The Osceola times., 1881-06-25
THE LITTLE FOLKS.
A short Story for the Young Peopie 70
Read and Enjoy.

This is true story about hen.
There were twenty hens in Mr.. Pen.
ny's yard, and some were white, and
some were black, and some were gray
This one was white, and her name was
Polly.
One day Mrs. Penny said to the girl in
the Kitchen, Nancy, you may put those
ducks eggs under Polly White and cover
her with a basket"
Polly was very young, and had never
sSt on any eggs before. She thought il
would be good fun; but when the basket
was put over her she felt as if she should
fly. 1t was not nice to be shut up in the
dark. And then she did get so tired
1t takes only three weeks to hatch chick
ems, but 1t was four weeks before Polly's
ducklings came out Of the shell.
| And when they came out, how funny
they looked They were very large and
| yellow, with round bills and very queer
feet, and when they tried to walk they
waddled. Polly had never seen any
| ducklings before, and l suppose she
thought these creatures we're chickens.
They did not look like other chickens,
to be sure, but she thought they were all
the nicer for that.
Mamie Penny came out laughing, and
set pan of corn meal dough near the
back door. Polly was very hungry, but
she would not touch one mouthful until
she had called her little ones to break
fast. There were twelve of them, and
they dipped in their little round bills
like spoons.
After breakfast they rolled up their
eyes, and what do you suppose they were
thinking about? They were thinking
how much they wantedto swim. Was
it not stranger How did they know any,
thing about swimming? They had never
seen any water; they had only seen the
blue pump in the yard. But they made
up their little minds that they would go
and find some water.
Now there was a pond behind the
barn, not very far of. Nobody told them
1t was there, but they ran that way as
fast as they could waddle.
Their mother ran after and tried to
stop them, but the moment they saw the
water those ducklings jumped right into
it.
Poor Pollyl How frightened she was
How she flapped her wings and cluckedl
She thought they were crazy, and she
was sure they would drown.
But no, they struck out their little feet
and began to swim. 1t was pretty
sight. They held up their heads and
looked very gay.
Polly did not know what to think of
this, and when she found 1t did not hurt
them at all she was very proud, and
liked it as much as they did. After
this they came to the pond every day
and she came with them. She thought
there never was sucn a bright family
as hers. They were brighter than their
mother; and Polly was ashamed because
she could not swim.
Well, the next summer came, and
Polly sat on some hens eggs, just as the
other hens did, and of course she hatch
ed chickens instead of ducklIngs. She
'ook them down to the pond the very
| first thing. Wasn't 1t queer that she
should remember about itp
But they would not go into the water.
She clucked and scolded and almost
pushed them in, but it was of no use;
they couldn't swim, and they wouldn't
| try. Polly was very angry. Such bad
dickens. Why, they were worse than
none, she thought, and she would not be
| their mother another minute.
You will laugh, but Polly turned and
went home. The chickens followed, but
she drove them back. They peeped,
and she pecked them with her bill.
They were hungry, but she gave them
no dinner or supper.
When nieht came she would not take
them under her wing, but went to roost
with some other hens on a pole in the
barn. The poor little chickens felt very
sorry. but she never, never forgave them
for not learning TO swim And so they
had to grow up without anv mother.
Don't you think this is a droll story?
And wasn't Polly very bright for hen,
with head not as big as Walnut