“Why, the foxes and cats can get in, and the hens and chickens can get out.”
“How?” said Royal. “How can the hens get out?”
“They can jump over,” said Joanna.
“Well, the chickens can’t jump over, at any rate,” said Lucy; “how can they get out?”
“They can creep through,” said Joanna, gravely.
Royal and Lucy both looked rather blank at these very serious objections to their work. After a moment’s pause, Royal said,
“Do foxes and cats kill hens and chickens?”
“They kill chickens,” said Joanna, “and that is one great reason for making a coop.”
“Is there any other reason?”
“Yes; sometimes they want to keep the hens from straying away to the neighbors’, or getting into the garden, and scratching up the seeds and flowers.”