Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-11-02
TALES FOR TODDLERS.

Johnny and Little Gray Hen.
Johnny ran out to the barn one day. 1t was
lovely day. The sunshine was as bright as
gold, the sky was as blue as the eyes of baby
kittens, and the grass was as green as grass
could be. Johnny was singing q little song,
making it up as he went along:
"Oh, how I wish my mother'd bake
A great enormous 'lasses cake
Bake-bake-
Cake-ca-a-"
when he stopped suddenly and began to laugh.
And no wonder; for. looking UP, he saw the
head Of Daisy the cow, poked through the bars
of her stall, and, standing on it, right between
the horns. was Little Gray Hen.
'Why, what are you doing up there?" asked
JOHNNY.
Little Gray Hen looked thoughfully down at
him for moment, and then she said, ssWell, I
don't mind telling you, for you are Q pretty
good boy, as boys go, and you never throw
stones at me, and chase me about and mock
me when I try to sing, as bad boys do. The
fact is, the hens and chickens in the henyard
are so fussy and noisy, and they keep up such
silly clucking, and scratching, and quarrel
ing, from morning till night that a lady-like
hen las I fatter myself any finds it very disa-
greeable to stay among them. And they are
extremely rude and inpollts, and don't begin
to know what good manners are. And so, this
morning, when Big Gray Hen snatched a worm
away from me, and Speckled Hen said her
dress was much more fashionable than mine,
and those mischievous chicks Of Bantam Hen
came slyy behind me and pulled out three of
my prettiest feathers, 1 declared I wouldn't
stand it any longer. would look for another
boarding place. Their conduct really made
me ashamed of being hen. And I called on
| Daisy and told her how they acted, and she said
(she feels very lonely, you know, since she lost
her calf that she would be glad of nv COM
pany aud that I was welcome to live on her
head as long as I liked. And I've been here
new two hours-far above those common fowls,
asl have always thought ought to be, and it
is SO nice and quiet that I think shall stay
! here all the rest of my life."
81 don't think you will, !" said Johnny; and he
began to laugh again and ran away to the hem
| yard to tell the hens what he had seen in the
| barn.
| There was barrel turned upside down in
| one corner of the yard, and on this Johnny
climbed, scratching both his legs on the hoops as
he did SO; but, bless You! boys don't care any
J thing about a few scratches-and when he was
safely seated on it he called the fowls, and they
came focking about him thinking he had some
! thing for them to eat.
But Johnny showed them his empty hands,
| and then he told them about Little GRAY Hen
and the cow. And when he had told them he
said, 'And why do you behave 80 badly that
Little Gray Hen cannot stay where you are?
| Why do you make her ashamed of being a
| hem"
! SiuCh, CHUCK! cluCh, CluCk! CluCh, Cluckt
| answered Big Gray Hen. 81 guess we behave
| just as all hens have behaved SINCE the first
one came out of an egg-no better and no worse
and what's more, we behave as we'll as we
know how. Chuck, cluck! cluck, cluck! cluck,
| clucki !-Doyou?
johnny thought for a moment that somebody
| had thrown torpedo at him, and nearly fell of
| the barrel But he jerked himself back again
and said-he was a truthful little fellow-"rm
| afraid don't"
swell, then, what can you expect from us?"
sPlease, ma'am," said Johnny, 81 don't ex-
| pect anything. And I should never have
thought of finding fault with you had it moi
been for Little Gray Hen"
'Lttle Gray Hen, indeed!" repeated speckled
| Hen scornfully. SIT seems to me the smaller
hens are the bigger they think themselves"
sis that for meg" said Bantam Hen, ruf1ng
her feathers
spray don't stop to quarrel, you two" begged
Brown Hen, 'sbut come on let's all go and see
this stuck.up thing who thinks herself so much
above u.s."
"Cluck, cluck! cluck, cluck! cluck, cluck
She's not SO high but that she'll come down
when" began Big Gray Hen.
'.When?" asked the otter hens
"When she's hungry" said Big Gray Hen.
cluck!-a good many airs put on just after
breakfast put off just before dinner"
After which wise remark away they all
started in great hurry for Daisy's stall but
they had scarcely got there when PAMELA
Johnny's grown-up sister, came out of the
house with pan full of corn and called loudly
"Here,. chick, chick, chick, chick, chick,
chick!'
At the very first sound Of her voice the hens
and chickens turned about again in o greater
hurry than'ever; but as fast as they ran-and
they ran as fast as they could-they none oil
them reached the hen-yard as soon al Little
Gray Hen.
SIT was pleasant enough living on Daisy'i
head" she said to Johnny as she went to roos
that night, "but you see there was nothing tt
eat up there. And think, after all, it Is bes
for hen to try to get along with her own re-
lations."
The Dakota Democratic Candidate for Congress
Judge W. W. Brookpgs Of Sioux Falls wa,
born in Maine, and must be near fftyyeari
old. He was one of q party of young mel
who located at Sioux Falls in 1857, andlfron
| that day to this has been n thorough Drkot,