Tales of a Poultry Farm

  TALES OF A POULTRY FARM

  by

  CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON

  Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Dooryard Stories," etc.

  New YorkE. P. Dutton and Company31 West Twenty-Third Street

  CopyrightE. P. Dutton & Co.1904

  Published, September, 1904

  The Knickerbocker Press, New York

  TO MY LITTLE SONS HAROLD AND HOWARD THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED

  CONTENTS

  PAGE THE FARM IS SOLD 1 THE NEW OWNER COMES 7 THE FIRST SPRING CHICKENS ARE HATCHED 30 THE MAN BUILDS A POULTRY HOUSE 46 THE PEKIN DUCK STEALS A NEST 60 THE NEW NESTS AND THE NEST-EGGS 77 THE WHITE PLYMOUTH ROCKS COME 86 THE TURKEY CHICKS ARE HATCHED 99 THREE CHICKENS RUN AWAY 114 THE THREE RUNAWAYS BECOME ILL 125 THE YOUNG COCK AND THE EAGLE 134 THE GUINEA-FOWLS COME AND GO 145 THE GEESE AND THE BABY 158 THE FOWLS HAVE A JOKE PLAYED ON THEM 169 THE LITTLE GIRLS GIVE A PARTY 182

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  PAGE "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!" SAID THE YOUNG COCK 26 RETURNED WITH THE BABY IN HIS ARMS 37 SHE FOLLOWED, QUACKING ANXIOUSLY 72 TOOK THE NEW-COMERS OUT, ONE AT A TIME 88 THE HAPPY TURKEY MOTHER PAUSED ON HER WAY 113 A LARGE DARK BIRD SWOOPING DOWN 142 THEY REACHED QUITE A HIGH BRANCH IN THE APPLE TREE--_Frontispiece_ 154 "S-S-S-S-S!" REPEATED THE GANDER 166

  INTRODUCTION

  My Dear Little Readers:--I have often wondered why there were not morestories written about Chickens and their friends, and now I am gladthat there have been so few, for I have greatly enjoyed writing somefor you. Did I ever tell you that I cared for my father's Chickenswhen I was a little girl? That was one of my duties, and the mostpleasant of all. It was not until I was older that I became acquaintedwith Ducks, Geese, and Turkeys, and I always wish that I might havelived on a poultry farm like the one of which I have written, for thenI could have learned much more than I did.

  You must not think that I understand no language but English. Ilearned Chicken-talk when I was very young; and in the fall, when theQuails wander through the stubble-fields near my home, I have manyvisits with them, calling back and forth "Bob White! Bob White!" andother agreeable things which they like to hear. My little boys cantalk exactly like Chickens, and sometimes they pretend that they areChickens, while I talk Turkey to them.

  When you have a chance, you must learn these languages. They are oftenvery useful to one. My friend, who drives in his Hens by imitating thewarning cry of a Cock, had been a teacher in a college for severalyears before he studied poultry-talk, and it helped him greatly.

  You see, one must learn much outside of school, as well as inside, inorder to be truly well educated. You should never look at poultry andsay, "Why, they are only Hens!" or "Why, they are only Ducks!" Quitelikely when they look at you they may be thinking, "Why, they are onlyboys!" or "Why, they are only girls!" Yet if you are gentle and carefor them, you and they will learn to think a great deal of eachother, and you will win new friends among the feathered people.

  Your friend, CLARA D. PIERSON.

  STANTON, MICHIGAN,

  _March 21, 1904._