The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-29
The chick and tie Rabbits.

by the sound. He made a most careful
search without success. and was about to
reach the conclusion that his mind was de
rarged
He would have sworn that there was no
chicken in the barn, and yet its wild half
frightened chipping seemed TO come from
every direction. 1t came from the roof and
the next moment it came from the walls: it
seemed to be outside and seemed to be near
by. II was impossible TO locate it, although
il was everywhere at the same time.
Marshall dropped his DitchfoTk and held
his head in his hands, wondering how long
it would be before he was insane and sent
TO the asylum. The terrible chipping was
everywhere and his mind was III whirl.
but no chicken could be seen.
While wondering why he should be af-
fiicted that way tame rabbit belonging to
his CHI ldren came in and ran to a hole Ia
corner and disappeared underground. At
the same instant the chlrping ceased and
load was lifted from Marshalps BRAIN as he
now knew the chicken must be in the rab-
bits hole. What fool he was not to have
thought of it sooner.
But how did it get there? This was
another serious question about as hard to
answer as the first. There were no setting
hens on his place that it could belong to and
if 1t did belong to one she would be near by
trying to coax it out.
pair of old rabbits had occupied the
hole for some months and had just brought
out four young ones. The father rabbit
stayed away. but the mother ran TO the hole
every few minutes, and whenever she went
in the chipping ceased.
MIR. Marshall puzzled over the means by
which the young chicken got into the hole
and finally concluded il would soon die il
not taken OUT. He lay down on the ground
and reached down the full length of his arm
and found he could just reach the soft warm
nest at the bottom. The little chicken ran
around as If very much frightened and
finally ran into his hand and was pulled 10
the outer world.
II was very young. not more than day
old d! the mos. and was of the buff cochin
breed. These were the only kind of chickens
on the place and II seemed plain that it
must have been Matched from one of their
eggs.
The little thing was placed on the ground,
and, as the old mother rabbit was near by.
il ran under her at once ard peeped out its
head e0ntentedy. This was very pecu-
liar occurrence, ana MIR. Marshall reached
down In the hole again 10 see what else he
could fad. as curious things were comi ng
from all directions. He managed to get
hold OF the lining of the nest and pulled the
whole thing out. 1t was finely built nest.
being made OF paper, wool and straw. All
these were carefully turned aside, and in
the center were the two halves of an egg
she'll. 1t was plain to an accustomed eye
that the egg had been lately Matched. and
there was no doubt that the shell was the
one the young chicken had come out of.
1t was plain no hen could have gone into
the rabbits home and Matched the egg, and
there was only one way in which TO account
for the presence of The young chicken.
Some of the hens must have laid an egg in
the straw that was on the dirt floor of the
barn, right over the hole. and as soon as
she got away it rolled down to the nest at
the bottom. As the rabbits saw 1t would
not hurt them they paid no attention to it,
but al owed 1t TO remain where it fell.
AS the weather was very warm the rab-
bits spent good deal of time in the hole to
escape the heat 0t the sun, and when the
young ones were born spent all their time
there. In this way the egg was always
kept at proper temperature for ineuba-
ton, and the eventual Matching of the egg
would be sure to occur
After the chicken was given to the rabbit
it was perfectly happy, and the cid bunny
did not seem to object to being used for
br0oder. In fact. she seemed to think il
was the proper thing 10 do, but the old
father rabbit did not like the idea in the
least. He remon strated very forcibly with
the old lady, but she simply sat still and did
nothing.
He did not like the idea of being the
father of a thing with feathery fuZZ on it.
but the old mother rabbit was not sure it
was not hers and she didn't intend to run
any chances. She finally retired to the
hole, into which Mr. Marshall had put back
all the old nest and the young chicken fol-
lowed. A few minutes later the father
rabbit attempted TO go in also, but the old
lady would not allow it, and that night be
had 10 sleep in the ash-barrel. The young
ones were allowed TO enter and all passed
the night in quiet
When morning came the father was ready
to make peace and allow the featDered
curiosity TO remain member Of the house
hold.
After that all got along very nicely to-
eether, the little chicken sleeping in the
rabbit-ho every night and running around
with the Others all day. She was friendly
with the other chickens. but would have
nothing 10 do with them until she got so
large she could not get into the rabbit-hole
She finally left her foster-mother and
roasted in the henhOuse, but she always
spends several hours a day in her company,
and the chances are sue will never forget
that she was born and raised in rabbit
hole. WILL SPARKS.