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42653 Maude Sealy 16

TRUE STORIES ABOUT PETS, ANECDOTES, &c.

QUEER DOINGS OF A HEN.

DEAR MR. EDITOR,--I am writing to tell you of a hen who had a good
memory. She had some ducks' eggs put under her, which she sat on and
hatched; she was very proud of her brood, and accordingly she took them
out into the yard. In the yard was a pond, which the young ducks
immediately ran to, and in they went. She was in a great fright, and
flew from the shore to an island there was in the middle of the pond
incessantly, and ran round and round, and called them, but in vain.
After a time they came out of the pond, and she brought them up quite
safely.

[Illustration]

Again she was set on duck's eggs, and again they went into the pond and
put her in a terrible fright. These she reared as before. After this she
was set upon hen's eggs, and she hatched them all. Then she took the
chickens into the yard, expecting them to go into the pond as the
ducklings had; but they would not go near. So she called to them, and
flew backwards and forwards from the island; and when they would not go
in she actually took each one and tipped it over into the water! Thus
she drowned all her brood--a very queer thing for a hen to do.

FLORENCE J. MEDDLYCOT.
(Aged 12-3/4.)

_Hill Vicarage, Falfield, R. S. O., Gloucestershire._

A STRANGE NURSLING.

DEAR MR. EDITOR,--A friend of mine many years ago was walking with her
brothers and sisters, when she found a young rabbit which had been
slightly hurt. She picked it up and resolved to take it home and keep
it. But now the question arose, How was she to feed it? Suddenly a
bright idea seized her. The cat at home had lately had kittens, and some
of them being drowned, she (the girl) determined to put the rabbit with
the survivors. She did so, and to her delight the cat brought it up as
one of her own.

SIDNEY H. DUXBURY.
(Aged 13-3/4.)

_Locksley, Southborne-on-Sea, near Christchurch, Hants._

WHO HID THE BRUSHES?

DEAR MR. EDITOR,--My mother had a horse which she used to drive called
"Jacky," who disliked being groomed. The stable-men kept their brushes
in a little cupboard near his stall; but sometimes when they came to
groom him they could not find them. So one day they watched him, and saw
him slip his halter and go to the cupboard and knock with his nose until
he got it open. Then he took out the brushes and hid them under his