imid about
hawks, she never felt quite comfortable far from the farmyard.

XX

A GREAT FLURRY

There was a great flurry among Farmer Green's hens. They all insisted on
talking at the same time, because they had heard an astonishing bit of
news. It was about Henrietta Hen. Wherever she went her neighbors craned
their necks at her, just as if they hadn't seen her every day for as long
as they could remember.

Henrietta Hen enjoyed the notice that everybody took of her. She went to
some trouble to move about a good deal, so that all might have a chance
to stare at her. For if there was one thing she liked, it was attention.

There was a reason why Henrietta had suddenly become the most talked-of
member of the flock. She was going to the county fair! Furthermore, she
expected to take all her children with her. There wasn't the least doubt
that it was all true. The whole flock had heard Johnnie Green and his
father talking about it.

Of course everybody asked Henrietta Hen a great number of questions. When
was she going to leave? How long did she expect to stay at the fair? What
did she intend to do there? Would she wear her best clothes if it rained?
There was no end to such inquiries.

Unfortunately, Henrietta Hen could answer very few of them. Never having
visited a fair, she had no idea what a fair was like. She only guessed
that when the time came, she and her family would be put into a pen,
loaded upon a wagon, and jolted over the road that led to the fair,
wherever it might be.

But Henrietta didn't intend to let her neighbors find out how little she
knew about fairs. She said that before starting she expected to wait for
the wagon, that she hoped to stay at the fair as long as it lasted
(because she didn't want to miss anything!) and that she intended to come
home when the wagon brought her. Furthermore, she planned to wear her
best apron, anyhow, because there was sure to be fair weather at a fair!
How could it be otherwise?

Old Ebenezer, the horse, told her to be sure to see the races.

"They're the best part of a fair," he said. "In my younger days I used to
take part in them." And then he added, "There's nothing else at a fair
that's worth looking at."

"What about the poultry show?" Henrietta Hen asked him. She didn't know
what poultry shows were; but she had heard Farmer Green mention them.

"I never paid any attention to the poultry exhibit," the horse Ebenezer
replied. "I never took pa