San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-01-30
Foxy Grandpa's
Stories
Speckle, the Pet Chicken.

Bobby stood up on tip-toes and peek
ed into the little basket which hung
on Elizabeth's Christmas tree. He
wrinkled up his little forehead and
then he smiled.
Its an egg in there" he an
nounced.
Speeches egg" explained Eliza
beth, poking her little turned-up nose
into the basket, too.
Who was Speckle?" asked Bobby.
Mothers pet chicken, she had when
she was little GIRL" replied Eliza
beth.
And you have kept this egg all
these years?' asked Bobby in aston
ishment.
Elizabeth's mother looked at me and
smiled. 1t didn't seem SO long 10 her.
what color was Speckle:" asked
Bobby.
"Speckled," of course, answered
Elizabeth.
Did you ever see herr" continued
Bobby.
NO" replied Elizabeth, but mother
can tell you about her."
Instantly the two children were by
Elizabeth mothers side and then she
told them about Speckle.
Il was a little girl" she started,
much smaller than my Elizabeth is
now. and it was Easter time and when
the Easter Dummies came 10 our house
they brought Inc a little basket and
in it was the cutest fuzziest little
chicken you ever saw"
Bunny winked his eyes at me at
this point and the lady continued.
Il took the little fluffy ball out in
my hand and it chirped at me. II
wasn't one of those yellow chicks. IL
was kind of mottled-darkish with
spots. | took one look at it and called
it Specklc-although it really wasn't
speckled at that time.
But would you believe it as Speckle
grew up TO be young chicken she did
grow feathers which made her look
as if she were speckled and no name
could have suited her better. Perhaps
she knew that she should turn out
what she was named.
well, Speckle grew and grew, and
my sister and j played with her as
We would have pup or kitten. We
used to dress her up in dolls clothes,
and you would have laughed if sou
could have seen her following us
around in her skirts with the empty
sleeves of her dress Hopping with each
step.
How you would have laughed if
YOU could have seen her sitting IN my
dolls carriage. covered up with a
blanket, as | wheeled her up and down
the front pavement. People used TO
stop and look at Speckle. But she
would just cluck and act as 10 there
were nothing strange about her being
in dolls carriage.
But the time came when Specklc
grew TO be such a big, fat hen that
she was too big to keep in the city
and my mother said she thought she
would be much happier in the country
with my grandmother, and that We
could always sec her just the same, and
that she would have Il good home.
so TO the country she went. But
Speckle wouldn't associate with the
other chickens very much and would
not rOost in the chicken coop with the
rest of them. Every night she came
to my grandmother for her to put her
TO bed in her basket as [ had done
when she was a tiny chick. And every
time she could she would get into the
house.
One day a messenger came TO our
housc-with telegram. Now when |
was little girl, people didn't send
kilograms like they do now. 1t was
only when something very important
happened. And when my mother sign
ed for the telegram. she held it in her
hand for q moment as if she feared
TO open it. Finally she did and then
she burst out laughing. 1t was from
my grandmother and read:
"Speckle laid her first egg on the
parlor sofa.
And this is the egg, " said Elizabeth
proudly.
Copyright, 1895. International Features
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