THE CHICKEN WHO WANTED TO SWIM.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 224, 21 September 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE CHICKEN WHO WANTED TO SWIM.

The white hen Walked through the yard, picking her way daintily over the cobblestones, so as not to soil her long yellow stockings. She had left her twelve chickens behind in the shed, where there was plenty of straw to keep them warm. And she had come' out to look for her youngest son, Sam, who, being the thirteenth, and therefore unlucky, was always getting up to mischief of some kind or other.

She met tlie brown speckled hen half way across the yard, and asked her: — "Speckly, have you seen my son Sam anywhere? He went for a walk after tea and 'has not come back "No, I haven't," answered the brown speckled hen, "and ,1 think you . should watch over your family "more carefully. He's always lost." "You can't keep an eye on thirteen all at one time," said the white hen, rather oll'ended, and walked more quickly towards the kitchen door. The cat was lying there watching all t'he comings and goings of, the yard with half asleep yello-w eyes. "Have you happened to see uiy son Sam anywhere about?" The white hen turned her toes in nervously, for she stood rather in awe of the cat. "He went for a walk after tea and he hasn't come back." "I don't know one of your chickens from the other, madam," answered the cat, "but as long as I've been ikeTe no chicken lias crossed the yard." "Thank you very much indeed, I'm sure," said the white hen, bowing. There was old Mr. Tip-key-cock strutting about in a corner. She wondered whether she could be brave enough to try asking him. Timidly she crossed over, but she had (hardly begun when he turned on her and ibo'bbled so fiercely t'hat she ran away again as fast as her long yellow legs would carry her. She newly ran into Mrs. Duck who wais waddling towards the gate. "Look out wher-; you're going," Mrs. Duck quacked 4,1- her rather crossly; "I'm on any way dcrtvn to the pond to go swimming witi my children, and I mustn't •be late."

The white lieu did not approve of Mrs. Buck's children at all. In her opinion •they were a noisy, cheeky set of youngsters, always 'trying to lead her chickens into trouble. Still, she thought she had "better be polite to their mother, eo that in a minute or two she could ask ■whether she had seen Sam. ' "W'hat beautiful swimmers your children are!" she said. "Are they down at the pond already?" "Yes, they went down some time ago, and, by the way, tliey invited your Sam ,to go wit'ii them because he said lie WH£ lonely and had nothing to ijo." _ • The white lien nearly died of shock. "My Sam!" she cried. "H-e will try to

go 'into the water, too, ae sure as eggs are eggsl" - "Well, let him," Mrs. Duck spoke •huffily; "it never lias done my children the slightest harm, and Sam ought to be able to swim by now." • The white hen wasn't listening to her. She scrambled under the gate and half flew along the path in the wood that led to the duck's swimming pool. When she reached it there -were seven fluffy yellow ducklings bobbing about on the water. They were calling out rude things to Sam, who was drying himself in the sun and trying to pretend 'he didn't hear them. "Coward," they quacked, and "Who's afraid of a wetting?" "Come home at once," said hie mother. , She dried his wing feathers with some of the straw in the shed. (He had not really gone in, but just had a springling of water thrown over him by the ducklings, who splashed a good deal). And he was forbidden to play with them again, just in case they might lead him into more mischief.

AN OUTDOOR DARTS GAME. Cut out the shape shown in stiff cardboard and attach long lengths of string to the top and bottom points. Peg the lower strings into the ground and fasten the top strings to a low tree-braneh, so that the board floats in mid-air.

Now make some darts and throw them at the board in the usual way, seeing who can score the highest numbers. In time one can become quite skilful at "placing" a dart on one of the sixes.