Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-10-18
THE LITTLE WILD HEN.


Senrchers Away From Her Young.
Papa" cried Floyd, running breath
lessly up to his father, who sat reading
on the cool veranda at IIillsdale farm,
''oh papa, there's a poor little wild hen
down at the edge of the creek meadow,
and | guess she's got a lot of little
peep chickens, and I'm sure they'll
starve to DEATH She's a little bit of
! speckled, plump hen, with almost no
neck, and one wing is broken, I'm sure,
! for she tried so hard to fly and didn't
get on at all. And think she has tiny
peep chickens, because Cousin John
said most a month ago, when we first
came to grandpapa's, that she had a
nest somewhere in the swale beyond
the meadow"
"Oh, ho"' said papa, laying aside his
book with a very sober face, but with
funny twinkle in his eye. $50 John
told you about her! Did he say she
was a partridge"
mo, that wasn't the word. It's
shorter than that. Why, you know,
papa, she's the little hen that keeps
saying 'Bobwhite, Bobwhitev almost
every afternoon and evening"
"Yes, know now" said papa smil-
ing. Her name is Mrs. Quail. But
it's her mate, my boy, that says Bob
white. She has been too busy lately
Matching her chicks to say anything.
But who can have been cruel enough
! to break her wing? Let US go and
see"
They walked briskly across the sweet
smelling meadow grass until almost in
the shade of the wooded strip beyond.
Then they went more slowly and eau
tiousiy till Floyd pointed out the spot
where ne had seen timid Mrs. Quail.
She was not there, but as they walked
forward into the woods very softly
and speaking in whispers she suddenly
darted from clump of ferns almost
beneath their feet.
With a whir she shot few feet
into the air and wheeled to the left,
but before going a rod she fell to the
ground with one wing outstretched and
fluttered along, crying as if in great
pain.
"Oh, papa" Floyd exclaimed, almost
in tears. don't let's scare her any
more! See how it hurts the poor
thing"
Very WELL" said papa, 'let US go
this other way, to the right, and look
carefully under every leaf and beside
all the stones. Maybe we can find
some of her chicks"
They moved slowly away, but in
stead Of hurrying off in the opposite d.
rection. as she had started, the mother
quail came nearer, tried to fly a Sec
ond time and again fell with a broken
wing, only it was the right one this
time instead of the left, which had
been outstretched before. Her actions
seemed to say; IF you want to catch
anybody. catch me. I'm wounded and
can't get away"
But the two intruders kept right on
searching, and all at once the father
whispered, Quick, my boy; come here
just as quietly as you can"
iiOyu Sidnied swiftly " MS oiNS anu
peeped under his arm. There were
three grayish brown stones in a row
at least the two outside ones were
stones-5ut on looking close it could be
seen that the round ball cuddled be-
tween them had a downy surface. with
notified lines set close together, and
right in the center were two bright
eyes that no one ever saw in a stone.
1t was baby quail not more than two
or three days old, but sharper at play
Ing hide and seek than boy or girl of
thousand times that age.
Papa and Floyd watched 1t for five
minutes, but the little chap did not stir
feather. All this time the anxious
neither kept calling and futtering
about only a few yards away. Her
win, was not broken, as Floyd's papa
had known from the first. 1t simply
was pretty trick that many wild,
feathered mothers employ to lure enc
mics away from their young
After little time Floyd whispered
"Goodby" to the chick. and the two
went quietly away. sure that as soon
as they were gone the wild wood fam
lily would be speedily reunited.-Roe L.
Hendrick In Youths Companion.