hey began to fight sadly for each worm or grain of
corn which they found.

15. Though Betty and the rest of the chickens grew up white as snow,
one of these young cocks had a speckled breast, and the other had two
black feathers in his tail. This spoilt their look.

16. They were both taken away one day by a strange man, in spite of all
that their mother could say. She bustled up and tried to rescue her
sons. Although they were both in the habit of eating too much, she
loved them in spite of all.

* * * * *

_Write:_ A little chick was picked up by a puppy. He did not kill it,
but put it down when the hen came after him. The chicken was not hurt.

Questions: 1. How many brothers and sisters had Betty? 2.
What did the puppy do one day? 3. What did the old hen do?
4. What did Betty's mistress call her? 5. What sort of
chickens were the two brothers? 6. What became of them?

2. BETTY IS SPOILT.

1. Time passed on, and Betty grew fast in size and beauty. Her mistress
made up her mind to send her to the Poultry Show at the Crystal Palace.

2. The cook and all who saw her said that Betty ought to go, her beauty
was so great. She was quite a perfect pattern of what a white hen of
her sort ought to be.

3. She would be certain to win a first prize of the first class, they
all thought. Poor Betty! From the day that it was settled for her to go
to the Poultry Show her troubles began.

4. When first it was made known in the yard she became rather vain, in
spite of all that her mother could say. The fact was that the old hen
felt proud of it herself, and Betty knew it.

5. She would be always pluming the feathers of her daughter, cackling
loudly, and calling to strange chickens to come and admire the lovely
back and smooth wings of her child.

[Illustration: COCK-A-DOODLE-DO!]

6. The young cocks from next door sat on the railings to chatter, and
even forgot to quarrel. They stared at Miss Betty as she walked with
her beak in the air, and they made rude remarks.

7. "Why don't you grow a pair of spurs and learn to crow?" they called
out. When Mrs. Dorking, Betty's mother, heard these speeches from the
young cocks she flew into a great passion.

8. "I will set the dog at you, you young scamps, if you do not be off
this moment," cried she. So they dropped off one by one, for they did
not know that the old hen was not able to carry out her threat.

9. As Betty be