MOTHER FLIGHTY.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16780, 24 April 1926, Page 16 (Supplement)

MOTHER FLIGHTY.

AND HER ADOPTED SON. Mrs Flighty was a plump brown Mother lien. She lived with her seven yellow, downy chicks in a cunning little house whose pointed roof's sloping sides reached clear to the ground. And across the whole front ran four slats of wood. It was through these slats that Mrs Flighty peeped now and again one beautiful morning. She was cleaning off her side walls, and the voices of her happy little brood came in through the open windows. Suddenly she laid down her -dustmop and listened. A hoarse voice mingled with the peals of laughter of her own children unci peeping out she spied a queer little stranger. His bill was broad and Hat, and when he walked he waddled from side to side, not at all as Mrs Flighty had taught her children to walk. They picked their way along daintily, and when they spoke their voices were sweet and gentle. "Flipper," called Mrs Flighty, who seemed to get very ilustered when she saw the stranger, '"come here at once." "Who is that strange child?" she whispered, leaning down towards him and keeping one eye on the stranger. "Why, mother, that's Dicky Duck, and he has come to stay," answered Flipper. Dicky Decides. "Come to stay!" exclaimed Mrs Flighty. "Tut, tut, tut, tut-tut, and who invited him? Did you, Flipper Flighty?"

"No, but he has come to stay. H' says so," said Flipper, "and he's tl.. most fun!" "Shoo, shoo!" cried Mrs Flighty, and shook her skirts at Dicky Duck, who ran behind the little house and peeked out at Mrs Flighty from around the corner. "I've heard of hens having to bring up duck children," she murmured to herself, "but I have too large a family of my own to take care of any stranger. Besides, I do not care for him."

That day Mrs Flighty served lunch early, and directly after started out for a walk, her family tripping along daintily behind her, and among them waddled the unwelcome Dicky Duck. Wlien they reached the pond Mrs P'lighty, who wore a distressed frown on her face, grew quite cheerful.

The ducks were ail in swimming blissfully, and when Dicky Duck saw them he sidled down to the water and swam out to them. JVSrs Flighty Is Relieved. "0," sighed Mrs Flighty in a relieved voice, "Dicky Duck has gone back to his family!" And she called to her family to hurry, hurry. And hurry they did, though they disliked leaving their new playmate. When they ware almost home Mrs Flighty glanced behind her, and was dismayed to see Dicky Duck cheerfully lifting his little wings to help him over the little hummocks of grass as he hurried along to join the Flighty family.

"This is almost more than I can stand," said the Mother Hen impatiently. "If he only had a sweet voice and walked more sedately I could stand it. He is a nuisance!" That night when all seven of the downy chicks were snuggled up under their mother's wing Dicky Duck stood wistfully by, until Mrs Flighty said in a sympathetic voice, "Come, you poor lonesome child. Come under my wing," and Dicky Duck looked so grateful that Mrs Flighty smiled to herself.

The next morning the sky was dark and gloomy. The rain came down in huge drops and formed little puddles all over the barnyard.

"0,- dear, dear! No food in the house and the ground so wet, and not one of us with a pair of rubbers. I'll never be able to do my marketing!" And Mrs Flighty gazed anxiously out of the window.

"0, let me do your shopping! See I have my rubbers and slicker." said Dicky Duck, as he took the basket and list and waddled away.

"Now, after all, I think we shall be happy lo have Dicky Duck to stay with us. He is so willing to help," said Mrs Flighty. And by the lime she had wiped up some- puddles- of water that had leaked in Dicky Duck came waddling back. Taking off his rubbers and simklrj? off his slicker he hung them both in the corner to dry. "Here are your groceries, Mrs Flighty," he said. "Call me Mo! her Flighty," said the Mother Hen. smiling tenderly at him. So Dif":.- Duck lived happily with Mrs Flighty, and when it rained he always "did the marketing while the chicks and their mother kept dry and warm in the little house with the pointed roof and sides that reached Clear to the ground.