You can't
treat me as if I were a Hen." And he chuckled--in a croaking sort of
fashion.

Turkey Proudfoot glared at him. He knew that it was useless to rush at
Mr. Crow. The old gentleman would only rise into the air and sail away
with a loud haw-haw.

Now, Mr. Crow was a famous tease. He dearly loved to annoy others. And
he gave Turkey Proudfoot a sly glance.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "I have a twinge of rheumatism."

"Where is your pain?" asked Turkey Proudfoot.

"In one of my drumsticks," said old Mr. Crow promptly, with a
spluttering cough, to keep from laughing.

Turkey Proudfoot was furious.

"Cranberry sauce and drumsticks!" he exclaimed. "You do choose the most
painful things to talk about."

"I was only trying to be polite," Mr. Crow told him. "You're always
complaining that I don't talk about matters you can understand."

"I understand these only too well--" Turkey Proudfoot said--"especially
at this season of the year!"

XXIII

VACATION TIME

It was well along in November. And Turkey Proudfoot was feeling
fidgetty. Whenever Farmer Green or the hired man stepped into the yard,
he started up with a wild look in his eye.

Turkey Proudfoot was no longer roosting at night in the tree near the
farmhouse.

With the coming of cold weather he had been glad enough to roost under a
shed beside the barn.

Ever since the winter before, Turkey Proudfoot had enjoyed sound sleeps
at night. But for weeks now he had often waked up in the middle of the
night and found himself all a-shiver.

"It's the fault of that horrid old Mr. Crow," Turkey Proudfoot
complained to old dog Spot one day. "He would talk about cranberry sauce
and drumsticks. And of course a person can't sleep well with such things
on his mind."

Old dog Spot nodded.

"Isn't it about time for you to go on your yearly vacation?" he
inquired.

"Don't talk so loud!" Turkey Proudfoot hissed. And he took a quick
glance all around. Then he said to old dog Spot, in almost a whisper,
"To-morrow morning I'll be missing. Now, don't tell anybody!"

"Certainly not!" Spot promised. "I'm glad you're going away for a little
change. I've thought lately that you were getting more peevish and
quarrelsome than ever."

"I'm not!" Turkey Proudfoot gobbled. "I may be a bit excitable because
I've lost a good deal of sleep lately. But I'm as good-natured as I ever
was."

"Oh, very well!" said Spot. "I'll admit all that. I certainly don't want
to quar