with her family of little baby chicks that looked like fluffy, yellow
balls bobbing around her.

Next she pointed out Mrs. Black Hen with her larger children. Some of
these chickens were losing their feathers. How Mary did laugh when Peggy
cried, "See, those poor little chickens are peeling off!"

"Now," said Mary, "I will show you my trained chicken." First she went
into the house and came out with two ripe, red cherries still on the
stem. Then she called softly, "Come, come, Tom Thumb," and as she
finished calling she put the stem of the cherries between her lips.

Out from among the other chickens came a beautiful little white rooster.
He looked almost like a toy, he was so tiny. With a glad little crow
he flew straight up to Mary's shoulder, where he began to peck at the
cherries. He ate very daintily. Sometimes he would stop eating and
cuddle down on Mary's shoulder. When the ripe red treat was all eaten
he gave another glad crow and flew down.

Betty and Dot and Peggy loved to help feed the chickens. Every morning
after breakfast Mrs. White would come out into the yard with a big pan
of corn-meal mush and Mary would follow with a smaller pan of bread
crumbs. Then both mother and little girl would call, "Chick, chick,
chick! Chick, chick, chick! Chick, chick, chick!" as if they were
singing the same tune over and over. At this, such a hurry and scurry as
there would be!

It seemed as if every fowl on the farm heard the call and was coming.
There were big hens and little hens, brown hens, black hens, white hens,
and speckled hens. There were fluffy baby chicks and long-legged middle-