15 



under her, she had dreams of cunning, downy little 

 chicks that would grow up into lovely sons and 

 daughters, brown like herself. What pride she 

 would take in them ! What a pleasure it would be 

 to teach them the ways of the house and to show 

 them to that other little brown hen that lived back 

 of the looking-glass ! 



But when, time after time, and time after time, 

 her eggs were taken from her, Little Brown Hen 

 began to droop. She lost her cheerfulness ; when 

 we lifted her on our arms and talked to her there 

 was a dispirited tone in her voice as she answered 

 us. 



At last we could not be hard-hearted any longer. 

 Little Brown Hen must be allowed to have her way. 

 But we would not give her Bantam eggs; she 

 should have Brahma eggs instead. 



When she found she was allowed to sit, she was 

 happy indeed. 



She was the most devoted little mother even be- 

 fore the eggs hatched. She, would sit there on 

 the nest hour after hour, and actually ruffle up at 

 us angrily if we dared to come too near. 



She would hardly leave the nest even to eat, and 

 the moment she had finished, back she would hurry 



