Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-08-02
MIR. Tumpkins' Small Talk.

There was once men VINO taikeO
about another hen in a not very good
way, and In not at all frindly way.
The hen she talked about was named
Phe-endy Alone. Her own name was
Teedla Toodlum. They both belonged
to flock of white hens which lived in
the far-away country of Chickskum.
eatyourkornio.
Now, the one that was named Teedls
ToOdlum went around among the other
hens, making fun of Phe-endy Alone,
or account of her having speckled
feather in her wing. She told them
not to go with Phe-endy Alone, OF
scratch up worms with her, or any.
thing, because she had that speckled
feather in her wing.
One of the hens that Teedla Toodlum
talked to in this way was deaf, and
therefore could not hear very well.
She had become deaf in consequence ol
not minding her mother. 1t happened
in this way: A tall Shanghai roost.
cock crowed close to her ear, when she
was quite small; when, in fact, she was
just hatched out of her shell. She had
a number of brothers and sisters who
came out at almost the same time.
The Shanghai stood very near, and In
such u way that his throat came close
to the nest, and he crowed there. The
chicks wanted to put their heads oul
from under their mother, and see who
was making such noise. Their moth
er said:
No, no,-no! Keep underi You
might be made deaf! I've heard oil
such a thing happening
But one OF the chicks did put her
head out, and close to the Shanghai's
wide open throat, too! and when he
was Growing terribly
Then the mother said:
Nov, l shall punish you / shall
prick you with my pin-feathersps
And the chick was prieked, and she
became deaf besides; 50 that, when she
grew up, she hardly could hear herself
cackled. An this was the reason she
could not understand, very well, when
the hen named TeedIa Toodium was
telling the Others that the hen named
Phe-endy Alone had a speckled feath-
er in her wing.
One day the hen named Teedla
ToodIum scratched a hole in the sand,
beneath q bramble bush, and sat down
there. where it was cool. And while
she was sitting there, COW came along
At the other side of the bramble bush,
with load of t.passengers" on her
back. The cows in the country of
Chickskumeaty ourkorniO perInit the
hens to ride on their backs, and when a
great many ale On, they step carefully,
so as not to shake them of. In frosty
weather they allow them to get up
there to warm their feet. Sometimes
hens who have cold feet fly up and
push off the others who have been
there long enough.
The cow passed along at the other
side of the bush, and by slipping one
foot into a deep hole which was hidden
with grass, and therefore could not be;
seer, upset the whole load of passengers.
She then walked on; but the passengers
stayed there, and had little talk to-
gether-after their own fashion, of
course. The deaf one happened to he
among them, and alter while, seeing
that the others were having great
sport, she wanted to know what it
was all about. Upon this the others
those of them who could stop laughing
raised their voices, and all began al
once to try to make her understand.
And this is what they said:
Think of that goose of hen, Teedla
Toodlum, telling US not to go with
Phe-endy Alone, because Phe- -endy
Alone has a speckled feather In her
wing, when, at the same time, Teedla
Toodlum has two speckled feathers in
her own wing, but doesn't know itp
Teedla Toodlum was listening, and
heard rather more than was pleasant to
hear. She looked through the bram-i
ble-bush and saw them. Some had
their heads thrown back, laughing;
some were holding on to their sides,
each with one claw; and some were
stretching their necks forward, trying
TO make the deaf one understand,
while the deaf one held her claw to {
her ear, in order to hear the better.
-"Ah! feel ashamedp said Teedla I
roodlum to herself. Il see, now, that |
me should never speak OF the speckled 8
gathers one sees in Others, since one [
an never be sure that one has not 4
peckled feathers ones selfr-[Mr /
lbby Morton Diaz, st. Nicholas for
Lugus.. 70
"Huckleberry shortcake' is a gas =