The Portland daily press., 1868-11-10
Miscellany.
Little Il Benjamin.

A STORY FOR THE LITTLE FOLKS.
Once there was little chicken; and he
woke up one morning and looked about him.
"Tbis Is snug little room,' thought he.-
"The walls are smooth AMI white. I have
slept well here. 1t is warm and nice; but il
never stru,k me tillrow how small it is.
II have no room to turn round withou
hitting my head against the wall; and L am
sure couldn't fly here the least in the world.
I should like m1ch to get out, l wonder
where the door is, OF the window. 1 think
will rap on the wall"
So he raped with his bill No answer
He raped again.
This time his mother heard him and rap
ped In her turn.
Come in said the little chicken,
mo, thank you, my DEAR" SAID his mother
y GU q better &C me out. Make a little hole
In the shell, and perhaps LII help you;
though, it you do it all yourself, 1t will be
much to your credit
so he made hole in the shell, and peeped
out. There Was his mother, and there were
his eleven brothers and sisters waiting Tor
HIM.
lie was the twelfth, and just like all the
rest.
His mother called him BENJAMIN, because
he was the youngest,
1t seemed father chilly outside
don know about this" SAID Benjamin.
she'll"
Come, Benjamin." said bis mother: "we
can't 60 10 breakfast till you are ready"
And she made the hole bigger.
Come" said she, be spry"
In little while he was iairiy out of the
shell. ami in the cold wor d. HIS mother
kindly cuddled him under her feathers till he
was more used to the change of air and the
bright lsh>.
Pm as hungry as a bear" said the eldest
SO am ," and $50 am IT, said all the rest.
THAT'S good sign" said the hen. so
was | when 1 come out OF the shell. When
little benjamin is fairly on his legs, we'll 60
to breakfast
BY and by they went to breakfast.
ought to count you before we go" said
the hen: . that's the rule. But never mind:
LII DO II after breakfast. you are all hungry"
80 she set before them the incest little
worms and bugs that were ever eaten. and
taught tn, chickens how to find for them
serves.
"How good they taster SAID the CHECKER S.
:" DO you think SOP" said the hen. Nv ait
second, and I'll show you something better
STILL
And she made plunge int the high grass,
and brought out green grasshopper.
Try that, my dears," said she. There's
only small scrap Tor each OF you: but it will
do. 1t Is rare Bit
Why, so it Isl said the eldest.
just as they had finished their breakfast,
pussy, who had been waiting behind the
hedge tor her breakfast, oil at once bounced
on little Benjamin, and chewed him up be-
fore he could even say "Feep."
Don't cly! He would have been made
into chicKen-pIe it he had lived to grow up
'Ciuck, cluck!' sald the hen. "Come my
children, stand still. and let me count you;
and then We'll go and see our relations. Two,
-FOUR, six, eight ten-tw-. Stop moment;
that's wrong. I'll begin again. Two, four,
six. eight, ten-wty, l. thought there were
twelve OF you! There are are only eleven. L
Dusr have been mistaken. Come, then, let
US go. Cluck cluck."
So they walked contentedly away to see
their relations, jrst as the pussy was chewing
the last of little Denjamin's feathers! AS we
came In at the gate, we saw the bad cat, but
too late TO 81 oil her meal. and she took cafe
to get out OF our way The Nursery.