The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-11-18
ADUyEV[NDN
ARY TALL 63
~ MARY GRAHAN BONNER
ROOSTER AND HENS.

Cock a -doodle-do, cock a -doodle-do,"
said Red Top, the rooster.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck,' said Mrs. Hen,
what is the trouble all about?
"The same old trouble that bothered
by dear grandfather but which l am
thankful to say did not bother my dear
eat-grandfather"
How very mysterious" CLICKED
Mrs. Hen. And Mrs Speckled Hen, rs
we'll as Miss White Hen, came along
saying, How very mysterious" and
then added: "What is very mysteri-
ous?"
"A creature would think, to hear you
repeat what ] had said or what Mrs.
Hen had said, without knowing what
it meant began Red Top, "that you
were parrots instead of hens"
Parrots are handsome, aren't they?"
asked Miss White Hen coyly, smooth
ing her feathers.
Dear me, Mr.. Red Top, this is very
sudden" said Mrs. Speckled Hen.
Ever since Mr.. Speckled Rooster was
run over by that horrid motor I've
been wondering if you admired me-"
Don't count your chickens before
they're hatched," said Mrs Hen.
"Chickens!" exclaimed Mrs. Speck-
led Hen. Counting chickens before
they are Matched, What do you mean?
I'm not thinking of Matching chickens.
| Gracious. no; I'm too bored sitting on
eggs. I've done It for such long time.
I'm just tired of it: yes, am
You don't understand me-" said
Mrs. Hen. THAT is simply an express
sion or saying
Il understand you" cIucked Mrs.
Speckled Hen She was growing quite
nervous and wishing that Mrs. Hen
| would stop making so much noise. She
wanted TO hear what else Mr.. Red Top
was going to say. How annoying hens
could be when fine, handsome rooster
was around
You were saying" continued Mrs.
Speckled Hen to Mr. Rooster in her
best society voice.
well, | always let the ladies have
their say" Mr.. Red Top answered.
"You hadn't finished speaking, had
you?" he asked of Mrs Hen.
Mrs. Speckled Hen gave Mrs. Hen a
very cross look. 1t was just the way
an old hen could act, she was thinking
to herself
Il meant to say" Mrs. Hen COM
menced. that 1t was not a compliment
for Mr.. Red Top to say you were like
parrot And besides. If you took it
as such compliment. Miss White Hen
had the same right TO take il as COM
pliment. also"
But Miss White Hen wasn't looked
straight at as / was" said Mrs. Speck-
led Hen proudly.
well. then" continued Mrs. Hen,
let me tell you that it was not COM
I pliment. Mr.. Red Top meant that par
roS copied what was said without
knowing what was meant: quite a fool
ish thing to do. He was not thinking
of their beautiful feathers"
"Oh, dear me. dear me- said Mrs.
Speckled Hen. chow very sad"
Cheer up" said Red Top, ''for was
I feeling sad myself but a short time
ago, and was about TO talk about it."
Talk about Il" said Mrs. Speckled
Hen. I'VE may be able to comfort each
other"
what a pushing hen" whispered
Mrs. Hen TO Miss White Hen. and Miss
/ White Hen. who had stopped trying to
/ be coy, said:
'She is pushing. indeed"
And all the other hens began to
cluck and chatter as hard as they
could.
what a very pushing hen Mrs.
: Speckled Hen is,' they would say.
And all over the barnyard the hens
were all shouting and screaming and
clucking and cackling:
Mrs. Speckled Hen is a very push
ing hen"
Cats. Cats. All of you are cats. :"
shrieked Mrs. Speckled Hen, ABOVE all
the rest.
Now she has gone mad-she is quite
crazy said Mrs. Hen. "She calls us
cats-we. the hens of the barnyard."
'She is certainly quite mad" said
Miss White Hen.
But by this time Mr.. Red Top was
angry.
Mrs. Speckled Hen knows more
than any of you" he crowed, land l in
tend to make her Mrs. Red Top. She
calls you all cats, meaning you are
jealous and cross-and you haven't
the brains to understand" And the
hens went off. cackling sadly.