University of Virginia Library

23. XXIII
BILLIE, JOHNNIE AND THE FAIRY HEN

OF course, you know there are all kinds of fairies. There are the story-book sort, that are really delightful, and then there are fairies that you meet every day, even on your way to school. Some of them are real fairies, and some are make-believe. Then there are creatures which some persons do not call fairies at all, but which really are, for they do the most wonderful things, more wonderful even than making a palace out of an old lamp or turning a mouse into an elephant. So, you see, if you don't believe in one kind of faires, you must believe in the other; that's certain. Now, Billie and Johnnie Bushytail met a real fairy — a fairy hen,

and I'm going to tell you all about it, if you don't wiggle too much.

The two little boy squirrels, with Sister Sallie, went out in the woods playing one day. They played tag and leapfrog, only they didn't leap over the toadstools, for they didn't want to make any more trouble for the old toad with the wart on his nose, who taught school.

“Oh, I'm tired of this,” said Billie, at length. “Let's do something else.”

“What shall we do?” asked Johnnie, and he ran up a tree and down again as fast as he could, just to keep in practice.

“I know!” exclaimed Sister Sallie. “Let's play house. I have my corncob doll with me.”

“No, I think it would be more fun to go sailing again,” went on Johnnie. “Sallie never went sailing. The wind is not strong

to-day, and I don't believe we'd tip over.”

“I think I'm afraid of the water,” said Sister Sallie timidly. “Can't we take a nice walk in the woods?”

“Yes,” agreed Billie. “Maybe we will have an adventure like finding the Christmas nuts.”

So they started off through the woods, Sister Sallie wheeling the corncob doll in the carriage with the wheels that weren't quite round. They went on and on and on, and pretty soon they came to a part of the woods where they had never been before. The trees grew up straight and tall, and there was moss on the ground, and a little pond close by. Oh, it was such a beautiful place that they wanted to stay there a long time.

Pretty soon they heard a noise in the bushes, and what should come walking out but a nice, big hen. As soon as she saw the

squirrels she ruffled up her feathers, and made a funny noise in her throat, but as soon as she knew they were not going to harm her, she quieted down and said. “Cluck-Cluck,” which was her way of saying “How do you do?”

“Hello,” spoke Johnnie, quite boldly. “What is your name?”

“My name is Mrs. Cut-cut-ka-dah-cut Cluck-Cluck,” she answered, “but every one calls me Mrs. Cluck-Cluck, so you may too, if you like,” and she scratched on the ground, as if she were bowing.

“What are you doing here?” asked Sister Sallie.

“Why,” said Mrs. Cluck-Cluck, “I am a fairy hen. I thought every one knew that. and I'm here to perform a wonderful trick.”

“Oh, fine!” cried Billie, who loved tricks “May we see it?”

“You certainly may,” replied the fairy hen. “I invite you all to see the magical, tragical, incomparable, serio-comical task I am about to perform. I will conceal nothing from you, and show you that I have nothing up my sleeves.”

Then the fairy hen held up one leg after another, and flapped her wings to show that she had nothing hidden about her.

“Come this way,” she said, and she led the squirrels through the bushes into a deep, dark part of the woods.

“Perhaps we are going to the fairy castle,” whispered Billie.

“Hush!” cautioned Sister Sallie.

Pretty soon Mrs. Cluck-Cluck stopped, pulled aside a bush with her wing, and, pointing to some white things in a heap on the ground, asked:

“Do you know what those are?”

“Yes,” answered Johnnie; “those are eggs.”

“Correct,” replied the fairy hen. “They are eggs, and the trick I am going to do is to change those into dear little chickens. Watch me closely.”

“Pooh!” exclaimed Billie. “I don't think that is much of a trick. Just make little chickens come out of an egg.”

“It is as much of a trick as to make a rabbit come out of a hat,” said Mrs. Cluck-Cluck, indignantly. “Just you watch.”

“I think it will be a lovely trick,” spoke Sister Sallie. “I love little chickens, and they will be just in time for Easter.”

“It will take me some little time to do this trick,” said the fairy hen, “but I am sure to do it. Please come back in a few days, and the trick will be done.”

So the little squirrels went back home,

quite pleased after all at meeting the fairy hen, and when they went back where the eggs were, would you believe me? if there weren't a number of dear, little, soft, downy chickens, peeping and cheeping, and all wanting something to eat, and all that was left of the eggs was shells. Now I call that a wonderful trick, don't you? Sister Sallie and Johnnie did, but Billie was a bit doubtful. Then the fairy hen saw this, so she said, “I will do a trick especially for Billie. Go home and you will find something strange at your nest.” So they all hurried home, leaving the little chickens with the fairy hen, and what Billie found you shall hear to-morrow night.