is a brush. But a Turkey's wing is a wing. Old dog Spot doesn't
know what he's talking about. No doubt Mrs. Green has a Fox's brush
hanging up beside her kitchen range."

Still, most of the farmyard folks insisted that the missing gobbler had
met with an accident. Anyhow, the question as to what had become of him
didn't trouble Turkey Proudfoot. The fellow was gone. And there wasn't
another young gobbler on the farm that was likely to have a tail out of
the ordinary. So Turkey Proudfoot was content.

His peace of mind lasted only a few days. He was ranging through the
meadow one morning when he heard a great commotion in the farmyard. Old
Mr. Crow soon came sailing over from the edge of the woods to see what
was the matter. And after a while he went sailing back again. On his way
he stopped to drop down into the meadow and speak to Turkey Proudfoot.

"You ought to hurry home," Mr. Crow croaked. "Johnnie Green has a new
pet. You ought to see him."

"Johnnie Green's pets don't interest me," Turkey Proudfoot sniffed.
"He's never owned a pet yet that had a tail worth looking at twice. As
for his Guinea Pigs--well, they haven't tails that you could look at
even once. They haven't any tails at all. I must say I don't admire
Johnnie Green's taste in pets," said Turkey Proudfoot.

"Ah! This one is different," Mr. Crow told him with a hoarse laugh.
"When you see his tail you'll fold yours up in a hurry. And you'll never
spread it again."

"Impossible!" cried Turkey Proudfoot. "Impossible!" He was so angry with
Mr. Crow that he couldn't say anything more.

For all that, he strode away towards the farmyard. And he had a most
uneasy feeling under his wishbone.

XIII

THE NEW PET

Turkey Proudfoot came hurrying back to the farmyard from the meadow
where Mr. Crow had stopped and advised him to go home and see Johnnie
Green's new pet.

When Turkey Proudfoot scurried around the barn he found everybody all
a-flutter. No one paid any attention to Turkey Proudfoot, though he
spread his tail and strutted up to his neighbors with a most important
air.

"What's going on here?" Turkey Proudfoot demanded in his most lordly
tone.

Henrietta Hen went out of her way to answer him. "Johnnie Green has a
new pet," she explained. "He's a wonderful creature."

"I don't think much of him," said the rooster. He had a surly look, as
if something--perhaps a pebble--had stuck in his crop.

"I can't quite swallow this new pet," t