Foolish Children
Mrs. Topknot is having trouble in her family to-night. Two weeks ago she was very happy when twelve soft, downy darlings gathered under her wings.
She is not so happy now, because some of them have been naughty.
It was just after dinner, when mamma Topknot was taking a nap, that they took it into their heads.
Whitey began it. She was a proud little thing, all white, with not a black feather about her. She thought she was the prettiest and smartest of the whole brood.
“Our feathers are all out now,” Whitey said. “We’re growing up. Let’s take a little walk by ourselves.”
“That’s so,” said Blackey, “we’ll do just that thing. Come on, right off, while mother’s asleep; we’ll get back before ever she wakes.”
“Won’t it be fun?” whispered Speckle. “Come on, all of you, and don’t make a bit of noise.”
“I’m not going to stir a single step,” little Dove declared. “I’m going to stay close by my mother.”
Then every little chick looked up in astonishment, to think that gentle little Dovie would dare to speak her mind so plainly.
“She’s afraid!” said Spot. “She’s afraid a big grasshopper will carry her off.”
“I am afraid to disobey my mother,” Dovie chirped out sweetly. “She said we were never to go anywhere without her till she gave us leave.”
“Come on, right off, everybody who wants to go,” said Blackey, marching off, calling out as he looked behind him:
“I know where there are some big strawberries!”
“I know where there’s a great black dog,” piped little Gray. “I’m not going.”
“Nor I,” said Brownie.
So away went the naughty nine chickens, and the three little good ones stayed at home.
They had a splendid time, for Bobby brought his apron full of chickweed and threw it on the barn floor. They could get little bits of it, even with their small bills.
MAMMA TOPKNOT AND HER FAMILY.
When mamma Topknot awoke, she looked about for her children.
Only three to be found! Where could the others be? She looked all about and called, but they did not come. Supper time came, and still they had not arrived.
“Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!” went mother Topknot about the barnyard, as if she would go wild.
Where could they be? If she could only squeeze herself through the hole under the fence by which they got out, she would go in search of them.
The supper was nearly all eaten up by the other old hens before she knew what they were about. She managed to save only enough for the three little chicks who had stayed at home.
Just as it began to grow dark, when their mother had given them up, and had settled down with a sad heart to take care of what children she had left, they came.
They hopped through the fence one after another, till they all stood before her, a guilty little huddle.
Just a minute before, mamma Topknot had thought she would give all her feathers if she could only see them alive once more, and now just as soon as she had them, she fell to scolding them.
Oh, how she scolded! And such a hubbub as there was. Speckle stood off by herself and actually talked back. Two or three of the others tried to tell how it wasn’t their fault, they never would have thought of such a thing. Then they all talked at once and told how hungry they were and said they never would run away again.
Gray and Brownie stuck their heads from under their mother’s feathers to see how things were going, while little Dove got up on her mother’s back and tried to help scold.
Blackey scud around behind his mother as soon as he came in and poked his head up under her wing as if he thought he could make her believe he never had been away.
After they had all cried and said they were sorry, mother Topknot began to pity them, they looked so cold and tired, and so she forgave them and cuddled them all under her wings once more.
Of course they had to go to bed without any supper, but that taught them a good lesson. They never did run away again.
That was not the only reason, though—the going without their supper. They had a fearful time. They told about it next day.
The great black dog chased them, a cat almost got one of them, and a boy threw stones at them.