“Get up off the ground,” ordered Jan. “How did you get there?”
“Nice bossy-cow push me down here,” said Trouble.
“I think the goat must have butted him a little,” said Ted. “But the goat is a gentle one, I guess. He didn’t hurt Trouble. Get up!” he said. “Come here, Trouble.”
“No! Can’t.”
“You can’t come! Why not?” asked Ted in surprise. “Why can’t you come away from the goat—I mean bossy-cow, Trouble?”
“’Cause Trouble am a hen now. Trouble goin’ to sit on hen’s nest and watch for ’ittle chickens. De bossy-cow he push me in chickie’s nest an’ I goin’ to be hen! I dess I didn’t break all de eggs!” He moved a little to one side, still keeping hold of the goat’s horn, and showed Ted and Jan that he was, indeed, sitting in the midst of the whites and yellows of the broken eggs of a hen’s nest which had been made under the bush.
“Oh my!” gasped Ted. “He is right in with the eggs! Oh, what a mess he’ll be! Oh, Trouble!”
“Such trouble!” echoed Jan.
“Dat me. I’s Trouble!” cheerfully observed Baby William. “An’ I’s dot a bossy-cow!”