THE LOST DINNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 249, 21 October 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE LOST DINNER.

"You are quite old enough to find your o\yn dinner now," said Mrs. Rat to Longtail and Slinky. "Right down lazy, that's what you are." The two little rats crept out of .'the bam and looked uneasily roimd to see if Gyp, the farmer's dog, Was anywhere near. . . , "I' can smell something nice, said Longtail softly, wrinkling up his nose. "So can I," squeaked Slinky. Its making my mouth water." They had not gone very far before they came to a tiny wooden house, and in front of the doorway was a plateful of meat. "llow nice," cried Longtail. 1 clld.lll know finding dinners was so easy." They scrambled on to the plate, hut before they had time to take a mouthful tliero caino the rattle of a chain, and Gyp bounded out of the little wooden house. "How dare you eat my dinner! he barked fiercely, and the little rats scuttled away. They ran ever such a long way, because they did not know that Gyp was chained to his kennel. At last, when they could not run any farther, they lay down in the shjido of a haystack to rest. Their hearts were beating quickly, and their whiskers weie quivering with fright. ' _ All of a sudden Longtail caught eight

of some liens scratching about ill the rick-yard. . "I should, like an egg for my dinner, he said, licking his lips. "So should I," replied Slinky, and then ho added quickly: "You go in and tret one while 1 wait outside •to watch for Gyp." Longtail felt very uneasy, but lie went bravely into the hen-pen. In a dark corner a speckled hen was sitting on a nice soft nest of hay. All of a sudden she stood up and Longtail saw that the nest was full of eggs. The hen turned them all over with her beak and sat down again. t , "Greedy thing," thought Longtail to himself. . "She pan't want all those! He watched until the lien seemed halfasleep, and then-lie took one of the eggs and rolled it' out to his brother. "How shall we take it home ?"' asked Slinky, thoughtfully. "If we roll it over that bumpy ground it will break." "Oh, that's easy!" explained Longtail. "You lie on your back and hold it in your paws and I'll pull you along by vour tail." Slinky thought it was quite a good idea, but as soon as Longtail began to drag him over , the stones he squealed. "Whatever's the matter?" asked^ Longtail crossly. "Gyp will hear you." "You are hurting my back," wailed poor Slinky, "and I think my tail's coming on." "You've got nothing to grumble at, said Longtail. "I'm doing all the woik. Oh. look! You have broken the egg!" "I haven't!" said Slinky angrily. "I held it most carefully!" He scrambled to his feet and the egg rolled an the ground. Sure enough, the.-.? was a big crack in the shell. . "Oh, it's moving!" cried Longtail. And so it was! It rolled from sidp* to side and then, all of a sudden, the shell fell into two pieces and out popped a chicken! "Oh! Oil!" squeaked the little rats, and they were so frightened that they ran all the way home. "Ha! Ha!" laughed Mrs. Hen. who had come out to look for her missing e"g. "That will teach them not to steal my eggs again!" And shel gathered the little chicken under her wing.