they had built two nests
and each old hen had ten eggs in her nest.

"If your folks hear of it they will take the eggs!" said the hens, "and
then we could not raise our families!"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Raggedy Ann felt the eggs and they were nice and warm.

"We just left the nests when you fell into the pen!" explained the old
hens.

"But how can the eggs grow if you sit upon them?" said Raggedy. "If Fido
sits on any of the garden, the plants will not grow, Mistress says!"

"Eggs are different!" one old hen explained. "In order to make the eggs
hatch properly, we must sit on them three weeks and not let them get
cold at any time!"

"And at the end of the three weeks do the eggs sprout?" asked Raggedy
Ann.

"You must be thinking of eggplant!" cried one old hen. "These eggs hatch
at the end of three weeks--they don't sprout--and then we have a lovely
family of soft downy chickies; little puff balls that we can cuddle
under our wings and love dearly!"

"Have you been sitting upon the eggs very long?" Raggedy asked.

"Neither one of us has kept track of the time," said one hen. "So we do
not know! You see, we never leave the nests only just once in a while to
get a drink and to eat a little. So we can hardly tell when it is day
and when it is night."

"We were going out to get a drink when you fell in the pen!" said one
old hen. "Now we will have to sit upon the eggs and warm them up again!"

The two old hens spread their feathers and nestled down upon the nests.

"When you get them good and warm, I would be glad to sit upon the eggs
to keep them warm until you get something to eat and drink!" said
Raggedy. So the two old hens walked out of the coop to finish their meal
which had been interrupted by Raggedy's fall and while they were gone,
Raggedy Ann sat quietly upon the warm eggs. Suddenly down beneath her
she heard something go, "Pick, pick!" "I hope it isn't a mouse!" Raggedy
Ann said to herself, when she felt something move. "I wish the old hens
would come back." But when they came back and saw the puzzled expression
on her face, they cried, "What is it?"

[Illustration]

Raggedy Ann got to her feet and looked down and there were several
little fluffy, cuddly baby chickies, round as little puff-balls.

"Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!" they cried when Raggedy stepped out of the nest.

"Baby Chicks!" Raggedy cried, as she stooped and picked up one of the
little puff-balls. "They want to be cuddled