 | Flowers for children |  |
THE HEN AND HER DUCKS.
There was a little hen,
Very small and thick,
And this little hen
Never had a chick.
Very small and thick,
And this little hen
Never had a chick.
But in the straw, one day,
She began to scratch,
And four eggs she did lay,
Some young ones to hatch.
She began to scratch,
And four eggs she did lay,
Some young ones to hatch.
The farmer heard her cluck,
And he thought it best,
To put the eggs of a duck
Into biddy's nest.
And he thought it best,
To put the eggs of a duck
Into biddy's nest.
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And soon the hen marched out,
With a pretty young brood,
But what she led about,
She never understood.
With a pretty young brood,
But what she led about,
She never understood.
Proud was the little biddy,
When she called chuck, chuck;
She did not know, the niddy,
A chicken from a duck.
When she called chuck, chuck;
She did not know, the niddy,
A chicken from a duck.
The first pond they came nigh,
The ducks waddled in,
While poor biddy did cry,
And make a loud din.
The ducks waddled in,
While poor biddy did cry,
And make a loud din.
But the ducks did not know
What frightened their mother,
Or what made her scream so,
And make such a pother.
What frightened their mother,
Or what made her scream so,
And make such a pother.
For they liked it right well,
To splash in the waters,
While the hen could not tell
What on earth ailed her daughters
To splash in the waters,
While the hen could not tell
What on earth ailed her daughters
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So she spread out her wings,
And went screaming about,
Till the fat little things
Had all paddled out.
And went screaming about,
Till the fat little things
Had all paddled out.
The poor hen did not know,
For nobody taught her,
That young ducks always go
Right into the water.
For nobody taught her,
That young ducks always go
Right into the water.
And she never understood
That farmers play tricks;
So she thought her little brood
Were all honest chicks.
That farmers play tricks;
So she thought her little brood
Were all honest chicks.
And hard she did strive
To teach them aright,
For to see them all dive,
Gave her many a fright.
To teach them aright,
For to see them all dive,
Gave her many a fright.
But the ducklings grew strong,
And she stopped her cries;
For she thought she was wrong,
And the little ones wise.
And she stopped her cries;
For she thought she was wrong,
And the little ones wise.
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They grew up and went away,
And biddy lived alone,
Till she laid some eggs one day,
Under the barn-door stone.
And biddy lived alone,
Till she laid some eggs one day,
Under the barn-door stone.
She kept her eggs full warm,
And brooded them so well,
That by and bye a swarm
Of chickens broke the shell.
And brooded them so well,
That by and bye a swarm
Of chickens broke the shell.
Proud was the hen, and fond,
But little she did know,
For down unto the pond,
She made the young ones go.
But little she did know,
For down unto the pond,
She made the young ones go.
When she saw they would not dive,
She made a great ado,
For she thought she ought to drive
Her little chickens through.
She made a great ado,
For she thought she ought to drive
Her little chickens through.
The poor little timid things,
They were afraid to go,
But she beat them with her wings;
She thought she must do so.
They were afraid to go,
But she beat them with her wings;
She thought she must do so.
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They knew not what she meant;
She drove them round and round,
Till into the pond they went,
And there her chickens drowned.
She drove them round and round,
Till into the pond they went,
And there her chickens drowned.
Poor little biddy couldn't think
What made her first brood thrive,
And all the others sink,
Before they learned to dive.
What made her first brood thrive,
And all the others sink,
Before they learned to dive.
It was a pity she didn't know
It could not bring good luck,
To train a little chicken up
As if it were a duck.
It could not bring good luck,
To train a little chicken up
As if it were a duck.
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