wallowed his cud and began to
chew it as though nothing had happened. His brother heard him chuckle
once in a while, and say, "Different!" under his breath.

When the Off Ox awakened from time to time during that night and heard
the Guinea Hens talking in the dark, he chuckled again to himself. The
Guinea Cock was a sound sleeper, but the Hens always talked a great deal
between sunset and sunrise, and especially if it were about to rain.
Other people thought that they might talk more in the daytime and then
keep quiet when their neighbors wanted to sleep. They declared that they
always remembered so many things to say as soon as they went to roost,
and that if they waited until morning they might forget more than half.

The very next day, the Off Ox had the chance he wanted. He and his
brother were yoked to the stone-boat and left standing by the
poultry-yard. "Good-afternoon," said he. "Is the bright-legged Guinea
Hen here?"

"I am," she answered, coming close to the pickets.

"We are just going over to your old home," said he, "with this load of
stone. Have you any messages to send to your friends?"

The Guinea Hen looked rather uncomfortable, and stood first on one foot
and then the other. "Tell them I am well," said she.

"I will," said the Off Ox, in his hearty way. "I will try to tell them
all. I think I can, too, for there did not seem to be many people in
that farmyard. I didn't see Ducks or Geese at all. Are there any living
there?"

"No," said the Guinea Hen. She did not seem to think of anything else to
say, although nobody spoke for a long time.

"Of course not!" exclaimed the Off Ox. "How stupid of me to ask. There
is no brook or river on that farm."

Still the Guinea Hen said nothing.

"We are dragging stone for their new barn," said the Off Ox. "Or perhaps
I should say for their barn. One could hardly say that they have any
yet, although I suppose they use those loosely built sheds for barns. I
wonder people can spend a winter where there are such drafts; still,
home is always home, and people love it for that reason. We are glad to
have your family with us, not only to keep away the Crows (which was
part of the Guinea Fowls' work), but because you will be more
comfortable. I've never yet in all my travels seen so good a farm as
this, and the one you left was so different! Good-bye."

There was not much talking in the poultry-yard the rest of the
afternoon, although most of the fowls looked h