y. The tragedy began with Chanty, who
was the boldest little cockadoodle who ever tried to crow. Before he had
a feather to his bit of a tail, Chanty began to fight, and soon was
known as the most quarrelsome chick in the farm-yard. Having pecked his
brothers and sisters, he tried to do the same to his playmates, the
ducklings, goslings, and young turkeys, and was so disagreeable that all
the fowls hated him. One day, a pair of bantams arrived,--pretty little
white birds, with red crests and nice yellow feet. Chanty thought he
could beat Mr. Bantam easily, he was so small, and invited him to fight.
Mr. B. declined. Then Chanty called him a coward, and gave Mrs. B. a
peck, which so enraged her spouse that he flew at Chanty like a
gamecock, and a dreadful fight followed, which ended in Chanty's utter
defeat, for he died from his wounds.

Downy and Snowball soon followed; for the two sweet little things would
swing on the burdock-leaves that grew over the brook. Sitting side by
side, the plump sisters were placidly swaying up and down over the clear
brown water rippling below, when--ah! sad to relate--the stem broke, and
down went leaf, chickens and all, to a watery death.

'I'm the most unlucky hen ever hatched!' groaned poor Madam Cluck; and
it did seem so, for the very next week, Speckle, the best and prettiest
of the brood, went to walk with Aunt Cockletop, 'grasshoppering' they
called it, in the great field across the road. What a nice time Speckle
did have, to be sure; for the grasshoppers were lively and fat, and aunt
was in an unusually amiable mood.

'Never run away from anything, but face danger and conquer it, like a
brave chick,' said the old biddy, as she went clucking through the
grass, with her gray turban wagging in the wind. Speckle had hopped away
from a toad with a startled chirp, which caused aunt to utter that
remark. The words had hardly left her beak, when a shadow above made her
look up, give one loud croak of alarm, and then scuttle away, as fast as
legs and wings could carry her.

Little Speckle, remembering the advice, and unconscious of the danger,
stood her ground as a great hawk came circling nearer and nearer, till,
with a sudden dart he pounced on the poor chicken, and bore it away
chirping dismally,

'Aunty told me not to run. Oh, dear! oh, dear! What shall I do?'

It was a dreadful blow to Mrs. Cluck; and Aunt Cockletop didn't show
herself for a whole day after that story was known,