Made them take some grain out of her hand.
This is really what happened; it is quite true for Joan saw it all. I am not quite so sure that the cock actually used these words because, you see, Joan couldn’t understand his language, but she thought he said something very like it.
CHAPTER III
JOAN SAVES A CHICKEN’S LIFE
I wonder if you have ever seen a hen feed her chickens. It is a pretty sight. She scratches on the ground, and when she finds something to eat, she calls her children. “Tuk, tuk, tuk,” she cries, and all the little chicks come scurrying up, for they understand quite well what she means, and are always ready for something more to eat. They peep out all sorts of pleased things in chicken language, and each tries to push the others away to get most for himself.
Joan loved to see them, and she used to imitate the old hen and call the chickens and give them some chopped egg. They liked this and got so tame that they would eat out of her hand. Joan’s aunt was quite surprised, and one day she made them take some grain out of her hand. Cheeky jumped on to her thumb, and Piggy and Fluffy lost no time in getting to their dinner. The other three were not quite so trustful. Honeypot looked up in her face as much as to say, “I know Joan, she’s a friend, but I’m not quite so sure about you.” The others, too, were a little undecided and hesitated for a time, so Joan felt the chickens were really sensible enough to know her, after all.