River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-08-02
MR.. TOMKINs' SMALL STORY.

NIX. 1OMhlNS' SHALL SIOtel.
There was a hen who talked about an
other hen in not very good way, and in
not at all friendly way. The hen she
talked about was named Ple-endy Alone.
Her own name was Teedla Toodlum They
both belonged to a flock of white hens
which lived in a far-a-way country of
Observation-Disclosures.
/ Now. the one that was named Teedla
| Toodlum went around among the hens,
making fun of Phe-endy Alone, on ac-
count of her having a speckled feather in
her wing. She told them not TO go with
/ Phe-endy Alone, or scratch up worms
with her, or anything, because she had
that speekled feather in her wing.
One of the hens that Tcedla Toodlum
talked to in this way was deaf and there
fore could not hear very well. She had
become deaf in consequence of not mind
ing her mother. Ithappened in this way /:
A tall Shanghai roost-cock crowed close
to her ear, when she was quite small,
when in fact, she was Just Matched out OF
her she'll She had a number of brothers
and sisters who came out at almost the
same time. The shanghai stood very near
and in such way that his throat came
close to the nest, and he crowed there.
The chicks wanted to put their heads out
out from under the mother, and see who
was making such a noise. Their mother
said:
"No, no,-no! Keep under. You
might be made deaf I've heard of such
a thing happening"
But one of the chickens did put hel
head out, and close to the Shangai's
wide-open threat, too. and when he was
Growing terribly
Then her mother said:
"Now, l shall punish you! / shall
pick you with my pin-feathers Y
And the chick was wicked, and became
deaf besides, so that, when she grew up
she hardly could hear herself cackle
And this was the reason she could no
understand, very well, when the her
named Teedla Toodlum wa- telling the
hen named Phc-enny Alone had a
speckled feather in her wing.
One day, the hen named Teedla TODD
lum scratched a hole in the sand, beneath
bramblebush, and sat down there; a COW
came along at the other side of tht
bramble bush, with load of "passeng
ers" on her back. The COWS in the
cubhtry Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. per
NIT the hens to rice on their backs, anC
when a great many are on, they step care
fully. so as not to shake them off. Ii
frosty weather they allow them to get "
there to warm their feet Sometime
hens who have cold feet fly up and pusl
off the others who have been there Ions
: enough.
The COW passed along the other side "
the bush and by slipping one foot into
deep hole which was hidden with grass
and therefore could not be seen, upse
the whole load of passengers She thei
walked on; but the passengers stayed
there, and had little talk together
, after their own fashion, of course. tn,
! deaf one happened to be among them
and after a while, seeing that the other
were having great sport, she wanted t
know what it was all about. Upon thi
the others-those of them who could stOl
laughing-rais their voices, and al
began at once to try to make her under
stand. And this is what they said
; think of that goose OF hen, Teedli
c Toodlum, telling us not to go with Phe
y endv Alone because Phe-endy Alom
I has speckled feather iii hef wing, when
at IHe Sdiiit lCtNtd IOOhthhi heA
two speckled feathers in her own wing
! but doesn't know it,
! Teedla Toodlum was listening, anC
! heard rather more than was pleasant t
|. her. She looked through the brambie
J bush and saw them. Some had their head
thrown back, laughing; some holding Of
n to their sides, each with one claw; ant
s some were stretching their necks forward
I trying to make the deaf one understand
while tie deaf one held her claw TO he
:. ear, in order to hear the better.
"Ah l feel ashamed" said Teedl
: Toodlum to herself. II see, now, tina
4 one should never speak tn
? speckIed feathers one sees in Others
1 since one can never be sure that one Ina
S not speckled feathers ones self!'-Hr,
h Abby Morton DiGz, ST. Nicholas for 4ugGs