Dear Fellow members, Distinguished guests,

Good morning.

I was younger. Trust me, dear audience, contest chair. I was much younger. I was as young as you, as young as you. And something from my childhood still remains vividly in my memory. Maybe you are the same.

Many many years ago, when I was a little kid, my family lived in a large flat building together with 6 other families. We shared a huge front yard.

I still remember that a warm spring morning, the bright sunshine streamed over the spacious yard. A young man walked into the yard, carrying two large bamboo baskets over his shoulder.

A street vendor, we kids yelled and ran joyfully around him to see what he was selling. The young man slowly put down the 2 baskets, and opened one of them.

Alas! In the basket, there were chickens, all those yellow, hairy, cute chickens. We dared to touch the little things, and they even pecked our fingers.

We all could not help having some. We brothers boldly asked our mom to buy some chickens.

“Go to ask your dad.” Mom said. “Dad, could you buy some chickens? Mom wants us to ask you.” “Go to ask your mom. She has all the money.” I wish I had learned Table Topics that time.

Finally, several families bought a few chickens. My parents bought a dozen. We brothers promised to raise them carefully.

We fed our chickens every day and they grew fast just as me. Sadly, some died along the way. We have 7 left: 3 roosters and 4 hens. Other neighbors had the similar. All the roosters and hens lived in the yard.

The roosters crowed every morning and the hens laid eggs every day. Our 3 roosters sometimes fought each other, and one of them became the winner. His name was little flower（小花）.

Little flower was a very beautiful rooster. He had bright red comb，golden yellow neck, yellow and black body and a splendid colorful tail. His eyes were sharp and bright, and he crowed loudly and proudly.

We killed the other 2 roosters, and made delicious meals. I insisted on keeping little flower because I liked him so much.

Little flower had his kingdom and he ruled with love. When he scratched up something good in the yard, he divided with the hens. He cared the family. However, life wasn’t easy in the open yard. It was a violent time, all the roosters had to fight to conquer more territory for their families.

Little flower often won the fight and then he stood on his toes, clapped his wings, puffed out his golden chest and sang out. What a proud, fine looking bird he was! I was so glad.

Time elapsed quickly.

Next year, the street vendor came again. Now he sold better chickens. They grew faster and stronger. Our neighbors bought some.

The yard became crowed with new roosters and hens.

One day, I came home from school. I did not see the usual welcome from little flower but only the hens. Where was he？ I was wondering.

I checked the hen-house. There he was! Little flower sat deeply inside the hen-house. I called him out. Oh ho! What had happened? Little flower’s face was full of blood and he lost one of his eyes.

It was not hard to imagine.

There must have been a horrifying fight between little flower and the neighbor’s new rooster. Little flower must have fought with the stronger opponent to his last feather.

But, apparently, he lost the fight and lost his eye. I was very sorrow and hold him tightly, almost cried.

Little flower still cared his hens for days.

That weekend, my family had a chicken meal. I didn’t eat.

This ends the story of little follower. However, I cannot get away with him from my mind. I sometimes asked myself why I still remember a rooster after so many years, and I could not get an answer that satisfied myself. Little flower’s golden feature and bleeding face were deeply printed in my young mind.

Today, I am glad that I could give a speech about little follower in Toastmasters meeting. It is a great relief for me because I finally got the chance to show my respect to a wonderful creature who had lived his life with love and honor, glory and failure, which gives me much fun whether young or old.

Dear audience, have you ever had the same feeling? Have you ever had a dear friend to commemorate? Have you ever had a vivid story to tell?

Toastmasters meeting is the very stage to tell your story. All you need is to act.

Farewell, little flower. Farewell, the great rooster.

Thank you.