Bonasa Umbellus, Rex. 33 



be nimble of foot. The mother would 

 scratch away a part of the loose heap of 

 soil, and then when the ants bustled out, 

 some devoted to angry passions and others 

 hurrying to carry off the long white eggs 

 that had been exposed, the little chickens 

 became so expert at snapping them up 

 that in the conceit born of successful ex- 

 perience they even chased a fly in the 

 absurd expectation of catching it, and 

 the fly was so much surprised at their 

 assurance that it allowed itself to be 

 caught, for such is often the relation of 

 ambition to seeming impossibilities. One 

 needs only to be stupid enough to obtain 

 everything. 



The young birds grew rapidly and be- 

 came experts at avoiding their natural 

 enemies. If a sharp-shinned hawk flew 

 over, the mother gave a warning note, 

 and instantly each chick dropped so flat 

 against the ground that it was impossible 

 for the very best eyes to see one of them. 

 When the farmer's boy again had occasion 

 to cross the brush lot the hen bird had 

 advised the chickens to hide long before 



