i8 



Little Brown Hen even tried to wade in after 

 them, but the water was too deep and she was 

 obliged to come back to the bank. There she had 

 to wait until the little ducks were ready to return. 



After that Little Brown Hen's life was not a 

 happy one. 



Regularly every day her disobedient brood started 

 for the pond, waddling in a row, one after the other. 



In vain Little Brown Hen scolded and tried to 

 head them off. They always escaped her, and one 

 after another would slip into the water like downy 

 yellow boats and paddle off across the pond. 



It was hard on the little mother, and her mistress 

 felt sorry for her. She made up her mind that, as 

 Little Brown Hen had done so well with those two 

 broods, she should have her reward. She should be 

 allowed to sit on real Bantam eggs and raise a 

 brood of her very own. 



Any one might have thought that Little Brown 

 Hen would be delighted. 



But not so. She had other ideas than that. 

 After such large, splendid eggs as she had been 

 hatching she quite scorned to spend her time on 

 any such poor little eggs as those. 



She refused to sit on them and left them to 



