n felt terribly uneasy when people began to stop and stare at
her. She dreaded to hear what they would say. After the way her next-door
neighbors had talked to her she didn't believe anybody would have a word
of praise for her.

She soon heard all sorts of remarks about herself. Some said she was too
little and some said she was too big; others exclaimed that her legs were
too short, while still others declared that they were too long! As
these--and many similar--comments fell upon Henrietta's ears she promptly
decided that there wasn't anything about her that was as it should be.

Having always called herself (before she left home) a "speckled beauty,"
she began to feel very low in her mind. And there was only one thing that
kept her from being downright sad. All the sightseers agreed that she had
some pretty chicks.

Henrietta couldn't help wishing that they had a different mother--one
that was worthy of them.

XXIV

WINNING FIRST PRIZE

Henrietta Hen was waiting as patiently as she could for the fair to come
to an end. She tried to close her ears to the boasts of her neighbors on
either side of her, that they were going to win the first prize. She had
heard too many unpleasant remarks about herself to have even the
slightest hope of winning any prize at all--let alone the first.

"Anyhow, we'll be going home tonight," Henrietta said to herself. "And
I'll never, never, never come to another fair. I'll go and hide 'way up
high in the haymow where they can't find me before I'll spend another
week in a place like this."

While she was muttering under her breath like that some men came up to
her pen. And Henrietta Hen promptly squatted down in the furthest corner
of it, hoping they wouldn't say anything disagreeable about her. She felt
that she had already heard about all she could stand. She didn't even
look at her callers. And soon they moved away.

Then Henrietta glanced up. She noticed something blue dangling from the
front of her pen. And there was a greater commotion than ever on all
sides of her.

"What is it?" she cried. "What has happened?"

Neighbor Number 1, on her right, shot a spiteful look at her.

"Those stupid judges!" she spluttered. "They've made a terrible blunder.
They've gone and given you and your chicks the first prize. And of course
it was meant for me and mine!"

"It wasn't!" screamed Neighbor Number 2 (on Henrietta's left). "That
prize was intended for me and my children!"