came vain she became idle too. Instead of making her
mother and sisters happy with her pretty playful ways, and making
herself useful and pleasant at home, she grew pettish.

10. And instead of working to help earn her own living, by catching
flies, scratching up worms, and watching under the old oak tree for
cock-chafers, she would lose patience, and call loudly to the cook to
bring her food.

11. And, strange to say, the cook would come too, and, not content with
waiting on Betty, would drive away each fowl and chick that came up to
share what she had brought.

12. She let none of them have a bit till Betty had eaten all that she
pleased. Was not this enough to spoil any young hen? Betty was fast
getting pert. All this was because of her good looks and her five toes.

13. You will see after a while that she would have been more happy if
she had been born ugly, or with four toes, like her sisters.

* * * * *

_Write:_ Betty was to go to a show. She grew vain when she heard this.
And as she became vain she grew idle too. She was spoilt.

Questions: 1. Where did Betty's mistress think of sending
her? 2. What did they all think that she would get at the
show? 3. What made her grow proud? 4. What did she do
instead of earning her living? 5. What did the young cocks
say? 6. What answer did the old hen make to them?

3. SOAP AND WATER.

1. After a little more time had passed, Betty was taken out of the
yard. They did not let her stay with her sisters and the other fowls
any longer, but she was placed in a large room by herself.

2. Here she was fed on all sorts of dainties. She had chestnuts, minced
liver, new milk, and fresh lettuce. Life was now a feast to Betty, but
she found it rather dull.

3. "I would rather have one worm or a spider," said she, with a sigh.
How she longed for a good scamper with her sisters! "I am sure that we
should never squabble now," said the poor, lonely little thing.

4. But this time alone did not last long. One morning a worse thing was
done to her. She was taken by the cook and plunged into a warm bath. It
was not of the least use for her to kick and scream.

5. The cook did not care. She rubbed Betty gently with a soaped
flannel, talking to her in a soothing way all the time, and then set
her down before the fire to dry.

6. But Betty's fright was soon over, and she was not at all hurt, of
course. Yet she might have c