"stole her nest," to use Johnnie Green's words, now in one place and now
in another. And at night she roosted on any handy place in the barn or
the haymow, under the carriage-shed or even over the pigpens.

However, when the nights began to grow chilly Henrietta was glad enough
to creep into the henhouse with her companions. She always retired early.
And being a good sleeper, she slept usually until the Rooster began to
crow towards dawn. Of course now and then some fidgetty hen fancied that
she heard a fox prowling about and waked everybody else with her squalls.

Such interruptions upset Henrietta. After the flock had gone to sleep
again Henrietta Hen was more than likely to dream that Fatty Coon was in
the henhouse. And she would squawk right out and start another commotion.

Luckily such disturbances didn't happen every night. Often nothing
occurred to break the silence of the henhouse. And Henrietta would dream
only of pleasant things, such as cracked corn, or crisp cabbage-leaves,
or bone meal. After dreams of that sort Henrietta couldn't always be
sure, when the Rooster waked her with his crowing, that she hadn't
already breakfasted. But she would peck at her breakfast, when feeding
time came, and if it tasted good she would know then that the other food
had been nothing but a dream.

One night, soon after she had gone back to roost in the henhouse, it
seemed to Henrietta that she had scarcely fallen asleep when the Rooster
crowed.

She awoke with a start.

"Goodness!" she exclaimed under her breath. "I must have slept soundly,