In the deep South, young ladies learn to sashay, not strut. They may coo, but not crow. Fiddle sticks! After sashaying about and cooing at Four Rooster Inn for a couple of days, I leave strutting and crowing. I haven’t stopped.

If one tries visualizing what a bed and breakfast inn named Four Rooster might be like, they'll feel their jaws dropping when they arrive. You'll find no chicken shack or wire-covered hen house at Four Rooster Inn in Tabor City, NC. Though located in a small Carolina hamlet, the inn projects savoir faire and an impressive blend of amenities implemented by the inn's well-traveled resident owners.

Originally built as a family home in 1949 by Kate and Rembert Rogers, the home remains primarily furnished with pieces purchased during two days of shopping in High Point, NC by Kate. The inn sits upon an acre of manicured lawns adorned with camellias and azaleas personally planted by Rembert.

In 1993, Bob Rogers, son of Kate and Rembert, and his wife Gloria converted Bob's former home into an enchanting bed and breakfast inn. Named to honor the four men in Kate Rogers' life, Gloria explains that Kate claimed her husband and three sons were “a flock of cocky fellows;" eventually, they be came known as "the four roosters." Gloria avows the roosters have mellowed with age. I don't know, but I suspect I feel a lot cockier than Rooster Bob Rogers does when he brings early coffee and the daily paper to my room each morning on a silver tray.

Gloria, a gifted classical musician, and Bob, an accomplished architect, serve as resident innkeepers. With an amazing gamut of talents, Gloria reminds me of the little red hen who can do a little bit of everything. In addition to qualifying as a gourmet cook and a discriminating interior designer, the inn boasts elegant bed and window treatments created by Gloria. She also does her own upholstering.

Furnished with antiques, period furnishings, and recherché appointments, one soon forgets he's at a "rooster place" until the clock-dwelling bird crows at nine each morning. Accommodations at Four Rooster Inn consist of four guest rooms decorated in ice-cream pastels: French vanilla, lime sherbert, Jamocha, peppermint. Two chambers adjoin private baths, and one room features a Christmas motif.

I favor Rem's Room, originally the bedroom of Rembert Rogers. Bright and airy, like each room, Rem's Room overlooks a woodsy area. A massive Victorian walnut bed, covered with a Battenburg duvet and embellished with a blue moiré dust ruffle, commands attention and admiration upon entering the room. An ingenious padded, floral insert accents the headboard; the pillow shams and draperies coordinate. A small dressing room, with a moiré skirted dressing table, connects the bedchamber with its private bath.

Each room provides fresh flowers, a clock radio, Four Rooster Inn notepaper, and an ice bucket, glasses, bottled spring water on a silver tray. Bathrooms include terry cloth robes, a hairdryer, an inflated tub pillow, personalized toiletries, plush towels, and a yellow rubber ducky! Before retiring for the evening, guests find their sheets turned down, plumped pillows, and a chocolate on a silver tray.

As always, soft background music plays while guests enjoy their morning repast in the formal dining room. The table sparkles with fine china, crystal, sterling silver water goblets and flat- ware. A menu of a gourmet Red Rooster breakfast might include: a choice of breakfast beverages, a frozen fruit compote, cheese stuffed French toast. Gloria offers a delectable English afternoon tea daily as well as an aperitif before guests leave for dinner. Fresh fruits, sweets, and beverages are always available.

As I leave Four Rooster Inn, long before I'm ready, I accept one last piece of candy from the wooden butler who greets arriving guests with an overflowing dish of bonbons. The moment one sees his smile and outstretched hand, he correctly senses that an uncommon and unforgettable bed and breakfast treat is in store.