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The Tale of Henrietta Hen, a short story by Arthur Scott Bailey |
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XI - OLD WHITEY'S ADVICE |
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_ XI - OLD WHITEY'S ADVICE Old Whitey--the most ancient hen in the flock--scrambled with some difficulty up to the top of the haymow in Farmer Green's barn. She could scarcely keep up with Henrietta Hen, whom she was following--by request. And when she arrived, breathless, at Henrietta's nest that proud and elegant creature turned a troubled face toward her. "See!" said Henrietta. "I've taken your advice and laid another egg. But it's nothing like the beautiful, big, white one. This last egg is much smaller; and it's brown." Old Whitey nodded her head. "Well!" she said. "What's your difficulty?" "Don't you think," said Henrietta, "that if Johnnie Green finds my nest he'll be sure to take both eggs?" "No, I don't," was old Whitey's blunt answer. "Then he'll be sure to take the big, white one," Henrietta Hen wailed. "No, he won't," old Whitey told her. "If he does, I'll miss my guess." Well, that was really too much for Henrietta Hen to believe. "That boy will never take a little egg and leave a big one," she declared. "You wait and see if he doesn't," old Whitey advised her. So Henrietta waited. Though she had little faith in old Whitey's advice, Henrietta could think of nothing else to do. And the next morning, to her great surprise, when Johnnie Green climbed into the haymow and found her nest he took the small brown egg and put it in his hat. And he never touched the big, white egg at all. He didn't even pick it up and look at it! Perched on a beam overhead Henrietta Hen watched him breathlessly. And as soon as he had gone she went flopping down to the barn floor and set up a great clamor for old Whitey. "What is it now?" old Whitey asked, sticking her head inside the doorway. "Your guess was a good one!" cried Henrietta Hen. "He came; and he took the small one." "There!" said old Whitey. "I told you so! I knew Johnnie Green wouldn't rob you of that big egg. And if you keep laying small eggs in that same nest you'll find he'll let you keep the big one." Henrietta Hen fairly beamed at her companion. "How delightful!" she exclaimed. "I've become very, very fond of that big egg. I love to look at it. But there's another thing that worries me now. If that big egg should get broken--" "Don't let that trouble you!" said old Whitey. "I'm almost afraid to sit on my nest," Henrietta Hen confessed. "If the shell of that egg should happen to be thin--" Old Whitey seemed much amused by Henrietta's fears. "Let me know if you break it," she said. And then she left Henrietta with her treasure. "I'll be very careful," Henrietta called after the old dame. _ |
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