When they got to the brook, they walked on the bank a little while. It was very pretty on the other side of the brook, and the old hen thought she would take her children over there.
There was a large stone in the brook: she thought it would be easy for them to jump to that stone, and from it to the other side.
So she jumped to the stone, and told the children to come after her. For the first time, she found that they would not obey her.
She flapped her wings, and cried, "Come here, all of you! Jump upon this stone, as I did. We can then jump to the other side. Come now!"
"O mother! we can't, we can't, we can't!" said all the little chickens.
"Yes you can, if you try," said the old hen. "Just flap your wings, as I did, and you can jump over."
"I am flapping my wings," said Chippy, who stood by himself; "but I can't jump any better than I could before."
LESSON LXII.
chirped nev'er in deed' slow'ly re'ally brood
be gan' did n't use door bite piece