Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-08

she happened to be the best mother
among Farmer Browns hens. Farm
er Browns Boy knew this and SO he
had turned over to her care flock
of chickens which he was especially
anxious to have live because they were
very choice That is, the eggs from
which they had been Matched had cost
Farmer Browns Boy several times as
much as ordinary eggs. You see, their
own mother was a careless creature
and thought more about gossiping
with the other hens than of caring for
her family.
This morning Farmer Browns Boy
had opened the coop SO that Mrs.
Featherlegs could go out and in when
she chose. He knew that she was too
wise to lead her big family far away.
And he knew, too, that Mrs. Feather
legs was quite able to drive away
Black Pussy should she try to catch
one of those babies. OF other dangers
he had no thought, for who was there
likely to visit the dooryard in broad
daylight? So after he had seen to 1t
that they had plenty to eat he left
them and went on to the barn to milk
the cows.
Farmer Browns Boy is very like
most other boys. All boys have
dreams-day dreams, 1 mean. As he
MIXED the cows Farmer Browns Boy
had one of these day dreams. and II
was about those ten chickens which
he had confided to the care of Mrs
Featherlegs Yes, sir. Farmer Browns
Boy was dreaming great dreams about
those chickens. He was sure they
were the finest chickens in all the
country round. and that when they
grew up they would be the finest hens
and BOOSTERS anywhere about He
would show them at the fairs in the
fall and they would win prizes for him.
Other people would pay him big prices
for eggs. just he had paid big
price for the eggs from which these
chickens had been Matched. In short,
if those dreams came true those chick
ems We're going to make Farmer
Browns Boys fortune.
Right in to the midst of the pleas
ATTEST part of his dreams there broke
sound that made Farmer Browns
Boy jump to his feet so suddenly that
he upset pail half filled with milk.
He didn't even know it at the time.
because. you know. he was SO excited
That sound was the voice of Mrs.
Featherlegs. 1t was plain that Mrs.
Featherlegs was both excited and
angry. There wasn't particle OF fear
in the voice of Mrs. Featherlegs. No,
sir. there wasn't a particle of fear.
Instead there was courage and anger.
Farmer Browns Boy didn't need to
understand the language of Mrs.
Featherlegs to know that she was
fighting mad He knew that nothing
would make her fighting mad except
danger to her babies. and so the very
instant he heard her voice he guessed
that some one was after her chickens.
That is why he jumped so and rushed
from the barn.
What he saw was Mrs. Featherlegs
squatting the ground. with every
feather standing on end and looking
so fierce that he almost felt afraid
of her himself. Not a chicken was to
be seen. Unless one had been caught
all were safe under Mrs. Featherlegs.
Farmer Browns Boy looked this way
and looked that way to see who had
aroused Mrs. Featherlegs so. but he
saw no one. Then he noticed that she
kept her eyes rolled up toward the
sky. Farmer Browns Boy looked.
Far away and getting farther away
every second was a bird.
"Redtail the Hawk" exclaimed
Farmer Browns Boy. II thought he
had learned to keep away from here.
wonder if he got one of the chick
ems. If he did I'll-Tll-". He
didn't say what he would do, but If
Redtail could have heard him I'm sure
Redtail would have been quite uneasy
in his mind.