The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-15
Little Stories For Bedtime
Dy TMeRMToM V. BvRaGes

The Funny Result of Counting Chickens One and one is always two,
 And two and two makes four.
 They cannot make fraction less
 Nor yet a fraction more. IF YOU don't believe it just try
 counting one and one. Do it just
 as many times as you please, the answer will always be the same. Of course Farmer Browns boy knows this. He also knows that it is just as true that if you take one away from two you will have one left, and one only. So the instant he discovered Redtail the Hawk sailing away up in the blue, blue sky he decided that he must count his chickens and do it right away. Then he would know whether or not Redtail had caught one.
 Mrs. Featherlegs was still rather ex. cited. In fact, she was so much excited that it was some little time before he could induce he rto allow him to lift her up so that he could see the big family hiding under her. But at last, sure that she had had the best of Red tail the Hawk, and that he had flown away for good, she permitted Farmer Browns boy to count her babies while she fused about and told him all about the robber she had driven away. Of course he didn't understand word she said, but he guessed what she was tell ing him, and called her a brave old lady, and told her how proud he was of her.
 Now, there had been twenty chickens in the care of Mrs. Featherlegs, ten black ones, which were her own, and ten white ones, which were the ones Farmer Browns boy thought 50 much of and expected such great things from when they should be grown up. You remember he had given them to Mrs. Featherlegs to care for because she was such a good mother, while their own mother was a gossiping, needless young thing, not at all fitted to bring up a family, particularly such an i'm p0rtant families as this one. Q: course Farmer Browns boy was most anxious about the white chickens, and of course he counted them first.
 "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven" Farm. CT Browns boy scowled. Nov, how can I make eleven out of temp he de. manded of no one in particular. Those little scamps move around so fast ] must have counted one of them twice One, two, three, four, five, six, sevenI eight, nine ten, and one makes eleven y
 Farmer Browns boy looked as il he felt foolish. I suspect he did. He had only had ten white chickens and there were no other white chickens on the farm, yet he had counted eleven both times. "I'l try it once more,' ' said he, and began counting. The re- suit was just the same as before eleven! Well, one thing is sure, and that is that old Redtail didn't catch any of the white ones. l would rather there should be one too many than one short. Now, you black seamps, hold still while l try my luck counting you One, two, three, four, five, six, sevenl eight, nine, ten; all safe. l guess Mother Featherlegs gave him surprise party. He surely got left this time. Instead of being one chicken short I've got one too many. Now that I've counted the black ones right, I'll try the white ones again."
 So once more Farmer Browns boy counted the white chickens very care. fully, and once more the count was eleven. At first Farmer Browns boy had been provoked with himself to think that he was 50 stupid or careless as to count one chicken twice, as he