BROWNIE'S ADVENTURE.

[Illustration: Brownie's Adventure]


Grace and Willie named him Brownie, because all his brothers and sisters
were white, and he was such a funny little brown puff-ball of a chicken.

Mrs. Speckle (that was his mother) was just as proud of him as she could
be; but foolish Brownie thought her too strict. She would never consent
to let one of the downy things out of her sight for a moment, and told
them fearful stories of hawks and weasels, to say nothing of bad boys
and big dogs.

But Brownie kept thinking that some day, when he was a little older and
stronger, he would leave the yard, and see whether there were really
such dangers in the fields and woods as his mother said there was.

After a while the pretty brown feathers all dropped out, one after
another, until Brownie looked more like a chicken which had been plucked
than any thing else. Grace could not keep from laughing at the sight of
him; and it was very droll when he popped up on a log, and tried a weak,
quavering crow.

To be sure, Mrs. Speckle did not keep a looking-glass, and I suppose
poor Brownie had no idea how very absurd he looked. To tell the truth,
he thought he was almost grown up, and began to watch for a chance to