The Road to Dumbiedykes 



completely around the deep amphi- 

 theatre of the southern night, I pray 

 you do not make the mistake of 

 assuming that it is necessarily time to 

 get up, for probably it isn't. 



I wish someone would tell me why 

 a rooster crows at all. What is his 

 idea about it, and what do you suppose 

 staid old Biddy there alongside him on 

 the roost thinks of his night messages 

 down the line? I have often thought 

 that if I were a hard-working hen, after 

 scratching and traveling in barnyard, 

 field and garden all day long, making 

 my own living and that of a greedy 

 brood of youngsters beside and that 

 too with precious little help from the 

 grandiose old rooster I would draw 

 the line on this hooray business be- 

 tween midnight and the dawn, and 

 if sitting within reach would give him 

 a peck he would not soon forget. If 

 the whole disturbed sisterhood would 

 take a hand in such chastisement surely 

 the head of the household would be 

 [72] 



