XVII

A SIGN OF RAIN


There was a terrible hubbub in the henhouse. The Rooster squalled so
loudly that he waked up every hen in the place. And when they heard him
crying that a skunk had knocked him off his roost they were as frightened
as he was, and set up a wild cackle. All but Henrietta Hen! She knew
there was no skunk there.

"Don't be a goose--er--don't be a gander!" she hissed to the Rooster.
"I'm the one that bumped into you."

The Rooster quickly came to his senses.

"Don't be alarmed, ladies!" he called to the flock. "There's no danger.
There's been a slight mistake." He pretended that he hadn't been scared.
But he had been. And now he was somewhat uneasy about Henrietta Hen. He
feared he was in for a scolding from her.

"If you had answered me when I spoke to you I wouldn't have left my perch
in the dark," she told the Rooster severely. "When I moved to your perch
to see what was the matter I blundered into you. And then you thought I
was a skunk! You owe me an apology, sir!"