!"

The two old hens, their eyes shining with happiness, got upon the nests
and spread out their soft warm feathers, "The other eggs will hatch
soon!" said they.

So, for several days Raggedy helped the two hens hatch out the rest of
the chickies and just as they finished, Marcella came inside looking
around.

"How in the world did you get in here, Raggedy Ann?" she cried. "I have
been looking all about for you! Did the chickens drag you in here?"

Both old hens down behind the box clucked softly to the chickies beneath
them and Marcella overheard them.

She lifted the box away and gave a little squeal of surprise and
happiness.

"Oh you dear old Hennypennies!" she cried, lifting both old hens from
their nests. "You have hidden your nests away back here and now you have
one, two, three, four--twenty chickies!" and as she counted them,
Marcella placed them in her apron; then catching up Raggedy Ann, she
placed her over the new little chickies.

"Come on, old Hennypennies!" she said, and went out of the coop with the
two old hens clucking at her heels.

Marcella called Daddy and Daddy rolled two barrels out under one of the
trees and made a nice bed in each. Then he nailed slats across the
front, leaving a place for a door. Each Hennypennie was then given ten
little chickies and shut up in the barrel. And all the dolls were happy
when they heard of Raggedy's adventure and they did not have to wait
long before they were all taken out to see the new chickies.

[Illustration]

RAGGEDY ANN AND THE MOUSE

Jeanette was a new wax doll, and like Henny, the Dutch doll, she could
say "Mamma" when anyone tipped her backward or forward. She had lovely
golden brown curls of real hair. It could be combed and braided, or
curled or fluffed without tangling, and Raggedy Ann was very proud when
Jeanette came to live with the dolls.

But now Raggedy Ann was very angry--in fact, Raggedy Ann had just ripped
two stitches out of the top of her head when she took her rag hands and
pulled her rag face down into a frown (but when she let go of the frown
her face stretched right back into her usual cheery smile).

And _you_ would have been angry, too, for something had happened to
Jeanette.

Something or someone had stolen into the nursery that night when the
dolls were asleep and nibbled all the wax from Jeanette's beautiful
face--and now all her beauty was gone!

"It really is a shame!" said Raggedy Ann as she put her