The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-02-17
for tbe CHILDREN.
Mrs. Bantam's BOBBY Boy.

Far away in the great southwestern
states an old dame wild turkey came
out on to the prairie to make her nest.
AT last she decided on spot where
the long dead reeds encircled the old
leafy top of fallen oak; and there she
deposited her first egg. Proud of her
caution, she rustled her wings and gave
vent to her delight in a loud "clup."
A moment later, with outstretched neck,
she was trotting away, as fast as her
legs would carry her, through the high
hazel brush; and little boy, with his
hands in his pockets, stood looking
down at the great big egg.
He was very funny-looking, chubby,
little German boy, with a rosy, freckled
face and great blue eyes that at present
were opened very wide.
Jimmenetty!" he said, with look
of establishment; and then he picked
up the egg, and held it up toward the
sun and tried to squint through it.
First, he held it sidewise to the light,
and then endwise, and then sidewise
again; and, as he could not make out
which gave him the most information,
he ran off to his log home on the ridge
to show his treasure, and put the great
egg under his own little speckled hen,
which was just then sitting.
II was some time before the little hen
could get used to the great big mountain
that had so mysteriously appeared in
her nest. She would walk around it and
" cluck," then hold her head on one
side and then on the other. But, as its
hard shell resisted her vicious little
picks, and she had not sufficient strength
to scratch it up the steep hill-sdes of
her nest, she at last Topped down, and
tried hard to balance herself on the
great egg.
1t was very funny to see the little
speckled hen lettering upon the large,
slippery egg which took up so much
room in her little box. AT last, after
many days of anxious watching, the
little chicks began to appear; and, one
morning, a queer, little fesh-colored
nose poked its way into the world from
out of the great egg, and in less than
no time out strolled the oddest-lookino
seen. She was so very much aston
ished that she put her wings akimbC
and stared very hard at the straggly
long-limbed, almost featherless young
ster, that stood swaying unsteadily back.
ward and forward in front of her.
But the little speckled hen loved
her great BOBBY boy more than all the
rest of her children; and the big, silly
thing hung to his mammals apron
strings, and never let her get out of his
sight And then, how the boy die
growl In less time than winking hi
was as tall as his dear mamma.
One day his mamma said to him
Sonny, l think I'll raise another batcl
of little brothers and sisters, so you vii
have to look out for yourself, my dear.
But the big BOBBY would not leave hi
mamma; and all the time she was sit
ting on her nest he fondly snuggled W
to her in big baby sort of way.
" Peepl peep! peepw By and b,
came fourteen yellow-colored, down
covered little speckles, which the littl
hen-mother was very glad to see; but
before she could introduce them t.
their great, huge, giant foster-brother
jealousy had entered into his heart. HI
flew into a terrific rage, his waffle
grew crimson with fury; he pulled "
his feathers, cooked up his tail. Hi
eyes glared with hate as he darted a
them with his iron beak Pick, pop!'
Directly the air was filled with his dea'
little brothers and sisters; for, will
movements as quick as lightning, h
picked them one after another, AM
flung them far over his head. TIL
freckled little boy ran shouting out
and, snatching up piece of fire-wood
threw it at the giant, whom he nearl
hit. Then the wild nature of the Dir
came TO him for the first time. He ra
a few steps, uttered short "Tup!
and sailed away to the great fores
never to return.
In the winter, when the SHOWS ar
deep, and the hunters venture in tn
timber in search of game, they occs
sionally come across the track of
solitary gobbler whose footprints sho'
him to be unusually large. He is to
wary, however, for them to approach
and this makes them think that he
the same BOBBY turkey that was hatche
long ago by the little speckled hen
Harper's Young People.