STORIES ABOUT CHICKENS.
1. Sometimes ducks' eggs are placed under the hen, and she hatches out a brood of young ducks. As soon as they are out of the shell they make for the water, and plunge in and have a swim.
2. The old hen can not understand this. She keeps out of the water when she can. She thinks her chicks will be drowned, and she flies about in great distress until they come out.
3. At an inn in Scotland a brood of chickens was hatched out in cold weather, and they all died. The old hen at once adopted a little pig, not old enough to take care of himself, that was running about the farm-yard.
4. She would cluck for him to come when she had round something to eat, and, when he shivered with cold, she would warm him under her wings. The pig soon learned the hen's ways, and the two kept together, the best of friends, until the pig grew up, and did not need her help any more.
5. There is another story of a hen that adopted three little kittens, and kept them under her wings for a long time, not letting their mother go near them. The old cat, however, watched her chance, and carried off the kittens one by one to a place of safety.
6. Hens do not always agree, and sometimes they are badly treated by one another, as is shown in this story:
7. An old hen had been sitting on a nest full of eggs, in a quiet place in the garden, until they were nearly ready to hatch. One day she left her nest a few moments to get something to eat, and, while she was gone, a bantam hen, on the watch, took possession of it.
8. When the real mother came back, she was in great distress; but the bantam kept the nest, and in a few days hatched out as many of the eggs as she could cover.
9. She then strutted about at the head of her company of chickens, and passed them off upon her feathered friends as her own.
10. Hens are usually timid, and they run or fly away when they see any danger. But in defence of their chicks they are often very bold.
11. A rat one day went into a chicken-house where there was a brood of young chickens. The old hen pounced upon him, and a fierce battle took place.
12. The rat soon had enough of it, and tried to get away; but the hen kept at him until one of the family came and killed him.
13. One day a sparrow-hawk flew down into a farm-yard to catch a chicken. A cock about a year old at once darted at him and threw him on his back.
14. While lying there he could defend himself with his talons and beak; but when he rose and tried to take wing, the cock rushed at him and upset him the second time.
15. The hawk by this time thought more of getting away than he did of his dinner; but the cock kept him down until somebody came and caught him.
16. The cock looks after the hens and chicks, and is ready to fight for them in time of danger. He scratches for them, and, when he finds something good to eat, like the gentleman he is, he calls them to the feast before he touches it himself.
17. He also has his own fun. Sometimes he will find a tempting worm and call all the hens, and, just as they are about to seize it, he will swallow it, and give a sly wink, as much as to say, "Don't you wish you may get it!"
A Cozy Home.
LESSON V.
HOW DUCKS LOOK AND LIVE.
1. Here comes a duck waddling along, another of our feathered friends on two legs. Let us take a good look at her.
2. In shape she is like the hen, only her legs are shorter and her body flatter. Her feathers are very thick, and next her skin she has a coat of soft down, which helps to keep her warm.
3. The duck's wings are strong, and she can fly to a great distance without being tired. Wild ducks fly a great many miles without resting.
4. The duck has no comb or wattles on its head, and its long bill is broad and blunt at the end. Its tail is short and pointed, and it has no drooping tail feathers. The duck has the same number of toes as a chicken, but its foot is webbed by a strong skin, which binds the toes together.
5. The duck is formed for swimming. It pushes itself along in the water, using its webbed feet for paddles. The down on its breast is filled with oil, so that no water can get through to the skin.
6. When in the water we will see the duck often dive, and stay under so long that we begin to fear it will never come up, and we wonder what it does that for.
7. If we could watch it under the water, we would see that it thrusts its broad bill into the mud at the bottom, and brings out worms, water-bugs, and roots of plants, which it eats.
8. Should a frog or a tadpole come within reach, the duck would snap it up in an instant; and even fish are sometimes caught.
9. The old mother duck every morning leads her brood to the water. As she waddles along on the land, her gait is very awkward, but the moment she and her little ones get to the water they sail out in the most graceful way.
LESSON VI.
STORIES ABOUT DUCKS.
1. Dame Bridson had several families of ducklings, and one day as I watched her feeding them she told me this story:
2. "I once put a number of duck's eggs under a hen, and they all hatched out nicely. When the ducks were a few days old, the hen left them for a few minutes to pick up some food.
3. "When she came back I heard a furious cackling, and ran to see what was the matter. And what do you think I saw?
4. "There lay my old tabby cat, who had just lost her kittens, and there were the little ducklings all cuddled up around her.
5. "The old cat purred over them and licked them just as though she thought they were her own kittens.
6. "The poor hen was wild with fright and rage, and a little way back stood Toby, the old watch-dog, trying to find out what was the trouble.
7. "From that time, until they were big enough to take care of themselves, tabby came and slept with the ducklings every night.
8. "The old hen took her loss very much to heart, and I had to comfort her by giving her another batch of eggs to sit on."
9. Another story is told of an old dog who took a fancy to a brood of young ducks, who had lost their mother. They followed him about everywhere, and, when he lay down, the ducklings nestled all about him.
10. One duckling used to scramble upon the dog's head and sit down upon his eye; but the old dog never moved, though the pressure upon the eye must have hurt him. He seemed to think more of his little friends than of himself.
11. One day a young lady was sitting in a room close by a farm-yard, in which there were chickens, ducks, and geese feeding and playing together.
12. While busy with her sewing, a drake came into the room, took hold of her dress, and tried to pull her toward the door.
13. She was afraid at first, and pushed him away; but he came back again and again, and she soon saw that he was not angry, but was trying to get her to follow him.
14. She got up, and he led her to the side of a pond, where she found a duck with its head caught in a railing. She made haste to set the poor creature free, and the drake flapped his wings and gave a joyous quack of thanks.
"Quack! Quack! Quack!"
LESSON VII.
HOW GEESE LOOK AND LIVE.
1. The goose and the duck are much alike in looks and ways. The legs of the goose are longer, so that it stands higher and can walk better on land.
2. The goose is larger than the duck, its neck longer, and its wings broader. Its feet are webbed, so that it can swim well in the water.
3. Its bill is broad and more pointed than that of a duck. Its wings are very strong, and it is able to fly a great distance without rest.
4. When in the water it does not dive like the duck, but it thrusts its bill down into the water or mud the length of its long neck.
5. The feathers of the goose are white or gray, and very light and soft, and are used for making beds and pillows. Not a great while ago pens were made of the quills that come out of the wings of the goose, and everybody who wrote used them.
6. Geese make their nests on the ground, where the old mother goose lays about a dozen eggs before she begins to sit. These eggs are twice the size of hens' eggs.
7. The goslings are covered with a thick coat of down, and are able to run on the land or swim in the water when they first come out of the shell.
8. The goose and the gander together take good care of their goslings. When anything comes near, they stretch out their necks and give a loud hiss.
9. Should a strange dog venture too near, they will take hold of him with their bills and beat him with their wings until he is glad to get away.
LESSON VIII.
HOW GEESE BEHAVE.
1. The feathers of the goose are of great value. They are plucked out three or four times a year, at times when the weather is warm and fair.
2. The goose likes cold water. Great flocks of wild geese live in the swamps and lakes in the cold northern regions, and we can see them flying overhead in the spring and fall.
3. A miller once had a flock of geese, and he lost them all except one old goose, that for a long time swam round alone on the mill-pond.
4. Now, the miller's wife placed a number of duck's eggs under a hen, and, as soon as they were hatched, the ducklings ran to the water.
5. The old goose, seeing the fright and flurry of the hen, sailed up with a noisy gabble, and took the ducklings in charge, and swam about with them.
6. When they were tired, she led them to the shore and gave them back to the care of the hen, who, to her great joy, found that they were all safe and sound.
7. The next day down came the ducklings to the pond, with the hen fussing and fretting as before. The goose was waiting near the shore.
8. When the ducklings had taken to the water, the hen, to get near them, flew upon the back of the goose, and the two sailed up and down the pond after the ducklings.
9. So, day after day, away sailed the ducklings, and close behind them came the mother hen, now quite at her ease on the back of the friendly goose, watching her gay little brood.
10. A lady tells this story of a gander: "My grandfather was fond of pets, and he had once a droll one, named Swanny. This was a gander he had raised near the house, because he had been left alone by the other geese.
11. "This gander would follow him about like a dog, and would be very angry if anyone laid a hand upon him.
12. "Swanny sometimes tried to make himself at home with the flock of geese; but they always drove him away, and then he would run and lay his head on my grandfather's knee, as though sure of finding comfort there.
13. "At last he found a friend of his own kind. An old gray goose became blind, and the flock turned her out. Swanny took pity on her, led her about, and provided for her all the food she needed.
14. "When he thought she needed a swim, he took her neck in his bill and led her to the water, and then guided her about by arching his neck over hers.
15. "When she hatched out a brood of goslings, Swanny took the best of care of them, as well as of their mother. In this way they lived together for several years."
16. Here is another story, showing that geese have good sense:
17. A flock of geese, living by a river, built their nests on the banks; but the water-rats came and stole the eggs.
18. Then the geese made their nests in the trees, where the rats could not get at them; and when the goslings were hatched, they brought them down one by one under their wings.
LESSON IX.
WHAT GEESE CAN DO.
1. To show that the goose has a great deal of good sense, this story is told:
2. At a small country church a poor blind woman used to come in every Sunday morning, as regular as the clock, a minute or two behind the pastor.
3. She was always alone, came in the last and went away the first of any. The pastor, who was a new-comer, was puzzled to know how she got about so well.
4. One day he set out to visit her, and found that she lived in a small cottage, more than a mile away.
5. On his way to her home, he crossed a stream on a narrow rustic bridge, with a railing on only one side.
6. He rapped at the door, and asked of the woman who opened it, "Does the blind woman who comes to church every Sunday live here?" "Yes, that she does! but she's out in the field now."
7. "Why do you let the poor creature come all the way by herself, and across the bridge, too? She will fall into the water some day and be drowned!"
8. The woman laughed softly. "Sure, she doesn't go alone—the goose takes her!" said she.
9. "What do you mean by the goose taking her?" said the pastor.
10. "Sure," said the woman, "it is the goose whose life she saved when it was a little gosling. And now it comes every Sunday at the same minute to take her to church.
11. "It gets her skirt into its mouth, and leads her along quite safely. When it comes to the bridge it puts her next the rail, and keeps between her and the water.
12. "It stays about the church-door till the service is out, and then it takes her by the gown and brings her home just the same."
13. The pastor was greatly pleased with this story, and soon after he preached a sermon on kindness to animals.
LESSON X.
ABOUT TURKEYS.
1. The turkey is about as large as a goose, but its legs are longer, and it stands up higher. Its feet are partly webbed, so that it can swim a little.
2. Its bill is short, thick, and pointed, and upon its head, above and between the eyes, grows a fleshy wattle, which does not stand up like the comb of a cock, but hangs down over the bill. Upon the breast is a tuft of long, coarse hair.
3. The tail is broad and rounded, and hangs downward; but the turkey can raise it and spread it out like a fan.
4. The turkey can fly but a little way, but it can run very fast. At night, it roosts on trees or high places.
5. The hen-turkey is timid, but the old gobbler rather likes to quarrel. He is a vain bird, and it is funny to see him strut up and down, with his tail spread out, and his wings drawn down, his feathers ruffled, and his neck drawn back, and to hear him puff, and cry, "Gobble! gobble!"
6. Great flocks of wild turkeys are found in the West, where they live in the woods upon nuts and insects. The eagles sometimes pounce down and carry off young turkeys, as is shown in this picture.
LESSON XI.
ABOUT SWANS.
1. Here we have the picture of the swan, the largest bird of the goose kind. It is not often seen in this country, but is found in the Central Park, New York, and in a few other places.
2. It has short, stout legs, and webbed feet, like the duck, and it waddles along on the land in a slow and awkward way. It is clothed with feathers of a fine quality, like the goose, and those we see in this country are pure white. Black swans are found in some countries.
3. Its neck is much longer than that of the goose, and when it swims, sitting high in the water, with its long neck arched, it is one of the most graceful birds in the world. It has strong wings, and wild swans can fly a long distance without tiring. Tame swans do not fly far.
4. The bill of the swan is broad, and pointed like that of the goose, but a little longer. Below the eyes, and at the base of the bill, a narrow band of black extends across the front of the head.
5. The swans run in pairs. The mother swan lays from five to eight eggs, and hatches them in six weeks. The young swans are called cygnets. They are covered with down, and are able to walk and swim when first out of the shell.
6. The father swan watches the nest, and helps take care of the young ones. He will fly at anything that comes near, and he is able to strike terrible blows with his wings. He can drive away any bird, even the eagle.
7. Swans usually build nests of a few coarse sticks, and a lining of grass or straw. They have a curious habit, however, of raising their nests higher, and of raising the eggs at the same time.
8. At times they seem to know that some danger threatens them, and then they turn their instinct for raising their nests to some purpose. A person who observed all the facts tells this story:
9. For many years an old swan had built her nest on the border of a park, by the river-side. From time to time she had raised her nest, but never more than a few inches.
10. Once, when there had been no rain for a long time, and the river was very low, she began to gather sticks and grasses to raise her nest, and she would scarcely stop long enough to eat.
11. She seemed so anxious to get materials for nest-building that she attracted the attention of the family living near by, and a load of straw was carried to her. This she worked all into her nest, and never stopped until the eggs had been raised two and a half feet.
12. In the night a heavy rain fell, the river flowed over its banks, and the water came over the spot where the eggs had been; but it did not quite come up to the top of the new nest, and so the swan saved them.
LESSON XII.
DOVES AND PIGEONS.
The Bath.
1. Everybody likes the dove; it is such a pretty bird, and is always so clean. It flies all about the yard, the garden, and the street. Even the rudest boys do not often disturb it.
2. It is about the size of a half-grown chicken, and looks more like a chicken than any of the other birds we have studied.
3. The doves about our houses are usually white, or a bluish gray. They live in pairs, each pair having its own nest, or home; but where doves are kept, many pairs live in the same house or dove-cote.
4. They have a short, pointed bill, like a chicken, and strong legs and toes, so that they can walk and scratch easily.
5. The mother dove lays but two eggs before sitting, and then her mate sits on the nest half of the time until the eggs are hatched. The young doves, called squabs, are covered with down like chickens, but, unlike chickens, the old ones must feed them a week or two before they are able to go about by themselves.
6. Both the father and mother dove feed the young ones with a kind of milky curd which comes from their own crops.
7. When the chicken drinks, it sips its bill full, and then raises its head and swallows; but the dove does not raise its head until it has drank enough.
8. The pigeon—which is another name for the dove—has very strong wings, and can fly far and fast without tiring. When taken from their home a great distance, pigeons will fly straight back.
9. Before we had railroads and telegraphs, people would take pigeons away from home, and send them back with a letter tied under their wings. These were called carrier-pigeons.
10. The doves in each home are very fond of each other. We can hear the father dove softly cooing to his mate at almost any time when they are about.
11. One day a farmer shot a male dove, and tied the body to a stake to scare away other birds. The poor widow was in great distress. She first tried to call him away, and then she brought him food. When she saw he did not eat, her cries were pitiable.
12. She would not leave the body, but day after day she continued to walk about the stake, until she had worn a beaten track around it. The farmer's wife took pity on her, and took away the dead bird, and then she went back to the dove-cote.
THREE LITTLE DOVES.
Three little doves put on their gloves,
And then sat down to dine;
These little doves, they soiled their gloves,
And soon were heard to whine—
"Oh, mother dear, come here, come here,
For we have soiled our gloves!"
"Soiled your gloves, you naughty doves,
You shan't sit up till nine."
"Coo, coo, coo!"
These little doves, they washed their gloves,
And hung them on the line;
These little doves, they dried their gloves,
And thought it very fine.
"Oh, mother dear, come here, come here,
For we have washed our gloves!"
"Washed your gloves, you loves of doves,
Then you shall stay till nine!"
"Coo, coo, coo!"
