Queer Little Folks

MP3 Audio CD. Queer Little Folks

HEN THAT HATCHED DUCKS.
A STORY.


ONCE there was a nice young hen that we will call Mrs. Feathertop. She
was a hen of most excellent family, being a direct descendant of the
Bolton Grays, and as pretty a young fowl as you could wish to see of a
summer’s day. She was, moreover, as fortunately situated in life as it
was possible for a hen to be. She was bought by young Master Fred Little
John, with four or five family connections of hers, and a lively young
cock, who was held to be as brisk a scratcher and as capable a head of a
family as any half-dozen sensible hens could desire.

I can’t say that at first Mrs. Feathertop was a very sensible hen. She
was very pretty and lively, to be sure, and a great favourite with Master
Bolton Gray Cock, on account of her bright eyes, her finely shaded
feathers, and certain saucy dashing ways that she had which seemed
greatly to take his fancy. But old Mrs. Scratchard, living in the
neighbouring yard, assured all the neighbourhood that Gray Cock was a
fool for thinking so much of that flighty young thing; that she had not
the smallest notion how to get on in life, and thought of nothing in the
world but her own pretty feathers. “Wait till she comes to have
chickens,” said Mrs. Scratchard; “then you will see. I have brought up
ten broods myself—as likely and respectable chickens as ever were a
blessing to society—and I think I ought to know a good hatcher and
brooder when I see her; and I know that fine piece of trumpery, with
her white feathers tipped with gray, never will come down to family life.
She scratch for chickens! Bless me, she never did anything in all her
days but run round and eat the worms which somebody else scratched up for
her.”