Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-08-28
Damon and Pythias:

Damon and Pythias were two little
chickens who lived in a large farm
gard with a great many other chick
ems just like themselves. Their
mother, as every good mother hen
should do, taught them well how to
hunt for tiny worms and insects, to
eat, by kicking up the gravel and
knocking aside little heaps Of dust
with their bills. But the time they
liked best of all was when the farmer
brought out an old milk pan full OF
moist cornmeal, and then they tum-
bled over one another like little fat
puffballs, always managing to fall into
the pan in their excitement, and stay
ing there till it was wholly empty.
One day in the early summer, when
the long, sunny afternoons began to
grow uncomfortably hot, Dolly came
to spend the summer at the farm.
Now, Dolly wanted to have chicken
which was all her own, and picking
out the downiest yellow one she
bought it for five cents and kept 1t
apart from the rest. Whenever it
uttered its peep, peep" she felt sure
1t was hungry, and gave 1t cornmeal.
That seemed very kind treatment,
surely, but when at the close of the
second day she found the poor little
thing lying stiff and cold. and another
and yet another whom she tried to
adopt came to the same sad ending,
she decided that farmers did know
more than little girls, after all, and
it was not good for chickens to be
always eating. Dolly had hardly made
up her mind to this when she discoV-
cred Damon and Phythias. Damon
and Pythias were always together;
indeed, they seemed to be such good
friends that the farmers city cousin
had given them their queer names in
honor Of two famous friends who lived
long ago and were very fond of each
other. When Dolly first saw the two
all the other chickens were standing
about thinking Of their nights rest
and feeling as sleepy as could be, but
Damon and Phythias had jumped up
saucily on their mothers back and
were carefully balancing themselves
there. They were pretty pair, for
Damon was jet black and Phythias
creamy white. Dolly pulled out her
small purse at once and paid for them
on the spot From that time on
new life began for Damon and
Pythias.
On rainy days they were takcn in
doors, where they delighted to patter
around, and when Damon discovered
a rag carpet mat he tried to kick it
up as he did the sand, and looked at
1t with an astonished air because -the-
kicks from his tiny flying claws, or
the taps frQp> >h1s 6bill, failed to root
food. Soon they both began to
recognize their names, and would hur-
ry to their mistress when she called.
When Dolly went on short walks
around the farm it came to be under.
stood that the two chickens would
follow her about, and they became SO
affectionate that they could not bear
To have her ont of their sight. When
sra sraci, 3a- forefnger at them and
s, you can't CO." they seemed
stand her words, and gave
.a4f peeps that lengthened into
.,;Ua ;quawks If they were left alone.
friendly as they had always been
sney grew jealous after time, and
would stand with the tips of their
bills together, absolutely rigid for half
minute, glaring flercely at each
other. The quarrels never lasted long,
for soon a buzzing fly would pass
overhead, which one chicken was sure
to hop into the air and catch, while
the other would coolly walk away.
This seems to be the chicken fashion
of ending quarrels.
AS the days went by Damon and
Pythias grew too plump for the box
of cotton wool in which they slept.
and a large cage, with a perch in it
for each, was prepared for them.
Regularly at o'clock the chickens
walked into the house and went to
roost, each on his own perch.
When the summer was over and
Dolly returned to her city home she
carried her strange pets with her in
their cosey cage, and they soon be-
came used to their new life.-New