CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1907-12-12
: ANY Of old Speckle's queerly
assorted brood were stepchil.

assorted brood were stepchIl-
dreu or only adopted she never
betrayed 1t by even so much
~ an upward roll Of her eye Truth
to tell. old Speckle knew n we'll a.
any one that her inclination ito set"
had come at . slack egg season but
the maternal instincts thrilled her.
and with 4 touching trust In human
providence she submissively turned
every egg in her nest each day. and
sat . week longer than any other hen
would have thought compatible with
her dignity
Most OF Speckle's offspring came In
twins. There we're two nu6y white
chickens. two pert black ones. two
vss striped bantams. two long legged
pesvish turkeys. and two perpetually
hungry ducks But when II came to
the twin Eoslings there was only one
OF them OF course. the different twins
associated together and told each 9th
o. their trials and joys. their fears
and hopes: but the goslins was the
yellow sheep OF the family. He knew
No troubles but bis own. he wanted
little. and when he. found happy
hunting ground OF bugs he had It all to
himself. He had also little habit
Of vabbiinE In while two chickens
fought over . bug. quietly gobbling up
the insect and calmly turning his back
without even 30 much as . reminder
that there no longer existed . cause
for Quarreiling Others might have
sharp bills to dig and night. but he
had . broad one to grasp and retain.
In his independent happy -go.lucky
way be waddled through the world.
making strange friends. and having
feather.brea escapes known only to
himself and the Martin family
May Day dawnsd warm and sunny.
Worms had fairly wriggied themselves
into the goslIngs mouth that morning.
and he felt more than content as he
squatied In ,he sun on the back kitch'
en- step Suddenly. In turning his head
to the left. he spied IA tempting red
objec. peeping up from a great round.
whitish looking surface The sosling
made . dash. and splash he went
under the shining white surface He
had that red Bit however. and AS he
swallowed IL he iustinctiyeiy struck
out With his legs What = delightful
hA
,s,,, -.
padded he kept bobbinE his head
down into the white substance and
.s,. r,,s.,,Ix IN. world h.d be.n
madc for nothing except eobbiinx and
Naddlinx
Nv and nv h. began to feel tired
n. ae,ermlped to iump OF, on the
s,.p, again. bu, strange - say all his
trm,. ,u,n.d In naddles He couldp',
.eem TO got over hard, brown object
next to the steps He decided to try
no more but tust to sit s,ill. 80 he dou
eoaied Altar a while he felt himself
sinking. but he padded twice or thrice
and 20, up again Still II was pleas.
ante, TO drift. SO he rested cnce more
Lower and lower he sank. Strange
odors noa,ed up around him Dro~si-
neas besiegsd him Not much .xcep;
his head was now above surface. but
somehow. as he rested his bill on that
cool substance the roslinE didn't care.
just then Mary Ann came out with a
pan OF peeiings and dashed them IN
Peep peep" murmured the goa.
ting. bobbinE up and down
La" calculated Mary Ann. and ran
for the shovel.
When sh. had .hoveled him out on
the rr.., sh. finished her exclamation. =.
Ia, ain, ,ha, fool goose got no
more sense that to 20 sw,mmin in the
,Ion bucket.
"peep,- replied the xosiing. placidIy
,,r,,n. oxer On the grass in the warm