16 A NEW STORY. 



the sitting-room. She would jump upon Uncle Will's knee, and 

 eat corn from his hands. One morning, when Dr. Stym was 

 there, he said he would like to see this famous chicken. So 

 Uncle Will went to the door and called, "Betty! Betty! " but no 

 chicken came. He called again and again, but no Betty was to be 

 seen. He looked all about the yard and stable, but all in vain. 



Then the doctor ran out to help in the search. To make fun, 

 he began to look in all sorts of odd places. He felt in his pockets. 

 He peeped under the door-mat. He looked into the key-hole. He 

 made everybody laugh with his jokes. At last he said that Zip 

 must have swalloAved the chicken, and he would look down his 

 throat. 



Zip was standing on one foot, as usual, upon a small wooden 

 pail; the pail was upside down, and made a fine perch for the 

 crane. As Zip saw the doctor coming near, he stepped down to 

 run away, and as he did so he turned the pail over. Then, lo and 

 behold! outwalked the missing Betty. The pail was so small that 

 the poor chicken's tail was bent square about. How they all 

 laughed at her odd figure! 



" ]^ow, did Zip hide that chicken in there?" asked Dr. Stym. 

 !N^obody knew. Zip looked wise enough to have done it. But no 

 doubt Betty did it herself, when she hopped upon the edge of the 

 pail, hoping to* find some corn inside. 



A NEW STORY. 



" A STOKT?" I said, as they all came clamoring around me, cry- 

 ing, " Story-time ! story-time ! " ' ' Well, let me see ! I'll tell you 

 a story about — " 



"No, you won't!" cried Billy. "I hate Jacky Nory. Tell 

 us a nice, new story, please, mammy! " 



" I'll tell you a story," I continued calmly, " about a bear, and 

 about another bear, and about another bear." 



" Oh, the three bears! " said Billy. " Well, that is good, though 



