The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-06-20


Bis mother saved that barbsd hook.
And sternly bid him
No more to dare g. fishing go,
Until he has learned how
Is. G Stone, in st. Nicholas
The Pert CAIclz.
Old Chuck was Cochin China hen,
and lived with her brood in a nice coop
little apart from the bsrn-yard. Chuck
was dear old hen, very kind to her
chickens, and very pretty chickens she
had, These were Tee-Tee, and Wee-Wee,
and Tu-Tu, and Twit-See, and Chee- Chez,
and Peep Weep, whom they called Peep
for short-six in all--six well-meaning
chickens, although they had their little
faults. Peeps fault was pertness. He
was always answering back to his mother
and saying sharp things. He wasn't
bit afraid of his brothers and sisters, and
thought it joke to tell Tee Tee she was
'a Aufy little fool, or call Tu-Tu ga
young goose" And when Tu-Tu would
ruf1e his pin-feathers and show he was
q game little chicken, and not q goose at
AL, old Chuck would say Peep was only
witty, and liked to talk, but meant no
harm, and her chickens must not fight.
Pee was always the last to come under
Oluck's wing 10 bed at night. He would
play about and say, az won't 60 to bed, :"
and even cry cut to his mamma, in a
saucy way, f" Go to bed yourself, Mrs
Chuck"
ooh, how naughty, PeepI" Cluek
would say, but she never stopped bis
nimble tongue. She couldn't bear to
scold or punish him, for she loved the
bright little fellow. His feathers were
getting quite long and glossy now, and
he was growing tall.
At meal-times Peep had a way of
pecking at his brothers and sisters, and
while he ate as much as anybody else,
he called them all pigs" and laughed
at them.
At last, when old Chuck told him,
quite gravely, that a good chick must
mind his mother, Pee said, sob, go
away mothers don't pay" in a manner
that was very naughty; but Chuck found
it so bright and clever for such q aedge-
ling. Peep had his own will in his family.
He said and did whatever be liked, and
grew quite big and handsome, and
thought himself the finest fellow in the
world.
Well, one day Peep kept running far
away from the coop, and his mother was
afraid some of the barn-yard fowls would
hurt him, so she called him back.
Don't you fuss" said Peep " I'm
going to take q walk" and he looked
20 bright. and spoke up SO sharp and
funny, that Cluck was quite lost in ad
mirjng his ways and his fine tail feathers,
proudly waving as he strutted off.
surely" she thought, g if they see
him in the barnNyard, all the hens will
envy me such a clever chick"
To the barn-yard Peep went, and be-
gan scratching about for his lunch with
the rest of the fowls. Pretty soon an
old bird gave a crow that was really q
very fine loud noise, and sounded far and
wide over the fields.
al can do as well as that, and better
too, old chap" said Peep. Now Peep
knew he couldn't, but he had way Of
saying pert things.
To his wonder nobody laughed but a
big hen-the growers wite-said, Can
you, indeed, do as well2 Let us hear
you"
She looked quite fierce at him, not a
bit ike fond, good old Cluck, and all
the fowls gathered around Peep.
"Pooh :" said he, 81 don't want to,
but can" Still nobody seemed to
admire him, but instead, said the old
rooster,
" You can brag, young fellow but
you shall show what sort Of crow you
have, or pIl peck you to death"
Peep was very much scared, and tried
his first crow. It was such a feeble,
foolish noise that all the hens and
roosters. and even the turkey-gobblers
and ducks and guineS-hens and pigeons,
laughed ct hin and despised him
Peep wss not daunted yet, but he
strutted Of amsng the young fowls. He
struck right and left with his bill, as he
did at home be laughed, and called
names, and Dragged, and at last a fine
tall young rooster, as big as himself, and
as handsome, said,
Come, Mr. Chicken, 1 don't ike
your airs"
+" You don't amount to anything"
said Peep, Just as he spoke to his mother.
Don't !" said the young rooster ;
and before Peep knew what he was about
the stranger had strewn q fine tail of
feathers, poor CluGk's pride, all over the
ground. Peep was struggling In vain
! the young rooster picked and pecked
| till the blood came. One OF Peeps eyes
was gone, one leg was useless, and not
until he lay quite still and fairly beaten
| did the enemy hold off.
Over Peeps body the fowls all said,
II HcINSO u1AA Il&lk iOA HIS III pUOCuC6-
After a while Peep hoped home very
feebly on one leg, and lay down quite
| humbly under old Ciuck's wing.
6 Where has my poor Peep ben ?"
asked Cluck, with the tears running
| down her bill.
Been out in the world, mother, y said
Peep.
"And didn't the world admire you 20
| I" Not a bit. On, my little brothers
and sisters" said poor Peep, "chicks
must not be pert and rude and unkind
at home among their friends, for when
they carry the habit into the world with
them they meet their match and come TO
grief" and Peep kicked once with his
one leg, rolled up his one eye, and-died.
All this happened in the land OF
Cochin China. OF course there are no
pert chickens in our country.- Harper's
Big Words.
Big words are great favorites with peo-
l. 4 \