"Now, then," went on the rooster, "suppose we have a little music to cheer us and help pa.s.s the hours until roosting time. Let us all crow.

There, I beg your pardon, ladies; I am sorry you can't crow. Let us sing a happy song. Will you be kind enough to start a merry tune, Mrs. Brown Hen?"

The brown hen shook herself proudly, tossed her head back and began,--"Ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca!" In less than two minutes every one in the henhouse had joined her. The white rooster was the loudest of all, and the little bantam rooster stretched his neck and did the best he could.

Now, the horses, cows, and sheep were not far away. They heard the happy voices, and they, too, joined in the grand chorus. The pigs did their best to sing louder than all the rest.

Higher and higher, stronger and stronger, rose the chorus. Louder and louder quacked the ducks. Shriller and shriller squealed the pigs.

They were all so happy that they quite forgot their hunger until the door of the henhouse burst open, and in came three chubby children. Each was carrying a dish of hot chicken food.

"Don't stop your music, Mr. Rooster," said the little girl, who was bundled up until you could scarcely see her dear little face.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The children arrive with food]

"You see, we were so lonesome that we didn't know what to do. We heard you folk singing out here, and we laughed and laughed until we almost cried. Then we went to tell Jack about you. He was lonesome, too, for he's sick with a sore throat, you know. He said, 'Why, those poor hens!

They haven't been fed since morning! Go and feed them.' And so we came."

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo!" said the white rooster. "This comes of making the best of things. c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo!" And n.o.body asked him to stop crowing.

--FRANCES M. FOX.

THE ANIMALS AND THE MIRROR

I

Aunt Susan sent an old-fashioned looking-gla.s.s to the barn to be stored in the loft, with other old furniture. The farm boy stood it on the floor of the barn until he should have time to put it away. The mirror was broad and long, and it was set in a dark wooden frame.

An old duck wandered into the barn and caught sight of herself in the mirror. "There is another duck," she said. "I wonder who she is."

And she walked toward the reflection. "She is rather friendly," the duck went on. "She is walking toward me. What large feet she has, but her feathers are very handsome."

Just then she b.u.mped into the mirror. "Goodness!" she cried; "if that duck isn't in a gla.s.s case! Why are you in there?"

"Well, you needn't answer if you don't want to," she said, walking away.

"A gla.s.s case is a good place for you."

Just then a pig came along, and nosing around, he came in front of the mirror.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, thinking he saw another pig. His nose hit the gla.s.s, and he stepped back.

"So you are in a gla.s.s pen," he said. "You are not very handsome, and your nose is not so long as mine; I cannot see why you should have a gla.s.s pen."

And away he trotted to tell the other pigs about the very plain-looking pig.

Kitty came along next and walked in front of the mirror, turning her head and swinging her tail. She had seen a mirror before and knew what it was. The cat wished to look in the mirror, but she saw the dog coming in the door, and she did not want him to think her vain.

The dog walked over to the mirror and gazed in it. Then he looked foolish, although he had seen a mirror before, too, but not so often as puss.

"Thought it was another dog, didn't you?" she laughed. "Here comes the donkey. Let us hide behind those barrels and see what he does."

II

The donkey went up to the mirror.

"If they haven't another donkey!" he said. "I suppose I should speak first, as I have lived here so long. Why, he is coming to meet me. That is friendly, indeed."

b.u.mp! his nose hit the gla.s.s.

"Well, I had better give up!" he said. "You are in a gla.s.s case, but I don't know why you should be. You are a homely creature, and your ears are not so long as mine." And he walked off with a disgusted air.

The cat rolled over and over, and the dog buried his head in his paws.

"Did you ever see anything so funny?" he said to puss.

"Hush!" she replied, "Here is the rooster."

[Ill.u.s.tration: The rooster and the mirror]

The rooster stopped quite still when he saw himself in the mirror.

"Well, where did you come from?" he asked, ruffling up his feathers. He walked straight to the mirror and flew at the other rooster. Bang! He went against the gla.s.s.

"In a gla.s.s case, are you?" he said. He stretched out his neck and looked very fierce. "You should be; you are a sight--your feathers are ruffled, and you are not half so handsome as I am."

And off he walked, satisfied that he was handsomer than the other rooster.

"Oh, dear!" laughed the cat. "I certainly shall scream. They all think they are handsomer than their reflections. Here comes the turkey gobbler. Let us see what he does."

The gobbler walked slowly over to the mirror and looked at his reflection.

"Now," he asked, "where in the world did they get you? You are an old, bald-headed creature, and your feathers need oiling. You look like a last year's turkey." And off he strutted.

The cat and the dog leaned against the barrels and laughed until the tears ran down their faces.

"Keep still," said the dog. "Here comes speckled hen and her chickens."

Speckled hen walked around, picking up bits of corn. Suddenly she looked up and saw the mirror.

"There is a hen with a brood of chicks, but they are not so handsome as mine," she said, walking toward the looking-gla.s.s. "Where do you live? I know you do not belong here." And she looked closer at the other hen.

Click! Her bill hit the gla.s.s.

"Well, if she isn't in a gla.s.s coop!" the hen said, stepping back. "If master has bought her and those chicks, there will be trouble. Mercy!