A DISOBEDIENT CHICK

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 171, 15 April 1933, Page 19

A DISOBEDIENT CHICK

PETER FOUND HIMSELF IN AN EASTER EGG! His name was Peter Chicken, and he lived at Mr. Brown’s farmyard on the border of Fairyland. He was a dear little chap with a coat of yellow, soft and downy, and a pair of bright eyes, but he had one great fault. He was disobedient. He took not the slightest notice of poor Mother Fowl, who was always telling him to behave himself and not to tease his numerous brothers and sisters. Also he had a great habit of wandering away from the calm security of the farmyard into the dangerous world outside. Poor Mother Fowl, whenever she found him -missing from iter brood, would make a great to-do and fuss until she had her errant sou safely home again, for beyond the farmyard was a great danger that mothers spoke of with bated breath, to wit, the Enchanted Forest. It was well known that any who entered there never returned again. No one quite knew what became of the unfortunate victims, but it was thought that the fairies captured them and kept them as servants. But one day, I am sorry to say, in spite of all Mother Fowl's warnings, Peter Chicken did enter the Enchanted 'Forest, anil this is what happened to him. Peter would never have believed it could be so gloomy in the forest. It always looked so inviting outside, but now he wandered sadly amongst the giant trees that shut out all the sun. and felt very frightened indeed. Ho had tried to And the way out, but in some mysterious way bushes seemed to have covered the entrance, and all he could see were trees, trees, and yet more trees. He was so very tired, too, and as he thought of the cosy farmyard tears came into his eyes. (Yes, chickens do cry sometimes). And it was at that very moment that Maggie the Witch saw. him. She gave a terrible laugh and stretched out a huge hand to grasp Peter’s soft yellow body. Poor Peter! She held him, struggling, up to her ugly face, and gazed into his terrified eyes. “Ha, ha-a I” she said. “Just what I was wanting. Easter is coming on soon,

and there are not. many chickens about. The Lollypop Man will be pleased with you." And with another horrible laugh she popped Peter into her pocket. It was so terribly dark he could not see where he was going, but presently he heard a door open and a moment later the big hand slid into the pocket and gripped him firmly. The next moment he was standing on a table with Maggie the YVitch laughing at him. “And now, little chicken,” she said, “I will tell you what is going to happen to you. I am going to cast a spell over you, and when I have finished you will not be able to walk or talk or do anything that living chickens do. Instead you will be stuffed into the top of an Easter egg, and sold to a little human child, who no doubt will eventually squeeze you to death.” And Maggie the Witch laughed horribly at the idea of a little chicken being squeezed to death. Poor Peter glanced desperately about him. He wasn’t quite sure what an Easter egg was like, but he thought it must be something nasty. He gave a little scream of fright, as Maggie began to cast her spell over him. He felt so funny. He couldn’t move his legs or his arms or his head or any part of his body at all, and then everything went black, and Peter the Chicken knew no more.

He was in a shop when he next opened his eyes, a shop with hundreds of Easter eggs scattered all about. He felt frightfully uncomfortable, and he suddenly realised he was sticking out of the top of an egg. an egg painted gold and blue. Suddenly a hand descended and lifted egg and Peter high into the air, and dangled them in the face of a little girl. She gave a shout of delight and clutched Peter tightly. “Oh, this one please,” she said to a lady beside her. “Please buy me this one.” The lady nodded and the next moment Peter was popped into a paper bag, and thrust into the little girl’s hands.

It was a beautiful place Peter was taken to now, but somehow he couldn't appreciate it, for the little girl was holding him so tightly ami almost squeezing the breath out of his body. It was happening just as the witch had said. He supposed sadly that he would die soon. But what was the little gill saying now?

"Mother.” she cried, “perhaps baby John would like the tiny chick, it is so beautifully soft,” Peter did not hear Mother's answer, but the next moment he was put into another pair of outstretched hands—hands Hmt pinched him and squashed him, and made him almost cry with pain. This was far. far worse than anything be had ever imagined, but more was yet to come. Baby John loved his soft body and cuddled him at night, but unfortunately he quite often lay on Peter, which was terribly uncomforable, as you may imagine Things went on like this for some time, but then came the day when Baby John was extra rough with poor Peter. He pulled at his little wings and poked his fingers in his eyes, and, lastly, gave Peter such a hard squeeze that a moment later he was dead. Poor Peter! If only he had not disobeyed his mother, and entered the Enchanted Forest, it is more than likely he would be alive to-day, instead of lying squashed and broken in a corner of Baby John's cot. Thus ends the tale of a Disobedient Chicken. —'Written by “Golden Wattle,” Karori, aged 16.