ame
each night when every one was sound asleep? And what was it that carried
one of the chickens away each time so that, when the next morning came,
there was always one less than there had been the day before? Whatever
it was, it made no noise. Only, always the next morning some one was
missing, and usually it was a little baby chick that was gone. The worst
of it was that no one else knew any more about it than she did. To be
sure, little Bantam Rooster had said it was the hawk. But then Bantam
always thought he knew everything, and was almost always wrong, so that
nobody ever believed anything he said.

Besides, if it had been, the big white cock would have known it, for the
big white cock knew everything. He was the king of the barnyard, and
took care of them all. He had a bright red comb and beautiful, long,
green tail-feathers, and Mamma Goose thought him the most wonderful
being in the whole world.

But something seemed to be wrong with him, too. He did not crow half so
often as he used to, and his beautiful red comb did not stand stiff and
straight any more. It drooped to one side and he looked very tired and
very unhappy, as if he, too, had been trying to think. But if he did not
know what it was that came night after night, then nobody knew.

Everything had been very different when old Fido lived in his little
house by the barnyard gate. Nothing had ever happened to trouble them
then. But old Fido was gone now, and nobody knew about that either. One
morning after breakfast he had trotted off behind the wagon, and nobody
had seen him since. Every one liked old Fido, and they all missed him,
but he had never come back and his little house stood empty all night
long.

Some thought that he had gone to take care of the sheep who lived in the
big field on the other side of the hill. But it was only little Bantam
Rooster who said so. Nobody knew. Things had been better, though, before
Fido went away, for he had always stayed awake all night and watched to
see that no harm came to any of them.

Then suddenly Mamma Goose had a thought, and a very bright idea it was,
too. She would stay awake all night herself, and watch and see with her
own eyes what it was that carried away the little chicks. As soon as she
had made this plan she stopped thinking, for it was such hard work and
the sun was getting very hot on her poor head. Besides, the goslings had
been in the water long enough. They never did know when to come o