The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-07
WANG.

with q ~shinQlin0 OF golden feathers. and on
tho crown of his head Just back of his high
pointed coral comb was = most fascinating
pompon Of Jet and yellow feathers.
Whenever out walking with the hens. he
wonld lead the way to the meadow brook or
10. tho spring, where under the pretsnse of
searching for the choicest worms. he would
stare Narcissus-like at his reflection in the
water, and decide that he was the hand
soonest chicken in the world.
But one day his vanity had a great blow.
Some person had sent Farmer Dandelion
BY express. q beautiful white rooster, with
a low rose comb, got against a top-knot or
pompon of glistening black feathers 80 soft
and thick that they almost hooded his face
md gave him a most strikingly elegant ap-
pearance. that held the admiration OF every
chicken for hnlf a mile around.
"Oh! don't talk of Wang any longer" he
overheard a guinea hen say, n have never
seen Sc handsome a chicken In all my life
40 this Monsieur White Feathers. that black
top-knot 10 the last straw. 1t makes his
beauty complete"
"You are right" assented Mrs. Duck.
wang is . fine looking bird. but he could
never hold a candle to Monsieur White
Feathers.
Wang was behind the lilac bush. but,
bearing every word of this conversation.
almost doubted his own ears. Some of the
other chickens who were with him heard it
too, bu. they pecked away at the grass very
solemnly, and politely pretended to have
never noticed a word.
Wang crowed once or twice, to hide his
Injured feelings and made some common
place remark about the weather; neverths-
less he stayed awake all that night. think
inR how be could get rid of this eclipsing
Monsieur White Feathers.
IF I 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 wster. to SEQ now he looks; II I
could get the dog to catch him. but then
the dog 10 tied; no. I must try to poison
anatural death. That is my best plan"
You see. Wang had come of Medici stock,
though he did not know it. and he took
very kindly to poisoning.
How glad he was when morning came.
Long before Monsieur White Feathers had
n down in the meadow, searching for a
certain beetle. which tasted very good, but
was sure death to any chicken that wal
lowed it, Finding it at last. at the root of
q thistle, he took it in his bill. and carried
II to the poultry yard.
Ely tu16 blulo III tuo CulCRSQ6 were up ana
out, and they wondered very much to find
Wang astir SO much earlier han they. He
was apt to be q little late in his morning
hours.
Good morning. Wang, where have You
been?" they asked. one after another.
"Ah! just down here in the meadows" he
answered, indifferently. "see here, Mon
sier White Feathers, have you ever eaten
one of these beetles2 They are very fine:
quite epicurean, in fact; l brought this
Nome for you" =.
Z 'Thank you, you are very kind" said
Monsieur White Feathers, apparently ac-
csptlnR the beetle, but by some chance he
go quickly out of sight that it was never
seen again.
Wang did not eat much breakfast that
morning, but saving as much corn as was
possible from the general breakfast scram.
BILE. carried it kernel by kernel to an old
gray goose so rheumatic that he could not
get out of the chicken house.
SWELL. Wang" said the gray goose, You
nre not the chicken to be kind to an old
creature like me without an object; what is
it you want?"
why! l was just thinking what it is that
makes a good chicken poison. that is easy
to get at without exciting suspicion"
Nothing is better thar salt, and there is
a whole bucket Of it in the cattle barn; but
who is 1t you wan to %roieon?"
Wang pretended not to hear This ques-
ton. but asked another.
Chickens don't touch salt as a usual
thing, how can one get them to take is?"
day I'll tell you," said the gray goose,
wisely.
"All right. I'll promise to bring you all I
can spare. l give you my word"
well, then, persuade your enemy OF
rival"-and here the gray goose looked very
in.ellieently at Wang-"that he is a sick
bird and will die. if he doesn't swallow a
lump of coarse salt every twenty minutes,
AMI think you will soon be rid of him."
But Pm afraid he won't take it on my
telling him to-" demurred Wang.
THAT is so; we'll, send him to me. Pm q
quack doctor and will prescribe it, but re-
member your part of the bargain, You
shall tell the whole poultry yard on you,
and you will be in disgrace forever. Mon
sieur White Feathers ia not q bad fellow.
IL it weren't for my starving to death, i
would do him no harm"
"Who said it was White Feathers!" said
chicken house: but it wasn't long before lie
wes back, with Monsieur White Feathers
beside him.
Friend Waugdeclares that no Gees about
me tie Iirst symptoms of feather droop.
though ! never feit better in may lifc," said
HtoHhi"uf Nnlbe EehlnefS, Drlakly III you
think SO, too, MIR. Cray Goose, as you are
something Of a doctor. will you tell me
what to do for it?H
Yes. l do see symptoms in you. most de-
cidedly; the feathers hang q little fiat on
the right side: feather droop is u very dan
GO Gus disease. very; | know of nothing
better than Il lump OF salt, taken at regular
mali hour, or say twenty-minute intervals
during the day. Call again tomorrow and
let me see what Improvement has beer
made.'
Monsieur White Feathers did not looi
much ALA med, but hs asked:
Where can 1 find this salt you Lrc
scribe?"
Wang will show YOU" said the era,
goose, turning away, ns if tired of the in
tnfview. 1T Is in the cattle barn, isn't it
Wangp'
yes, l will show him." and the tw,
BOOSTERS hurried away, every chicken in tn,
poultry yard wondering at this seemingl,
Intimate and sudden friendship botweer
Monsieur White Feathers md Wang.
When tho two chickens reached the cat
tie barn MONSIEUR White Feathers plunged
hls bil! into the backet of salt as if he wer,
about TO swallow one-half of it. but in real
ity not a particle entered his mouth.
All that day, and the next, and the next
was this little farce kept up, Monsieu
White Feathers. who had overheard tn
plan for his destruction between Wang an,
the gray goose. swallowing never a particl
OF salt; the gray goose growing stronger OF
the corn allowance he demanded of Wang
and Wang growing thin aud hollow Chopped
while his t%op-knot lay fat and unbecomin,
upon his head. hs he waited for Monsieu
White Feathers to die.
II thought | should tnEe both WANG an,