218 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



For a time now the plants and chickens were of less interest 

 than the rabbits but neither were neglected on that account. 

 Such remarks as "let us go now and feed the chickens" and "we 

 mustn't forget the plants because we like the rabbits" were quite 

 common. 



The need now arose for work that was quite necessary but less 

 delightful, the cleanliness of the pets must be considered. The 

 children were led to see the necessity for this by calling their 

 attention to the lettuce beds which had developed an enormous 

 capacity for raising weeds. The potted plants, too, needed 

 weeding badly, but I had purposely avoided calling their attention 

 to the fact. But now by a very few suggestive questions the 

 children soon proposed to make all their belongings clean and 

 neat. The pens were raked and swept and the pots and beds 

 were weeded. The privilege of doing this work seemed to be 

 sought as eagerly as any other. 



One morning the children who had reached the pens first 

 came running back with joyous cries to sieze my hands amd hurry 

 me forward. The cause of the violent excitement displayed by 

 these well-fed, well-cared for youngsters proved to be one tiny 

 egg laid on the ground by our hen. "Dolly Gray" is all right 

 shrieked G — joyfully. One would have thought that bantam's 

 eggs were as rare as those of the roc. 



I looked at the egg and said "Poor Dolly Gray" she had to 

 lay the egg on the hard ground. That was enough. The next 

 morning "Dolly Gray" could have chosen her nest from hay, 

 clover, grass and excelsior. 



The eggs accumulated slowly and it was a delightful thing to 

 climb into the pen and hand them out when there were any. It 

 was the great hope of the class that "Dolly Gray" would make up 

 her mind that she wanted some baby chickens but, evidently she 

 had no such notion. 



In the meantime I was racking my brain to think of some 

 fitting thing to do with the eggs. It seemed rather a tame pro- 

 ceeding to divide such precious eggs among the children for food 

 but I could think of nothing better until D — ■ with what to me 

 seemed a stroke of genius suggested that we take them up town, 

 sell them and buy food with the proceeds. "And then" she 

 explained "when we forget we will have food here." 



The children thought this an excellent plan and in due time 

 we took the dozen eggs and went to the grocery store. 



