CHILDREN'S TALES FOR GROWN-UPS.
IV.
THE HUNGER-STRIKE.
"Did you hear that?" cried the white hen.
"What?" asked all the other hens.
"He called us—cluck-cluck-cluck," said the white hen.
"Why shouldn't he?" asked all the other hens.
"I didn't mean he called us 'cluck-cluck-cluck,'" said the white hen hastily. "I was only choking with rage when I said that. He called us—cluck-cluck-cluck—"
"She's going to lay an egg," said the black hen with interest.
"Poultry!" screamed the white hen suddenly.
"Poultry?" gasped the other hens.
"Poultry!—he called us 'poultry'—oh, cluck-cluck-cluck—"
"Something must be done," said the yellow hen.
"Something must be done," repeated all the hens.
"We must have a hunger-strike till he apologises," said the thin hen importantly.
"But we shall be hungry," cried all the hens.
"That is the essence of a hunger-strike," said the thin hen.
Just then the keeper arrived with food for the fowls.
"We mustn't run to him," they said to one another. "It's a hunger-strike, you know."
Suddenly the fat hen began running to him.
"Come back; it's a hunger-strike, you know!" cried the hens.
"I have an idea," shouted the fat hen as she ran; "the more we eat the longer we shall hold out."
"So we shall," cried all the hens as they scurried after the fat one.
