Stealing the hen.
I passed about a week in this coop; we were well fed, as our keeper wished to make us fat. One night we were alarmed with a tremendous noise, I turned to inquire the cause, when I saw the brave white cock trembling like a chick: oh! said he, give yourselves over now, nothing can save us from destruction, we shall all be devoured; no sooner had he said this, but a large fox entered; Oh! my children, how can I describe the horrors of the bloody scene which followed, even at this distance of time, the recollection draws tears from my eyes; I alone remained of all my companions; he was advancing to me, when some noise in the yard frightened him, and he ran away, leaving me more dead than alive with fright.
After he had been gone some time, I considered that if I stayed where I was, in a few days I should be taken to market: the board which the fox had broken down, offered the way to escape; but where was I to go to, how should I know the way to the cottage of Ann? but the market was worse to my imagination than any other thing. I went through the opening, flew down, and found myself in the open road, I ran as fast as possible, only stopping to take breath, or a mouthful of food; many frights had I before night, from dogs, boys, &c. As the sun was setting, I came to a fine large garden, with a high wall round it; I flew to the top, and not seeing any person in it, I thought I would look out for some grubs, or worms, in a fine bed of newly turned up mould, and then go to rest upon one of the trees; I had scarcely began my search, when I found in the ground some very pleasant tasted seeds, which I began to devour, when I received a blow upon my wing from a stone, and looking up, I beheld the gardener coming forward in a furious passion. So I have now discovered who it is that scratches up all my seeds; but these are the last you shall ever taste, believe me; saying this, he seized me in the most brutal manner. I screamed violently; by this time, another man came up, and said, Why, Thomas, what will you do with it? if it had been a cock, you might have had fine sport with it, in throwing sticks at it. And why can't I at a hen, pray? Oh, why nobody ever does. Well then, I will be the first to throw; I will take her to the village, tie her to a stake, and the boys shall have a throw for a halfpenny a piece.
While they were carrying me away, a lovely looking boy asked them what they were going to do with me. To make a cock-shye. Master, what is that? To throw sticks at it till it is killed. Oh, heavens! you surely are jesting, you cannot have so much barbarity? As to that, it has had the barbarity to eat up my seeds, to repay me for them, the nasty creature shall pay its life.
The young gentleman, whose name was Augustus Manly, entreated that he might purchase me, and offered half a crown; but the man determined I should have a few blows, and tied me to the stake, when Augustus seeming to be inspired with more than ordinary courage, threw down his half crown, and lifting me from the ground, when the barbarous gardeners were not looking, ran off with me in his arms: the men could not overtake him by running, but were cowardly enough to throw a stone, which struck me on the breast; but by the care of this humane boy, I soon entirely recovered.
Taking away the hen.
My master was a pupil in a very large school; the house in which he boarded, accommodated twelve more, but none so kind as himself; many slight injuries I received, but I considered how much worse my lot had been, and felicitated myself accordingly; but too soon I felt the most acute torments.
My master was often laughed at by the other boys for his fondness for me: I loved him so much, that whenever he came into the yard, I ran to meet him, would feed out of his hand, or fly upon his shoulder, but this I would never do to any other boy, and by this I suppose it was which made them hate me.
One day two of them came into the garden to read, the story they fixed upon was, unfortunately for me, that cruel one of Diogenes stripping a cock of all its feathers, and throwing it into the middle of the school where Plato was instructing his disciples; crying, 'there is Plato's man for you.' They laughed heartily at this, and one of them cried out, Oh! the most admirable thought has struck me! let us serve Manly's hen in the same way, and when he is in bed to night, we will open the door, and throw it at him, and cry out, 'there is Manly's lady for you.' This was highly approved of, and I was accordingly seized, and stripped of my feathers. Oh! Dickey, was not this far more unjust than the young bantum's taking your worm from you? that could give you no pain, but the tortures I endured, no one can possibly imagine; the blood flowed copiously, the skin was torn from the flesh, I wished for death to put an end to my torments, but that was denied.