12 THE HEN THAT HATCHED DUCKS. 



Gray Cock was sent for, where he was waiting on Mrs. 

 Red Comb through the squash-vines. 



" It 's a serious time in your family, sir," said Goody 

 Kertarkut, "and you ought to be at home supporting 

 your wife. Send for Doctor Peppercorn without delay." 



Now as the case was a very dreadful one, Doctor Pep- 

 percorn called a council from the barn-yard of the Squire, 

 two miles off, and a brisk young Doctor Partlett appeared, 

 in a fine suit of brown and gold, with tail-feathers like 

 meteors. A fine young fellow he was, lately from Paris, 

 with all the modern scientific improvements fresh in his 

 head. 



When he had listened to the whole story, he clapped his 

 spur into the ground, and leaning back, laughed so loud 

 that all the cocks in the neighborhood crowed. 



Mrs. Feathertop rose up out of her swoon, and Mr. Gray 

 Cock was greatly enraged. 



"What do you mean, sir, by such behavior in the house 

 of mourning ? " 



" My dear sir, pardon me, but there is no occasion for 

 mourning. My dear madam, let me congratulate you. 

 There is no harm done. The simple matter is, dear 

 madam, you have been under a hallucination all along. 

 The neighborhood and my learned friend the doctor have 

 all made a mistake in thinking that these children of 

 yours were hens at all. They are ducks, ma'am, evidently 

 ducks, and very finely formed ducks I dare say." 



