Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-14
The Adopted Chicken.

When was little girl I lived On q
farm where there were q great many
chickens and ducks and turkeys, and
among them there was a brown hen
named Yellowfoot, who wanted very
much to have a nice family of little
yellow chickies; and she knew if she
laid an egg every day until there we're
twelve eggs, and then sat on them pa
tiently three weeks, she would have
twelve dear little chick.
So she laid nice white egg every
day. But she never could get twelve,
because every day the cook took her
egg away; and 50 Yellowfoot felt very
sadly.
Now another hen, named Tufty,
thought it would be very nice to have
little chickens too; but she was very
smart, and she found place away off,
that the cook didn't know about, and
there she laid her eggs; and one day
she surprised all the other hens by
walking into the chicken-yard with
twelve little chickens toddlng after her
Now | heard how sorry poor Yellow
foot felt because she had no little
chickens, and when | saw fluffy walk
ing about so proudly with her twelve.
felt very sorry indeed for Yellowfoot.
Well, that very afternoon something
very funny happened. | was walking
about the farm, and I found in the cor
ner of q rail-fence turkey sitting on
some eggs, and running around near
her little lonely chicken just out Of
it's shell, making such pitifui little
"peep- peep" took it up in my apron
and ran and asked one of the men what
it could mean, and be said that hens
egg had by, mistake been put with the
turkeys eggs, anu as it takes week
longer for turkeys eggs to hatch than
it does for hens eggs, the poor little
chicken had come out Of its shell
week before there was anybody to take
care Of 1t.
When I heard this thought: "Poor
little chickie! what a9iK you do, for [
don't know how to take care of you at
ALL and it will be week before that
ugly turkey gets ready to do it, and
you'll be- dead by that time?" And
then suddenly [ thought: Why this
little chick is just a old as the twelve
that were Matched this morning; now
III take il TO the chicken-yard and put
take care of it," So ran to the chicken
yard and put it with the other little
chicks, and it ran after Tufty just like
the others.
But you cannot believe how badly
Tufty acted The minute she heard
the strange little "peep" with the
twelve other little "peeps she Turned
around and stood still a minute, and
then all her feathers begun to stick out,
and she bobbed her head minute,
and then she bounced at my poor little
chicken and gave her an awful peck
Wasn't it cruel? l did not know
what to do. was afraid to 60 near
Tufty, because she would think if [
went near her that was going to catch
her little chicks, and | knew that she
would try to- peck me just as she did
my poor little chicken. While I was
thinking she few at it again and gave
it another peck. This time I didn't
stop to think, but / jumped and caught
it and ran before Tufty could catch
me. I ram till / felt quite safe, and
then sat down on the kitchen doorstep,
with nay poor old chick in my apron
and cried. think must have cried
pretty loud, because mother heard me
and came out.
When had told her all about it, she
said: "Why didn't you try old Yellow
| foot?"
At that, I jumped up and clapped
my hands with delight, and my poor
little chicken dropped on the grass, but
it didn't hurt il, AMI I put it carefully
back 10 my apron, and went to- the
chicken-yard again, to try mothers
| plan
had a hard time finding old Yellow
foot, but finally | came upon her, lock
ing very doleful, in the bottom OF a
barrel. | poked her with stick, but
she would not come out. So finally |
turned the barrel over, SO she had to
come out. But she looked very angry,
and made great deal Of noise about
it. waited till she got quiet, and then
put my little chicken down by her.
And, OH! you should have seen her
then She looked at it a minute, and,
when it peeped," she gave quiet lit