ll
by the stiff brushing of his wing-tips on the ground that he was very
angry. "Get away from here!" he cried. "This is my home and little girls
can't wear red dresses when they visit me. Pffff! Get away!"

The little girl turned to run as the big Gobbler came puffing toward
her. In her fright she stumbled and fell, and he hurried forward to
strike her. The Black Spanish Cock began to ruffle his neck feathers and
stretch his head forward. He did not mean to have their visitor treated
so. He ran between the Gobbler's feet and they tumbled over together.
The little girl picked herself up and hurried into the house.

If the Gobbler was angry before, he was much more so after his fall.
"What do you mean, sir," he said, "by tripping me?"

"And what do you mean," said the Black Spanish Cock, "by knocking me
over?"

"Pffff! You were under my feet."

"Erruuuu! You were over my head."

Now nobody had dared to disagree with the Gobbler in so long that he did
not know what to make of it, and when the Shanghai Cock strolled over
to help his friend, the Gobbler was fairly sputtering with rage. "Ah,
Gobbler," said the Shanghai, "wonder what has become of the little girl?
It was nice of her to come out here, and I wish she had stayed longer."

[Illustration: THE BIG GOBBLER CAME PUFFING TOWARD HER.]

"I told her to get away," was the answer. "She had on a red dress. I
chased her. I always have chased anybody who wore red, and I always
shall. It's my way."

"Is it your way, too, to be cross whenever you feel like it?"

"Of course. I wouldn't be cross when I didn't feel like it," answered
the Gobbler.

"Some of us are not cross when we do feel like it," said the Dorking
Cock. "I am always happier for keeping my temper when I can."

"Pffff!" said the Gobbler. "That is not my way. I say right out what I
think, and then I am all right again and forget all about it."

"Humph!" said the Bantam Hen. "I wonder if the other people forget as
soon? It would do him more good to remember it and feel sorry. He needs
a lesson." Then she stalked up to him, looking as brave as you please,
although she was really quite frightened. "I never noticed it before,"
she cackled, "but the tuft of hairy feathers on your breast is
dreadfully ragged. And what very ugly looking feet you have! If I were
going to have any webs between my toes I should want good big ones like
those of the Ducks and Geese, not snippy little halfway webs like yours.
I h