texas Cavalier River Parade

Chapter 16 Preparing for the Charreada

Chapter 17 Chick Olé Decorations & the Charreada

Chapter 18 Response to Walt & Flambeau Parade

Chapter 19 Sue and the Molt

Chapter 20 Matilda

About the Author Peggy Marceaux

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my high-school friend,

Sheryl Burns Booth.

All she wanted in life was to have someone

of her own who would love her.

We lost her in 1996 to ovarian cancer.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank an old friend, Estela Vela Getzen, I’ve recently reunited for books 3 and 4. She taught Spanish across the hall from me at Smithson Valley High School. I owe her for translating the Richard Innes’ poem, Friendship, in this book to Spanish. As well, I owe much to Jo Beth McElrath for helping me edit my book when she would much prefer to be working on a quilt.

Also, I want to thank my illustrator, Mike Forshay, for the work he’s done in my BeakSpeak books. He truly outdid himself in the Día de los Muertos section of Book 3.

Lastly, I want to thank Kathleen J. Shields, my publisher, for her support and patience. She has always inspired me to keep writing and willingly offers her professional advice and personal suggestions. I wouldn’t have had my first book without her. I consider her a true friend and a great mentor.

Chapter 1

Researching Fiesta San Antonio

In the middle of February, it was a dreary, cold-morning at the Double Bar M. Spring time wanted desperately to break through, but winter was holding on, not wanting to let go. With the student chickens shivering, class began anyway with Walt’s, brisk Cock-a-doodle-do. The chickens filed into Ms. Goldspeak’s classroom with their feathers fluffed, still feeling refreshed from their winter vacation. As had become the custom, all but Sean put their cell phones on her desk. So far this New Year they hadn’t been given any difficult assignments, but that was about to change today when their teacher smiled and stepped to the front of her desk.

"Good morning, students. I want you to know how nice it’s been to have you back in school, though it did please me during winter vacation to see you all enjoying each other playfully and helping Sean with his spelling on your phones. I was also glad to see you continue to learn more about astronomy with his telescope. Now, though, to start off the exciting part of springtime, I’ve been thinking that, since we contributed so well with our Day of the Dead project, we could do the same thing with a bigger project called Fiesta San Antonio."

Oh, neat! smiled Sue.

Renée clapped.

Awesome, added Walt.

Overjoyed with her class’ excitement, Ms. Goldspeak walked around to the back of her desk, picked up her black marker, and faced her white board.

These are the events from which you will choose to research and about which to teach the class, she said, and she started to write:

The Battle of the Flowers and the Flambeau Parades

The Texas Cavaliers with King Antonio, Rey Feo and the River Parade

Fiesta Texas food, medals and artwork

Tejanos, Cojunto and Mariachi music

Cornyation and its court

"Corny what?" asked Sue, chuckling.

You’ll learn soon enough, her teacher said, challenging Sue’s patience.

Decorating our river barge, the Chick Olé (requires 2 students)

The Charre---

The class cracked up laughing. "Where’d you get Chick Olé?" Walt chuckled.

His teacher chuckled, too. "Well, when Peggy was registering our barge for the parade, she had to name it, so that’s what she came up with. It was clever, don’t you think?"

They all loved it. Peggy was ‘thinking on her feet,’ alright! Sue replied.

Chase looked at her, wondering what the difference was between thinking while standing and thinking while sitting, but he decided to ask Sue later.

Ms. Goldspeak thought I’ll let Sue get by with the over-used phrase thinking on her feet this time. After all, in this case, it was pretty much appropriate. "Yes, indeed, she was. As well, she was asked whether she wanted a boat or a barge for the river parade. I had failed to speak with her about that, but she selected the best one for our purposes – a barge. We’ll have you dancing on it, so people will need to see your footwork clearly at a distance."

"Who will be dancing? What will we be dancing?" Walt asked.

We’ll get into all of that in time. For now, let’s select the events about which you will teach the class so I can start giving you a few notes. Ms. Goldspeak turned back to her white board.

There’s one more event, and she wrote The Charreada, but I will explain that one to you. After we’ve fully prepared for Fiesta San Antonio, we can go to the River Walk on April 16th to decorate the barge, and to the Battle of the Flowers Parade to experience the celebration on April 17th. For now, you will need to read all about your event on your phones, take notes from which to teach, and to turn in to me, and start teaching the class in the order you are listed on the board. So, I will expect to hear from whomever chooses the first event tomorrow morning. You need to know that whoever chooses to decorate the barge will be floating in the river with a couple of people dancing on it almost all during the River Parade, which is 2 ½ miles long; therefore, you will need decorations mainly for the sides of the barge, though a couple of exceptions are possible. See me about them." Ms. Goldspeak then stepped to the side of her board.

So who wants the first event?

Chase raised his hand. Okay, great, Chase. You’ve got the first and last parades. That’s a good one. She wrote Chase’s name next to his event on the board.

Who wants the Cavaliers?

I do, replied Walt, with his wing up.

Super. She wrote Walt down.

The food, medals and art?

Sean and Sue volunteered together. No, it’s okay, Sean you take it, Sue said.

Alright said Ms. Goldspeak, and she assigned Sean to the food, etc.

Sue figured Renée and Jayne would want to do the barge together.

She raised her wing. Ms. Goldspeak, I’ll take the music.

Okay, Sue. Thank you, and she wrote Sue’s name next to the music.

That leaves Renée and Jayne to decorate the barge. I’m going to start calling you two my project twins." She wrote their two names next to the barge.

Jayne and Renée blushed.

It had been only four months since the class learned, in a letter Sean had written them, all about his interests and beliefs in life. Ms. Goldspeak and Peggy had bought the class cell phones to communicate with him and to help him spell properly. They learned Sean liked astronomy, so he had gotten a new telescope. Pascual built him a hut to put it in atop the hen house; unfortunately, he had fallen off of the hen house after watching some star showers in Orion and broken his wing. Sue’s ankle had become entangled in the coop’s roof fencing during the same time. Since then the healing chickens were able to get up to the telescope to see the Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn by way of Walt’s pulley system. It attached to a tree branch over the hen house and a wooden seat on the ground. As well, the project of the Day of the Dead helped Chase face his fears, which made him confident enough to speak properly now. Walt also learned to be a more sensitive, caring rooster. During the project, Renée had learned that her name was French, so she now accented the second e in her name. Also, for the first time ever, the students were treated to a fireworks display in the back of the Double Bar M to ring in the New Year. Now, Sean’s wing, and Sue’s ankle were completely healed, and they were all looking forward to new adventures and some good health in the New Year.

Walt is still a handsome, large, Production Red rooster. His comb and waddle are a healthy, bright red, as is the new, comb-like tissue around his eyes, which are very bright and ever-moving. Walt’s spurs are longer, yet, and, with his confident strut, at their highest, his feet would pause, mid-air, just a second or two, before he’d step down again. His body and wing feathers are all red. He has a bright red cape that covers his neck and blends in with his red saddle feathers. Walt’s willowy tail feathers are varied, beautiful shades of teal. He is, as Sue would say, the Cock of the Walk. No one messes with Walt, and his strong Cock-a-doodle-do proclaims it to the farms all around the Double Bar M. He has come a long way from that brass, young rooster who used to get in trouble for being just a little too clever for his own good - or, at least, that’s what he thought after his growth experience with the Day of the Dead project.

Sue, the Double Bar M, resident, Aracauna, student hen probably has to work harder than anyone not to fall back on over-used phrases. The phrases flood her mind constantly. She has to try really hard not to just react, but to think slowly and carefully about saying exactly what it is she means to say. Too often it is easier to just blurt out No way Jose, rather than absolutely not, or to ask Chuck if Chanticleer had kicked the bucket rather than to ask if he had passed away, as she almost did. To make matters worse, Sue is both impulsive, which means she instantly reacts, and is highly opinionated, which means she absolutely believes what she thinks is right. She has a hard time accepting failure, and if someone else causes her kickball team to lose, she takes no prisoners, which means she has a hard time forgiving that player. Physically, Sue is a slow and deliberate walker, seeming to pause between each step. She may sing aaww while doing so. She looks browner than any other earth tone, but has colors of the outdoors mixed in with her brown. She has begun to produce lots of fluffy feathers around her thighs as she has grown older, and the feather tufts under her ears are bushing out more. Sue has a short, light-red comb sitting atop her head, and she lays medium-sized, green eggs.

Renée, the deep black Australorp, is extremely mild-tempered. She is sweet, kind and friendly to everyone. She is known as the roller, which means she is the permanent pitcher on the kickball team because they have seven student chickens, so she never gets to kick and has to fight equally hard for both teams of three. Renée had problems repeating herself when she was very young. Every now and then she still does, but she is steadily out growing it. Her best friend in the world is Jayne. They do almost everything together, both in their spare time and when class projects allow it. Renée is a larger hen than Jayne and, when she will be fully grown, will be even larger, yet. All of the Orpingtons, like Jayne are very large breeds, as well. Renée lays medium-sized, brown eggs.

Jayne is very large, though still a young- looking hen with flecks of black and white feathers, as is the whole of the Barred Rock Breed. She is quiet and shy, except with Renée; however, she readily participates in all class activities, and in most games outside of class, because Renée does. Still, Jayne is not social at heart. She’d like to be, and admires those at a distance who are gifted with social charm. Even with Renée by her side, Jayne is a lonely hen. She yearns for someone to love her – for someone of her very own. Until that can happen, she will never feel completely happy. She lays light-brown eggs.

Chase is a Bantam rooster. That means he is small. Before the Day of the Dead celebration, his smallness made him angry and moody. He blamed the world for having to live among larger chickens, which took away any chance for him to be proud of himself and feel accepted. He didn’t believe he was viewed seriously or could contribute equally to the flock like the other roosters could. The Day of the Dead celebration changed all that. He learned that he was the only one thinking poorly about himself – that all of his classmates loved him and had always viewed him as an important classmate. He’s been happy ever since and, unlike before, has spoken without any hesitation in his sentences. Chase is a short-bodied puff of multi-colored feathers, with feathers even on his feet. He has a beautiful, dark-teal tail, curved spurs, and a thick waddle and comb.

Sean is a large, Rhode Island Red rooster. By now, the deep-red comb on the top of his head has begun to flop over. The long, loose waddle under his neck is deep red, as well, and has become a problem for him when he bends down to eat and drink. Sean has a crooked beak and can’t eat grain or insects as easily as a chicken with a normal beak, as it is. By now, Sean’s long, beautiful teal body of feathers has red mixed in. He has a shiny red cape that covers the back of his neck and drapes down onto the top of his back. The red saddle feathers on his back fall over his deep teal tail feathers now. His long spurs rival Walt’s. Sean is, no doubt, the best looking rooster on the farm except for his beak. Though Sean can’t talk, he now has a cell phone with which to communicate with his classmates and Ms. Goldspeak.

Matilda is a beautiful Lakenvelder hen. She is lean with pure, white, body feathers and black neck and tail feathers. Matilda is worldly and well-educated. She loves to learn and has become good at teaching, even as well as her teacher, Ms. Goldspeak. Matilda is a talented dancer who comes from a family of dancers. She enjoys living at the Double Bar M because she is able to go to school and experience new adventures with Ms. Goldspeak and her class. She was traded to the owner of the Double Bar M for the old rooster, Chanticleer, and Chuck. Matilda lays medium-size white eggs.

So, voiced Ms. Goldspeak," to begin our new project, I need to give you just a few notes on how Fiesta came to be. Please take out some paper and a pencil." Ms. Goldspeak wrote on the board: On February 3, 1836, at the Battle of the Alamo Mission, the Texans who lived there were all killed by the Mexican Army, led by President Santa Anna, who was able to take back their Mission in only thirteen days. Because the Texans wanted pay back, on April 21, 1836, General Sam Houston’s Texans defeated Mexico’s Army, led again by Santa Anna, at the Battle of San Jacinto in Houston, Texas, in a matter of eighteen minutes. That ended the Mexican Revolution.

Their teacher began the present-day celebration by writing: Fiesta San Antonio began in 1891 with the Battle of the Flowers Parade. The Battle of the Flowers Parade, with your experiences walking around and enjoying the events will occur on April 17th; the Texas Cavalier River Walk Parade, where you will dance on the river barge will be on April 22nd; and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade where you will just get to enjoy the lights will occur on April 27th. I must prepare you, though, for yet another event, which occurs in a lienzo, or arena, on April 25th. Ms. Goldspeak then turned to face her class. "The event is called the Charreada, pronounced share –ree-duh, which is a Mexican, Showman Rodeo performed by the charros, and two of you have been allowed to be a part of it. A charro, pronounced char-row, is different to a Vaquero, pronounced vuh-keh-row, in that the latter is just a Mexican cowboy who works like our regular, cow hands do. A charro is a showman, who wears the traditional, charro costume and specializes in trick roping, riding and daring skills. During a Charreada, charros prance out on magnificently beautiful horses with long, elegant manes and rich, silver tack that flatters the grace of their mounts. Tack refers to the trappings or decorations that go on a horse, along with a saddle, well-suited for the Mexican mountains. The trappings are used to both decorate and control the horses. During a Charreada, charros have their horses dance, strut sideways, turn in tight circles, walk in reverse and gallop while the charro stands on the saddle. Charros’s do rope tricks, too, like turning the riata’s (rope’s) loop up over his head, down under his boots, and then back over his head, again and again and again. He will also hold onto his saddle horn, while his horse gallops, and jump off of his horse to one side, pull back up and then jump off to the other side, again and again and again."

Wow, uttered Chase. What’s a saddle horn? Chase imagined the charro blowing it and making music while doing his horse tricks.

It’s what you would hold onto that stands up in the front of a saddle, Ms. Goldspeak answered him.

Oh. Well, that’s not what he thought, still, Chase was amazed at all he was hearing. To get to see such an event would be more than he could dream for. All the other students were quietly staring at Ms. Goldspeak, eyes wide. They were leaning forward in their desks, inviting her to go on.

"Charros also ride bulls, race after galloping wild mares and jump on them from their horses. The mares