d two big trusses
together, made a bed of them, and lay down at full length. She felt
extremely comfortable there.

'It is so nice,' she murmured. 'Come and lie down like me. It is so
springy and soft, all this straw; and it tickles one so funnily in the
neck. Do you roll about in the straw at home? There is nothing I am
fonder of---- Sometimes I tickle the soles of my feet with it. That is
very funny, too----'

But at that moment, the big yellow cock, who had been gravely stalking
towards her, jumped upon her breast.

'Get away with you, Alexander! get away!' she cried. 'What a tiresome
creature he is! The idea of his perching himself on me---- You are too
rough, sir, and you scratch me with your claws. Do you hear me? I don't
want you to go away, but you must be good, and mustn't peck at my hair.'

Then she troubled herself no further about him. The cock still
maintained his position, every now and then glancing inquisitively at
the girl's chin with his gleaming eye. The other birds all began to
cluster round her. After rolling amongst the straw, she was now lying
lazily on her back with her arms stretched out.

'Ah! how pleasant it is,' she said; 'but then it makes me feel so
sleepy. Straw always makes one drowsy, doesn't it? Serge doesn't like
it. Perhaps you don't either. What do you like? Tell me, so that I may
know.'

She was gradually dozing off. For a moment she opened her eyes widely,
as though she were looking for something, and then her eyelids fell with
a tranquil smile of content. She seemed to be asleep, but after a few
minutes she opened her eyes again, and said:

'The cow is going to have a calf---- That will be so nice, and will
please me more than anything.'

Then she sank into deep slumber. The fowls had ended by perching on
her body; she was buried beneath a wave of living plumage. Hens were
brooding over her feet; geese stretched their soft downy necks over her
legs. The pig lay against her left side, while on the right, the goat
poked its bearded head under her arm. The pigeons were roosting and
nestling all over her, on her hands, her waist, and her shoulders. And
there she lay asleep, in all her rosy freshness, caressed by the cow's
warm breath, while the big cock still squatted just below her bosom with
gleaming comb and quivering wings.

Outside, the rain was falling less heavily. A sunbeam, escaping from
beneath a cloud, gilded the fine drops of water. Albine, who had
remained per