THE SERPENT BEGUILED i8i 



making, if not a rapid and bulky fortune, at least "a 

 comfortable living " (and that phrase embodies much) out 

 of poultry farming has been conceived, possibly, many 

 times and oft. There was nothing novel, therefore, in the 

 hatching out of this particular scheme. But for a paltry 

 detail it would never have attained notoriety. We never 

 blazon our failures — why should we ? The one spark of 

 original thought that enlightened the prosaic plans of the 

 undertaking was this : The promoters wanted quality in the 

 eggs of their hens as well as quantity. Quantity rests with 

 the hen, but quality — like the " sluttishness " of Touchstone's 

 sweetheart — may come hereafter. In order that there 

 might be no excuse for and no degeneracy on the part of 

 the hens, shops were ransacked for nest eggs of proper 

 proportions. These were placed in spots conspicuous to 

 the hens, who, of course, understood that they were 

 expected to lay up to them. In other words, these were 

 patterns for the hens to lay by. No self-respecting, 

 conscientious fowl likes to be beaten by a nest egg. She 

 goes one, or, it may be, a dozen or two better ; but the 

 stony-hearted egg is never to be bluffed. It is there as a 

 standard of size, and in accordance with its dimensions so 

 will the credit of the fowl yard be. 



In this particular yard all went well for many months. 

 Why, the hens beat the nest eggs with scarcely an effort, 

 and then started making records. It was a fierce and 

 clamorous competition, and the enterprise flourished. A 

 good beginning had been made, and the high-minded hens 

 chuckled with pride and satisfaction. In the course of two 

 or three months, however, a gradual deterioration in the 

 size of the eggs took place. There was just the same 

 amount of fuss and feathers, showing the artfulness of 

 the hens, but the eggs soon dwindled down below 

 plans and specifications, and then an investigation 

 took place. Not a single nest egg was to be found. 

 Vainly was search made. The hens sniggered. They 

 had fulfilled their duty, and finding it tiresome and 

 wearing to produce abnormal eggs, had secreted those 



