This led to a great deal of talk between them; and at last they ran to their mama to ask her to let them try to be useful to her. She smiled, kissed them, and said, "It helped her best to see them try to be good;" but she added, "As you grow older you shall both learn more and more to be useful."
"Let us begin now, mama," said Rose.
"I think that I can find something for you to do for me," answered her mama, "that will be very useful, if I can trust you. It will require care and attention."
Both declared they would be careful and attentive.
"I know by several signs," continued their mama, "that the little white hen you call Fairy wants to sit."
"Does she, and will she have some chickens?"
"I hope so; but sitting hens require great attention when there is no separate place for them to make their nest in. The other hens try to drive them off, to lay their eggs in the nest; then they fight, and perhaps break the eggs. I shall therefore have a door made to shut in Fairy when she has got her eggs under her."
"But how is she to get her food?"
"That is what I am going to trust you with. She must be allowed once a day to come off her eggs, to take her food and have a little exercise. Some one must open her door every morning. She will know how long she may safely stay out. When she goes back she must be shut in again."
"Then may we open her door, feed her, and wait till she is ready to go back?" said Rose.