The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-05-12
POLLY AND HER CHICKENS.
A True Story.

and it is just as true as it can be. 1t is
about hen. e. So, t
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. Perry said to the girl
in the Kitchen: !" Nancy, you may put
those ducks eggs under Polly White
and cover her up with basket
Polly was very young. and had never
sat ON any eggs before. She thoughtit
would be good fun; but when the bas-
ket 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 chickens, but it 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 suppose
she thought these creatures were chick
ems. 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
breakfast There were twelve of them,
and they dipped in their 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 wanted to
swim. Wasn't it strange? How did
they know anything 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 90 and find
some water.
Now, there was pond behind the
barn, not very far off. Nobody told
them it was there, but they ran that waJ
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
in!
Poor Polly! How frightened she
was! How she tapped her wings and
ciuoked! She though they were crazy.
and she was sure they would drown.
But no, they struck out their little
feet and began to SWIM, 1t was a pretty
sight. They held up their heads and
looked very gay.
Dol1x, l;I not ~r,hok - sn1 ~
this; but when she found it did not hurt
them at all she was very proud, and
liked it as well as they did. After this
they came to the pond every day, and
she came with them. She thought
there never was such bright family as
hers. They were brighter than their
mother; and Polly was ashamed be-
cause 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
Matched chickens instead of ducklings.
She took them down to the pond the
very first thing. Wasn't it queer that
she should remember about it?
But they would not 60 into the water.
She clucked and seeded and almost
puSuCU Cu0lu III, Uub ~ was VI uO use
they couldn't swim, and they wou!dn'
try. Polly was very angry. Such bad
chickens! Why, they were worse than
none, she thought, and she would moi
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 picked them with her bill,
They were hungry, but she gave them
no dinner or supper.
When night came she would not take
them under her wing, but went to roos'
with some other hens on pole in the
barn. The poor little chickens fell
very sorry, but she never, never forgave
them for not learning to swim! And &C
they had to grow up without any
mother.
Don't you think this is droll story:
And wasn't Polly very bright for q hen
with head not as big as Walnut
Our Little Ones. ,....