al measurement that evening.

"Pooh," said Chicken Little, "it looks dreadful, but it won't hurt you.
If I can find some stones I'm going to try to kill it."

"Don't you dare go near it." Katy grabbed her dress and held on tight.

"But we'll all be scared to death all the time, for fear we come across
it again, if I don't. There are some rocks over there big enough, if I
can get them out of the ground."

She went resolutely over and, prying with a stick, secured two
good-sized rocks. Armed with these, she started toward the snake coiled
up asleep in the hot July sunshine. Katy and Gertie watched her
breathlessly. Chicken Little advanced with caution. She didn't like the
job herself, though she was sure the snake wouldn't do anything worse
than run. She had seen her elders kill them more than once, and they had
always been cowardly. Nevertheless, her heart thumped and her breath
came fast, as she crept nearer. She must go close and aim at the head if
she hoped to do any execution. Step by step she crept forward till she
was within four feet of that ugly coil. Stopping, she raised the heavy
stone and took careful aim. At this instant her presence disturbed the
snake. It raised its oval head, fixing her with its beady, bright eyes.
A thrill of horror shot through her. What if it should fascinate her so
she couldn't move? She had heard of such things. She heaved the stone,
shutting her eyes tight as it left her hand.

Katy and Gertie both screamed and jumped back. Jane opened her eyes
quickly to see the snake uncoil and start to glide away. She saw
something else, too. She saw that her stone had wounded it just behind
the head. Her courage flowed back in a trice. She raised the other stone
and moved forward. The snake was slipping over the ground at a swift
pace. She had to run, catching up with it as it came to its hole, a few
feet distant. She smashed down the second rock almost in the same place
she had hit before. The reptile moved feebly about six inches farther
till its ugly head was hidden inside the hole, then thrashed its heavy
body through another undulation, and lay still.

Chicken Little stood looking at it in dazed surprise for several
seconds. She was white and trembling with excitement. Seeing that it did
not move, Katy and Gertie crept a little closer. No one said a word for
a full minute, then Chicken Little came to life, her face convulsed with
loathing.

"Ugh, the nasty thing--I hate them. I don't