The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-03
a MAD OLD HEN.

This is a true story about hen.
There we're twenty hens in Mr.. Pennys
yard, and some were white, and some
we're 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 basket.
~ Polly was very young, and had never
sat on any eggs before. She thought 1t
would be good fun; but when the basket
was put over her she felt as if she could
hy. 1t was not nice to be shut up in the
dark. And then, she did get so tiredl
1t takes only three weeks TO hatch chick
ems, but il was four weeks before Pollys
ducklings came out.of the she'll.
And when they came out, low funny
they lookedl 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 were chickens.
They did not look like other chickens, to
be sure, but she thought they were all
the nicer fer that.
Mamle' 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 little round bills like
spoons. rFE Ft
After breakfast they rolled up they
eyes, and what do you, suppose they
were thinking about? They were think
ing how much they wanted to swim.
Was it not 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 go and find some
water
Now there was a pond behind the
barn, not very far of, Nobody told
them it was there, but they ran that
way as fast as they could waddle
Their mother ran after aud tried to
stop them, but the moment they saw the
water those ducklings jumped right
Poor Polly How frightened she was.
How she tapped her wings and clucked
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 it 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 such q 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
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 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
chickensi 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 hut
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 night 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, out she never, never forgave them
for not learning to sviml And so thew
had to grow up without any 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?