The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-22

tributes which indicated that ii belonged
to the naughty ruling sex. Small knobs
made their appearance on its legs near the
feet, and an incipient comb began TO
sprout upon its head. This rudy decora-
ton provoked the remark from Mrs. Finn,
"Begorra, it's shanghai rooster The
rooster seemed to grow at the rate Of
three inches every day, and developed
an appetite which no amount of feeding
could appease So greedy, indeed, did II
become that not even lis own mother
was permitted to eat from che same dish.
II afforded Mickey never4ending source
of delight to watch the relations existing
between these two birds. He saw queer
happenings every day which escaped the
attention of his more needless mother.
One afternoon he boldly asserted that he
had actually seen the rooster deliberate
ly kick the pigeon and cause her to turn
three somensaults. Such ingrautude
seemed ridiculous to Mrs. Finn, but Nick
ely asserted that Ii was true, and that the
pigeon had crept under a currant bush
and sobbed as If its heart were breaking
BY the first of October the chicken had
developed into a bird of extraordinary
hight and leanness. Its legs were covered
with feathers and its body was as angular
as that of an army mule. Meanwhile the
mother bird was filed with sorrow at the
erratic conduct of her hayward son. She
would perch upon the dividing fence
separating the Finn estate from OBrien's
half acre with a Where-is-my-Wan
boy tonight look in her eyes, while he
invaded the neghbors garden and ruth
lessly stole the lettuce as the Norsemen
despoiled the coast of Brittany. The way
ward rooster also developed pugllistic In
cllnations and dominated the yard like
veritable Jefrreys, which Mickey regard
ed with delight as he himself was the best
wrestler In school. But Mrs. Finn began
to look upon the chicken with disfaVor,
because of his lack of galantry towards
his faithful little mother and she resolved
that he should be KILLED and made into
a savory pot-pie for the Christmas dinner.
But she did not tell Mickey of her deter
mination as she knew he would resent 1t
with tears and protestations. And as the
cold December winds swept down the val
lev she fed the chicken all he could eat
with the idea OF making him fat and
Juicy for the pot. The greedy and selfish
bird forced his cooling mother away from
the dish with savage thrusts of his cruel
beak and gorged himself, thereby cover
ing his bones with those tender morsels
of white and black meat which are so
toothsome when fished from a lake Of
gravy with q fork. But all through the
ignominy and contumely put upon her by
her son the pigeon remained faithful to
her giant offspring. She cooed him to
morning with gentle caresses to secure
the early worm.
The day before Christmas dawned bright
and cheerful. AS soon as Mickey had
gone to school Mrs. Finn took the Ratchet
which she used to split wood, into tho
cellar and sharpened 1t on the grindstone.
Just before noon Mrs. Reilly came in.
I'm goin to kill the young rooster"
said Mrs. Finn.
"Why?" asked her neighbor.
"Bekase he's that dignacious to his poor
mother 1 can't bear him any longer, and
I'm goin' to out his head Off"
The pigeon was seated on the back of a
chair during this conversation, but when
Mrs. Reilly went out the pigeon followed.
Half an hour later Mrs. Finn searched the
coop, peered into the cellar and invaded
the yards of all her neighbors with the
Ratchet in her hand but both the rooster
and the pigeon were missing. At II
O'Clock Mickey came rushing breathlessly
into the shanty, exclaiming
Mother, mother, the chicken and pigeon
are gone. ] saw the chicken running
down the road like q runaway horse and
the pigeon sittin' on his back like a So
jer." Ernest Jarrold.