The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-09-16
nrrlE sEILem cmlcKEs
New York Tribune.

she crooked her head to one side and
listened rs hard rs she could, and
sure enough she heard chicken say
;speepn right under her.
ssPerhaps there's more than only
ONE said the old hen to herself. 81
guess 1'll just get up and look And
as true as Pm alive there were ton
yellow chickens that had just nlbbled
out of their shells. Did | say ten
yellow chickens. Well there was ten,
but one wasn't yellow by any means.
She had a black spot right on the
top of her head aud she was the lit
tlest chicken of them oil.
You see the old hen had her nest
in the cellar, and as tho chickens
seemed to be very hungry, out she
started with them.
When she got to the back yard
she found a worm the very first
thing. So she said ssCluck, eluek,
cluck, and the way that ten pair OF
little yellow legs with chickens on
top of 'em ran up to her was very
remarkable indeed. But you see
there wasn't another worm in that
backyard. Anyway the old hen
couldn't find any more there, and
so she started for q big field back of
the house. Now do you know thst
the grass in that field was tremen-
dousiy high, 50 tremendously high
that it was Just as much as the old
| hen could do to see over the top, and
IS for the chickens they couldn't be-
gin to do 1t, so they kept close to
their mothers long legs al the time
l-that is, all but enc did, and which
one do you suppose that was? Why
the littlest bit of one with the b aek
spot on the top of her head. She
saw a fly, and as she was very hun
cry indeed, she thought she would
have that fly for dinner right away.
But did she? No, she didn't, the
little flv wouldn't stand still 10 be
eaten, like a good little fly, but
hoped away to another blade ol
grass; and when the little chicke.i
gave it up, why she couldn't find
her mother anywhere at ail. There
was lots of blue sky way over head,
and nothing hut high grass al
around. Poor little chicken. - yau
suppose she knew what 10 ID? Nol
a bit Of it, and Though size cried,
"peep, pesp, peep" Very l,ud hul
the old hen tiidn'I 0atne.
She had nine chickens vi h Der
aud perhaps she dida't know how
to count up to ten, and lheu .siti
she hal all her children there
| Well, when tllst pour little lost on,
had been crying for u long time. III.
heard something coming through tho
grass, and what do You think il VA,
Ia black dog.
You ought to have seen tat Dig
black dog look at that little yellow
chicken, and the chicken was la.i
as afraid at first as she cou.a i-lsei-
bly, be.
"What's the the matter bere:.'
said the big black dog.
Il 81 can't find my moiher," answer
ed the little chicken in very sof
voice.
So the dog looked around, add h,
was so tall he could see over the toi
of the grass just as well as not.
tsI can see her, said the dog, s.ane
there's lots OF chickens just lik,
yon.o
care they very FAR away?' asked
the chicken.
1 The big dog looked, .aH6 then hs
said they were, and linen tie little
chicken began 10 sob and cry.
eNow don't you begin 10 cry,'i
said the big black dug, and the little
chicken stopped.
/ "You've got such little legs" SAID
the dog, sthat | guess Til navy &c
carry you on my buck. So he col
way down on the ground, and the
little yellow chicken climbed care
fully on the big dogs paw anI then
slowly up his leg till she could jump
on his back.
eNow you hold on tight and I'll
Set up said the big black dog.
spm not bit AFRAID" said ihe
chicken.
sPooh. n, Ole's IrtiI # a
said the big black dog, a5 he walked
away very carefully thrpszn the
long grass.
BY and By the little chicken
heard the old nea s,y sCiuei<, ciuck,
cluck, and tnen sIs knew sne Wa
all safe.
ssHow ds yoa d., Mrs. Hen,
said the big black dog as he came
up: nhave you lost anything? Where
Is the little chicken with tile black
spot on her head?''
Why goodness me!v said the
old hen, 81 don't see her anywhere
at all. -
Then the big black dog got down
again and the little chicken jumped
off his back and kissed the old hen
a lot OF times without stopping, and
as for that dear blacx dog, he ran TO
the house where the little girl lives,
aud had two saucers brimming full
Of bread and milk, because It was
lunch time, you know.
It should be borne in mind that
every farmer who takes the trouble
TO keep up a tasteful appearance aboat
his premises and farm not only per-
forms a good work for his own family
but stimulates his neighbors to imi-
tate him.