Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-06-17

poultry yard. His round breast was
sheathed in iridescent feathers of vel.
vet black; his back and wings were
respondent with a shingling OF golden
feathers. and on the crown of his head,
just back of his high-pointed coral
comb was a most fascinating pompon
Of jet and yellow feathers.
Whenever Il walking with the hens.
he would lead the way to the meadow.
brook or to the spring. where, under
the pretcnse Of searching for the
choicest worms, he would stare Narcis.
sus-like at his reflection in the water,
and decide that he was the handsomest
chicken in the world.
But n day his vanity had n great
blow. Some person had sent Farmer
handelion by express n beautiful white
rooster. with a low rose comb, set
against a topknot or pompon Of glisten.
Ing black feathers so soft and thick
that they almost hooded his face and
gave him a most strikingly elegant ap-
pearance, that held the admiration of
every chicken for half a mile around.
"Ah, don't talk of Wang any longer"
he overheard a guinea hen say; II
have never seen so handsome a chicken
in all my life as this Monsieur White
Gathers; that black top-knot is the
last straw. 1t makes his beauty com.
pletc."
You are right" assented Mrs. Duck.
Wang is a fine-looking bird, but he
could never hold a candle to Monsieur
White Feathers
Wang was behind the lilac bush. but,
hearing every word of this CONVERSE
ton, almost doubted his ears. Some
OF the other chickens who were with
him heard it, too, but they pecked
away at the grass very solemnly, and
politely pretended to have never no
ticed a word.
Wang crowed once or twice TO hide
his injured feelings, aud made some
commonplace remark about the wealth.
er: nevertheless, he staid away all that
night. thinking how he could get rid of
this eclipsing Monsieur White Feathers.
:. IF | could only fight him off the
farm, but then he is large and his spurs
are sharper than mine; If l could but
push him into the spring or brook, but
he doesn't go near the water, to see
how he looks; if | could get the dog 10
catch him, but then the dog is tied up:
must try TO poison him, then
every one will think he has died a
natural death. That is my best plan"
You see, Wang had come of Medici
stock. though he did not know 1t, and
he tool very kindly to poisoning.
How glad he was when morning
Long before Monsieur White
Feathers had thought of leaving III.
perch, Wang was up and down in the
meadow, searching for a certain beetle,
which tasted very good, but was sure
leath to any chicken that swallowed
t. Finding it at last, at the root of a
he took it in his bill, and carried
i to the poultry yard. /,
BY this time all the chickens were nm
md out, and they wondered very much .
o find Wang astir so much earlier than :
hey. He was apt to be a little late in ,
lis morning hours. .
Good morning, Wang, where have a.
been?" they asked, one after an. =.
'ther. I
An! Just down here in the meadow :
re answered, indifferently. "See here. /;
lonsieur White Feathers, have Won :
'ver eaten one of these beetles? They !
re very fine; quite epicurean, in fact; /
'rought this home for YOU"
"Tha nix you, you are very kind said
Monsieur White Feathers, apparently !,
Iccepting the beetle, but by some i,
nance he dropped it on the ground. v
nd IT scurried SO quickly out Of sight o
1T was never seen again. n
wang did not eat much breakfast that L
morning, but, saving as much corn as a.
vas possible from the general break. j
'ast scramble, carried 1t kernel hv G
ernel to an old gray goose, so rheu. n
matte that he could not get out Of tho h
hicken-house. 7
well Wang" said the gray goose. W
you are not the chicken to be kind ~ =,
IN old creature like me without an oh. Il
ect; what is it you want?" e,
why! was just thinking what !, a,
; mat makes a good chicken poison n
nat is easy to get at without exciting o,
uspicion." =,
Nothing is better than salt. md :,
here is a whole bucket of II in H. a,
attic barn. But who is it YOU want 70
'oison?"
Wang pretended not to hear this o,...
ion but asked another. To
Chickens don't touch salt as a u.r,, m
hing, how IAN n get them to tall. W
?" '"Ae u,
If you'll bring me q feed Of CIR, 50
vice a day I'll tell you," said the rrav p,
bose, wisely. al
"All right, I'll promise to bring Won W
! | can spare. I'll give you my word We
''Well, then, persuade your enemy or m
here the gray goose looked m
~ inteliigently at Wang-s.thst he ia Us
sick bird and will die, II he doesn't NJ