The Cairo bulletin., 1906-05-15
MEMOIRS OF
A CHICKEN.

|, successful in her second attempt al in
cubation, had tired Of maternal dutie
on q small scale and plloted her small
FAMILY TO one OF the roosting house
where, on my rounds, found a pecu
liar situation
The chicks had all sought thel
quarters for the night except one. !
was little Muhammer and there h
stood, fluffy black ball, lonesome, un
certain in the gathering twilight. ant
pouring the tumult of his little sou
into measures OF the most exquist,
melancholy and abandonment that hat
ever heard
Taking up the hopeless little outCast
tried as best could to comfort hi'
aching heart
He was appreciatiye of my efforts
/ and responded with CHEEKY peeps OF
/ trust and confidence as he nestled ii
/ my hand and chirruped dreamy
goodnight when finally left him in
his coy quarters,
| thought little more about ii unit
the next evening, when | found that
my little protege had by no means for
gotten his delightful experience and
wished it repeated; for he did not fol-
low his foster brothers and sisters 10
their wooden mother, but again raised
his doleful chorus. which | Quoted by
again putting him safely 10 rest.
And so it grew into habit with
both OF MS, Every evening Maham-
mad would linger until the rest had
retired and then raise his entreatine
cries, while |, listening, would hasten
and put the little pariah to rest,
And thus the friendship between Mu-
hammad Din and myself ripened. II
was about this time that honored my
little friend with his foreign sounding
name, for in some respects at least. he
seemed to resemble Mr. Kiplngs wise
little Hindu.
had now become able to distinguish
Muhammad clearly from his fellows
and it pleased me to see that he eX
celled them all in Difference and atten
ton to me- Yet as the days passed on
| could not help seeing as the chicks
feathered and increased in size and
stature that my little friend was not
holding his own.
Noticing more closely | found the
reason While the others were work
ing, vigorously scratching in the litter
for the hidden grain, Muhammad was
for more likely to be refiectively look
ing on than TO be engaged in the eager
competition
At intervals | placed little Muham
mad in the grainroom and allowed him
TO eat to repletion; but this, while sat
isfying his hunger seemed to produce
no marked growth, and he fell more
and more behind,
At length the chicks outgrew the
brooder and it became necessary TO
find a new place for Muhammad
A convenient arrangement soon Of
Tered itself.
In one OF the houses there were two |
Young pulIets who obstinately refused |
20 roost
At this time, however, this failing
became virtue. Mnhammad was !
placed in the house and every evening |
le crawled under them for his nights
est, thus having his third maternal ar
Winter was coming on now and kline
nature supplied little Muhammad with
generous coat of duh, black feathers
vsich reached clear to his toes. and II
,ct enhancing his beauty at any rate
ided in making him comfortable.
No doubt many would have considered
i'm an ugly little runt with utterly ne
Reuse for living, and | admit that tC
hus keep him was in contraventi2n o.
n laws known or laws to be discov
red Tor profitable poultry raising. bus
such thoughts were ever presen.
hey instantly fed when | looked down
[ Muhammad's sagacious little eyes az
e stood blinking at me and regarding
la with the most sincere devotion anc
Never do ! hope 10 be favored witt
uch love and affection. Every morn
lg when ! opened the house he ran tt
leet me. chrping a CHEEKY good morn
~. and every time that CHANGED
uring the day TO be about the yard he
'oud follow after me, chatterins his
God will and making his brayest eff
III,
| was his hero, his benefactor his
rotector. He was happy TO even sec
le: he was in transports did | but pet
i'm for bit
He now no longer made the slightest
retense of scratching for his food, and
agularly every morning | placed the
tile glutton in the grain room. where
E would stun himself until he could !
old no more. yet at evening he was
lady again 10 engorge his little crop
it'll the delicious mash and, tired and !
lppy, cheep under his protectors.
lirrupping and csrrolling his salts
elton.
On past Christmas Muhammad hat
itsed manfully with the chilling
asts and / was quite unprepared for
e sad event with which ! must end
lis little biography.
One bleak morning upon opening the
.s,ae kFuharnr1ad hin failed Ia meet l z