and hoofs, and Tita gilded the legs and feet of the little
white hen.

While she was doing it, the red rooster stuck his bill into the dish and
swallowed two great big bites of gold paint on his own account! Dona
Teresa saw him do it.

[Illustration]

"If he isn't trying to gild himself on the inside!" she cried. "Did you
ever see such sinful pride!" And then she made him swallow a large piece
of red pepper because she was afraid the paint would disagree with him.

The red rooster seemed depressed for a long time after that; but whether
it was because of the paint, or the pepper, or being so awfully dressed
up, I cannot say. His bill was gilded because he had dipped it in the
gold paint, so they gilded his legs to match. Then they tied a white
tissue-paper wreath with long streamers around his neck. They tied a
red one on the little white hen. They tried to decorate the turkey, too,
but he was in no mood for it, and gobbled and pecked at them so savagely
that Dona Teresa had to tie up his head in a rag!

They stuck some red tissue-paper flowers in Tonto's wreath, and tied red
tissue-paper streamers to the goat's horns. They put a green ruff around
the cat's neck, and a red one on the dog; but the dog ran at once to the
river and waded in and got it all wet, and the color ran out and dyed
his coat, and the ruff fell off, before they were even ready to start.

IV

At last a gong sounded from the big house.

The gong was the signal for the procession to start, and the moment they
heard it, the people began pouring out of their cabins, and getting
their animals together to drive toward the place where the blessing was
to be.

Dona Teresa and Tita threw their _rebozos_ over their heads, and Tonio
put on his sombrero. Then Dona Teresa untied the turkey's legs and took
him in her arms; and though his head was still tied in the cloth, he
gobbled like everything.

Tita took the little white hen on one arm, and her kitten on the other,
and Tonio led the donkey, with Jasmin following behind.

They were all ready to start, when Dona Teresa cried out, "Upon my soul!
We nearly forgot the goat! Surely she's needing a blessing as much as
the worst of them."

She hurried back to the fig tree and untied the goat with one hand,
because she was still carrying the turkey with the other. When the goat
felt herself free, she gave a great jump and nearly jerked the rope out
of Dona Teresa's hand; then she went galloping towar