ter won't come any closer," she added as one big
fellow crowed loudly near by. "You stay here till I get some feed and
you shall see a funny sight."

She slipped into the chicken house and returned in a minute with a
small basket of grain. "Here, Mary Jane," she said, "you hold this
so--and throw the grain out on the ground so--" and she did just as she
wanted Mary Jane to do, "and watch them come!"

Mary Jane reached her hand into the basket of grain, took out a handful
and threw it far as she could; and then how she did laugh as she saw
the chickens scramble for it!

"Can I do it again?" she asked delightedly.

"All you like till the grain is gone," replied Grandmother.

"There now," said Grandmother, after awhile, "we've stayed so long here
it's 'most dinner time. Are you hungry, Mary Jane?"

Mary Jane started to say no, because she was _sure_ the morning hadn't
more than begun, but to her surprise she found she _was hungry_, oh,
awfully hungry.

"I thought so," laughed Grandmother, who guessed what the little girl
was thinking, "and it's most eleven, so we'd better see what we're
going to have to eat. How about chicken and biscuits and apple
dumplings and cream?"

"They're my favorites," said Mary Jane, with a little skip of pleasure.
"Every one's my favorite, all of 'em!"

So she and Grandmother put away the grain basket and went into the
house.

THE HUNT FOR EGGS

"Now then," said Grandmother when they got into the kitchen, "while I
get dinner, we'll talk."

"But what's the matter?" asked Mary Jane.

"Matter where?" questioned Grandmother. "I don't see anything the
matter!"

"What's the matter out there?" said Mary Jane, pointing out the door to
the chicken yard where they had just been; "something's happened."

Grandmother stepped over to the door where Mary Jane was standing and
looked out. "Oh!" she exclaimed, for she saw in a minute what Mary
Jane meant, "that noise?"

Mary Jane nodded.

"That noise means that an egg has been laid," explained Grandmother,
smiling, "and that Mrs. Hen is very proud of it and wants us to know
what she has done."

"Oh!" cried Mary Jane happily, "and then you go out and get them in a
basket just like mother told me she used to do? May I go now?"

"Better not start before dinner," suggested Grandmother, "because
sometimes egg-hunting takes quite a little time. Wait till you get
through dinner and then you may hunt all afternoon if you
like--e