Woodsy neighbours of Tan and Teckle . nd was very certain that they would drownif they went into the water. And I have seena hen peck to death one of her own chickensbecause it was hatched under another hen, andgiven to her a day after she had left the nestwith the early ones. A hen doesnt know anymore than a horse. I saw young turkeys, once, following ahen, remarked Tan. Of course, replied the bat scornfully. A hen will mother anything that comes out 264 WOODSY NEIGHBOURS of her nest—goslings, little guineas, ducks,turkeys—I even heard of those boys getting ahen to hatch out some hawk eggs on
Woodsy neighbours of Tan and Teckle . nd was very certain that they would drownif they went into the water. And I have seena hen peck to death one of her own chickensbecause it was hatched under another hen, andgiven to her a day after she had left the nestwith the early ones. A hen doesnt know anymore than a horse. I saw young turkeys, once, following ahen, remarked Tan. Of course, replied the bat scornfully. A hen will mother anything that comes out 264 WOODSY NEIGHBOURS of her nest—goslings, little guineas, ducks,turkeys—I even heard of those boys getting ahen to hatch out some hawk eggs once, but shedidnt know how to feed them and theydied. But though all their neighbours talked aboutthe habits of the cowbird, it made no differ-ence. The flock played about the meadowsuntil very late, following the herds of cattle,feeding on insects and seeds alike, and seemingperfectly happy until the time came for themto fly away to the south for the winter. No matter what the neighbours thought andsaid, the cowbird did not v/ SUPPER TIME AND BEDTIME THERE was a great commotionin the tall grass of the wood- land. A great, green frog made hisway to the creek with prodigious leaps, risinghigh above the top of the grass at each bound,and expressing his fright by loud when he reached the bank he did notpause, but went headlong over the edge intothe water with a loud splash, and was seen nomore. A field-sparrow that had been hiding in atuft of grass took wing, darting this way andthat as if she expected to be pursued in theair, and with chatterings of terror went faracross the meadow before she alighted. Old Croaker himself, the fat old toad, big265 266 WOODSY NEIGHBOURS and dignified and important-looking as hewas, cried aloud in fear and hastened to hidehimself under the side of a stone. And all this time, if you had been watchingfrom the top of the old stump in which livedTan and Teckle, the field-mice, you wouldhave seen nothing more terrible than a gentlew
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishe, booksubjectanimals
