The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-12-24


specified and some had their feathers curled
the wrong way. Among all these there was
one whose name, as well as can remember
was Mrs. Blue Hen"
WAS she really blue?" Sweetest Susan in
quired.
well, not an indigo blue" replied Mr..
Rabbit, after rejecting moment. nor yet
a sky blue. She just plain, duli'
everyday blue. But such she was she
was very fine. She belonged to one of the
first families and moved in the very best
circles. She was trim looking, so I've heard
said, and as she grew older came TO
have a very bad temper, so much so that
she used to fly at a hawk if he came near
her premises Some of her neiSnbors used
to whisper il around that she tried to crow
like a rooster, but this was after she had
grown old and hlrd-hC AIDED
when Mrs. Blue Hen was growing up
she was very nice and particular. ohe
couldn't bear to get water on her feet, ana
she was always shaking the dust from her
clothes Some said she was tnicky, ami
some said she was nervous. once when
she famed out little Billy Bantam. VINO
called on her one day, a great many OF
her acquaintance said she would never
settle down and make good housekeeper.
But after awhile Ms. Blue Hen con
cludcd that it was about time for her
to have d family of her own, so she went
away off from the other chickens and made
her a nest in the middle Of a thick brIar
patch. She made her nest there and lad
an egg. 1t was new and white ami Mrs
Blue Hen was very proud OF it, She was
50 proud in fact that, although she had
made up her mind to make no fuss over 1t,
she went running and cackling toward
the house Just as any common hen would
do She made SO much fuss that away
down in the branch Mr.. Willy Weasel
winked at Miss Mimy Mink.
DO you hear that" says he.
- never heard anything palmer in my
life" says She.
'.AIrs Bluc Hen was so proud of her new,
white egg that she went back after awhile
to look at it,. There it was, shining white
in the grass. She covered il up and hid It
as wen as she could and then she went
about getting dinner ready.
THE next morning she went to The nest
and laid another egg just like the first one.
This happened fer three mornings but on
the fourth morning when Mrs. Blue Hen
went back she found four eggs in the
nest and all four appeared to be dinsy
and muddy looking. she was very much
astonished and ARMED, as wei she might
be for here right before her eyes she
saw four eggs when she knew in reason
that there should be but three, and not
only that they were all dingy and dirty.
Mrs Blue Hen was so excited that
she took off her bonnet and began To fan
herself Then she wondered whether She
had not made a miscount; whether she
had not really laid four instead OF three
eggs The more she thought about il the
more confused she became. She hung her
bonnet on a blackberry bush and tried to
count off the days on her toes. She began
to count-One, two, three'-and she would
have stopped there. but she couldn't She
had four toes on her foot and she was COM
PEELED 10 count them all. There was toe
on the foot for every egg in the nest
This caused Mrs. Blue Hen to feel some
what more comfortable in mind and BODY,
but she was left III such hysterical state
that she went of cacNiing ncrvousiy and
postponed laying esq until late in the
afternoon. After that there were I'VE in
the nest and She kept on laying until
there were ten altogether. Then Mrs.
Blue Hen rumpled up her feathers and got
mad with herself and went to setting. |
reckon that's what you call it. I've heard
some call it setting ami others sitting
once, when ] was counting | spoke Of a
sitting hen, but the young lady said |
was too prissy for anything"
what is prissy?" asked Sweetest Susan.
Mr. Rabbit shut his eyes ana scratched
his ear. Then he shook his head slowly.
It's nothing but girls word" remarked
Mrs Meadows by way OF explanation. 1t
means that somebody's trying hard to
Il reckon that's So" said Mr.. Rabbit
opening his eyes. He appeared to be much
relieved. "Well, Mrs. Blue Hen got mai
and went to setting. She was in a snug
place and nobody bothered her 1t was such
a quiet place that she could hear Mr.. WHY
Weasel and Miss Mimy Mink gossiping in
the caamus bushes ana she could hear
Mrs. Puddle Duck wading in the branch
one day Mrs. Puddle Duck made so bold
as to push her way through the briars and
look in upon Mrs. Blue Hen. But her visit
was not relshed. Mrs Blue Hen rumpled
her feathers up and spread out her tail to
such a degree and squalled out such a
harsh protest that Mrs. Puddle Duck was
glad to waddle off with whole bones. But
when she got back to the branch she splut-
tered about good deal, crying out:
"'Aha! aha! quack, quack! Aha! You
are there, are you? Ahai you'll have trouble
before you get away. Aha!
Nov the fact was that Mrs. Puddle
Duck was the very that had caused
Mrs Blue Hen all the trouble said Mr..
Rabbit, nodding his head solemnly. "Wad-
ing in the branch Mrs. Puddle Duck had
seen Mrs. Blue Hen going to her nest for
| three days. slipping and creeping through
the weeds and bushes, and she wanted to
| know what all the slipping and creeping
| was about. So, on the third day Mrs. Pud-