The Urban Fable Surrounding a Roosters' ''Cock a Doodle doo''

One of the most enduring urban legends in existence has to do with the shrill "cock-a-doodle-doo" of a cock. Popular belief has it that roosters sound off only at daybreak, according to legend to wake up farmers and other early risers. A number of readers -- city dwellers, perhaps -- probably think that this fable is really true.

Sorry to be a spoilsport, but the story isn't entirely true. While cock crowing usually does begin at the break of dawn, it can, and often does, continue throughout the day -- and the reason they do so has absolutely nothing to do with being a feathered alarm clock. In truth the piercing, high-pitched call serves as a challenge to other roosters, to attract female chickens and as a warning signal.

How this myth began is a matter of historical debate, but one of the earliest references to the bird and its shrill cry can be traced back to Greek mythology. According to the legend, Alectryon -- the ancient Greek name for "rooster" -- was a young man who was ordered by Ares, the God of War, to ensure that no one entered his domicile while the he carried on an adulterous dalliance with goddess Aphrodite. Unfortunately, Alectryon fell asleep while on watch, and Helios, the Sun God, caught the amorous couple. Spitefully, Ares turned Alectryon into a rooster, which never forgets to announce the sun's arrival in the morning.

Other legends have sprung up around the noisy bird: in ancient central European folk tales the devil is believed to flee at the first crowing of a cock. A medieval legend says that the Basilisk, a giant snake who kills with a single glance and is hatched by a toad from a hen's egg, will instantly die if it hears a rooster crowing.

In todays world, even business tools like online Yellow Pages display the name rooster as it remains a widespread commercial appellation, for businesses from poultry processing plants to retail chicken establishments.

Chickens are both entertaining and useful to keep. They cost very little to raise and they earn their rent by laying eggs for you. Checking at random through local laws around the country, it is interesting to note how they deal with keeping fowl:

Syracuse, NY: Chickens sometimes allowed, but it depends on the zoning area. Spokane, WA: Up to three chickens allowed. Corvallis, OR: Unlimited chickens allowed, but no roosters. Topeka, KS: Unlimited chickens allowed, but they must be penned 50 feet from any neighbors house. Detroit, MI: Not allowed. Burlington, VT: Up to 3 fowl per household. Minneapolis, MN: Unlimited allowance, but chickens must be penned. Boston, MA: All residential zones in Boston forbid "auxiliary keeping of animals", which includes poultry and other livestock.

So there you have it -- the truth about the story of the roosters cock-a-doodle-do and its historical context, as well as some contemporary information on how various locales legislate the presence of chickens within their borders.