LIX. — B antams 



DURING the Christmas season a friend sent 

 the littlest boy a pair of bantams, and 

 there is now more spunk on the farm than 

 there has been since my boyhood days, 

 when I used to own a sassy little hen that bore the 

 Gaelic name of "Prabbach." I don't know exactly 

 what the name meant, but it seemed to fit her ex- 

 actly. These modern bantams appear to be of 

 aristocratic descent, with feathers down to their 

 toes, and the rooster has a haughty bearing that 

 makes me take liberties with "Will Waterproof's 

 Lyrical Monologue," in order to describe him 

 properly : — 



"The Cock was of a prouder egg 



Than modern poultry drop, 

 Stept forward on a firmer leg. 



And crammed a plumper crop. 

 Upon an ampler dunghill trod. 



Crowed lustier late and early. 

 Sipped wine from silver, praising God, 



And raked in golden barley." 



232 



