Feathered Folk 347 



made elegance, wonderfully set off by a comb 

 grown suddenly coral-red. Her neck frill 

 and breast are objects of Madame's special- 

 est arts. Carrying her brood she has walked 

 with her head well forward, neck somewhat 

 outstretched. Now that she is re-entering 

 feathered high society, she holds her head 

 high, and very well back, breast protruding, 

 and tail so pertly upright, it comes within a 

 hand's-breadth of the comb. A toilet so 

 elaborate, of course, takes time. It may be 

 late afternoon before Madame goes singing 

 down the yard, flaunting her tail as she walks, 

 and glancing out of the tail of her eye at the 

 most gorgeous cock on the place. Presently 

 when he finds a worm, and calls softly 

 " Co-cuk-00 ! Co-cuk-co ! Cuk-oo-cuk- 

 00 ! " she runs with the rest of the hens, 

 and sidles toward him, her head coquettishly 

 turned. If he gives her a little peck she 

 receives it as an endearment — though cocks 

 have been known to punish roundly hens 

 that had abandoned downy callow broods. 



Weaned chicks well feathered seldom miss 

 their mothers until night. Then indeed they 

 set up a pother, calling and peeping wildly. 

 It happens sometimes that the peeping calls 

 the mother back to them. Oftener she stays 

 upon a high perch, and salves her conscience 

 by clucking to them, though she knows well 



