The Surprising and Singular Adventures of a Hen as Related by Herself to Her Family of Chickens

One day, as an old speckled hen was scratching up some grubs for her numerous family, one of her chicks came running up to her. Oh, mother, pray do go and kill the young bantam cock! Why? replied the mother. Oh! he has behaved to me worse than ever any chicken behaved to another, and I will be revenged; I know I cannot fight him myself, but I hope you will. Not till I know how he has offended. Why, I had just scratched up a fine fat worm, and was cackling with delight, thinking what a nice feast I should have, when the nasty little bantum came, snatched it from me, ran away with it, and eat it, even before my face.

Doubtless he has behaved very improperly, replied the old hen; but that is no reason you should; the best way of revenging yourself, is to take no notice of him, or ever play with him again; instead of wasting your time in quarrelling, search for another. What! and not punish him for so very unjust an action! did you ever hear of any thing so shameful before? Oh yes, many things. I should like to hear one of them. Well, my dear, I have no objection; but as it is so very hot, it would be better to go under the shade of the laburnum, and I will then relate to you the chief occurrences of my eventful life. The old hen then walked stately on, followed by her chickens; and having got upon a stone, to be a little higher than her audience, the young ones ranged themselves round her, and she began as follows:

I was hatched with six more in a large nest, formed by my mother; as soon as we broke the shell, she carefully threw out every thing she thought would hurt our tender bodies, spread her warm wings over us, and prattled us to sleep: when we awoke, we complained of hunger; she immediately went forth in search of food, but, alas! we never saw her more.

There chanced to be a large strange dog in the yard, my mother thinking he came to destroy us, flew at him, the contest was unequal, the dog provoked, seized my mother by the neck, and strangled her.

We lay cold and comfortless, wondering what had become of our parent. Before night, two of my brothers died; and we should all soon have shared their fate, had not a little girl, the farmer's daughter, found us: she took us to the fire, and fed us with a little warm milk and bread, which revived us; she then wrapped us up in flannel, and put us in a little basket, which she put in the chimney corner. She fed us very regularly; but I suppose not with proper food, as all my poor sisters and brothers died, probably I was stronger than they. My little mistress grew very fond of me, as I would eat out of her hand, and when she called chickee, would run to her.

As I grew large, I was very troublesome in flying upon the tables, and pecking at every thing; many severe blows I got from the farmer and his servants; who always ended by saying, if that troublesome fowl is not sent into the poultry yard, it shall certainly be killed; but my mistress always begged that I might stay a little longer, for she feared the other fowls would drive me away.

And indeed I had not endeavoured to make friends of any of them; but when the door was open, and I could see them, I insulted them, with calling out, poor creatures! you are obliged to work hard all day, and can scarcely get enough to eat, while I am fed plentifully with the greatest dainties, and have nothing to do but amuse myself. An old hen who had been a friend of my mother's, offered to supply her place, in teaching me how to scratch for myself; but I rejected her kind advice with disdain.

Illustration: Nursing the chicken.

At last my young mistress could keep me no longer, her father insisted that I should either be killed, or go with the rest of my species, and setting open the door they fairly hunted me out.

Now it was my turn to experience mortification: numbers had been witnesses of my disgraceful exit, and taunted me with, so her ladyship is obliged to come among the working people; I suppose food will come flying to her, as she is of too much consequence to work; I wonder if her claws are differently made to ours?

In the evening, when the servant came to scatter corn, I was very hungry, and thought that would be a nice treat for me; but, alas! coarse as the food was, it was denied me; no one would suffer me to partake, but flew at, and pecked me whenever I attempted it, saying, no, no, mistress, you shall have none of this, we who have done our duty, may be rewarded; but what have you done? nothing. Thus was I driven from society, a thousand times did I wish that I had never known any other pleasure than the rest, and that my mistress had not nursed me so tenderly; but she did it from kindness, and I shall ever respect her memory.

One morning I was rudely seized, and put with several more into a small wicker basket, to be taken to market: my sensations upon that occasion, no words can describe; to the market we came, and were exposed for sale.

Illustration: Putting the hen into the basket.

Numbers came to inquire our price, I was lifted up, and pricked, and pulled about, to see whether I was fat; but the distress I had of late been in, had made me very thin, I was therefore always thrown down again, with this observation, why, what a bag of bones this hussey is, I would not have her if you would give her to me.

All my companions were sold, and I remained till night tired and hungry. Towards the close of the market, when the people were preparing to return home, a little girl passed by me with a piece of bread in her hand; urged by hunger I pecked at it, and when she patted me, though my poor sides were all over bruises, I would not appear as if she hurt me, but rubbed my head against her hand; she seemed much delighted with me, crying out, Oh! what a nice tame little creature, how I wish you were mine, but I fear I have not money enough to buy you. Why what can you give? (said the man who brought me from the farm.) I have but one shilling; but I will give you all that. Very well, you shall have it then, for I am sure there is not any use in taking it back.

Little Ann, my new mistress, took me directly home; her mother lived in a thatched cottage, and was very poor: when she heard Ann had given all her money for me, she was very angry. Oh dear mother! you know it will soon lay eggs, which we can sell, and get chickens besides. You foolish girl, you cannot get both, what do you intend to feed it with? and we have no place to keep it in. Oh, we can keep it very well in the wood house, I will put up a perch for it, we will give it some crumbs to night, and to morrow it will provide for itself.

Illustration: Purchasing the hen.

I accordingly had a good supper and went to rest in a clay hovel, very different to what I had been accustomed to, but I thought how much worse my situation might have been; my fatigue and anxiety soon put me into a sound sleep, from which I was awakened, by being violently laid hold of. When I opened my eyes, I saw a great ugly man who held a sack and lanthorn in his hand. Oh! oh! mistress hen, I did not expect such luck, you will be a nice addition to my stock: he then threw me into the sack, which he flung over his shoulder, and walked a considerable way; this mode of carrying me, together with my sore bruises, produced such violent pain, that I grew quite insensible; when I recovered, I found myself confined with several of my fellow creatures in a large hen-coop, they told me they had all been stolen by the same man, some had been torn from their children, husbands, or parents. I asked for what purpose. What! can you be ignorant that he intends taking us to market to be killed, and eaten? At the thought of being exposed in my present miserable condition to be handled by the multitude, my blood froze in my veins.

Illustration: Stealing the hen.

I passed about a week in this coop; we were well fed, as our keeper wished to make us fat. One night we were alarmed with a tremendous noise, I turned to inquire the cause, when I saw the brave white cock trembling like a chick: oh! said he, give yourselves over now, nothing can save us from destruction, we shall all be devoured; no sooner had he said this, but a large fox entered; Oh! my children, how can I describe the horrors of the bloody scene which followed, even at this distance of time, the recollection draws tears from my eyes; I alone remained of all my companions; he was advancing to me, when some noise in the yard frightened him, and he ran away, leaving me more dead than alive with fright.

After he had been gone some time, I considered that if I stayed where I was, in a few days I should be taken to market: the board which the fox had broken down, offered the way to escape; but where was I to go to, how should I know the way to the cottage of Ann? but the market was worse to my imagination than any other thing. I went through the opening, flew down, and found myself in the open road, I ran as fast as possible, only stopping to take breath, or a mouthful of food; many frights had I before night, from dogs, boys, &c. As the sun was setting, I came to a fine large garden, with a high wall round it; I flew to the top, and not seeing any person in it, I thought I would look out for some grubs, or worms, in a fine bed of newly turned up mould, and then go to rest upon one of the trees; I had scarcely began my search, when I found in the ground some very pleasant tasted seeds, which I began to devour, when I received a blow upon my wing from a stone, and looking up, I beheld the gardener coming forward in a furious passion. So I have now discovered who it is that scratches up all my seeds; but these are the last you shall ever taste, believe me; saying this, he seized me in the most brutal manner. I screamed violently; by this time, another man came up, and said, Why, Thomas, what will you do with it? if it had been a cock, you might have had fine sport with it, in throwing sticks at it. And why can't I at a hen, pray? Oh, why nobody ever does. Well then, I will be the first to throw; I will take her to the village, tie her to a stake, and the boys shall have a throw for a halfpenny a piece.

While they were carrying me away, a lovely looking boy asked them what they were going to do with me. To make a cock-shye. Master, what is that? To throw sticks at it till it is killed. Oh, heavens! you surely are jesting, you cannot have so much barbarity? As to that, it has had the barbarity to eat up my seeds, to repay me for them, the nasty creature shall pay its life.

The young gentleman, whose name was Augustus Manly, entreated that he might purchase me, and offered half a crown; but the man determined I should have a few blows, and tied me to the stake, when Augustus seeming to be inspired with more than ordinary courage, threw down his half crown, and lifting me from the ground, when the barbarous gardeners were not looking, ran off with me in his arms: the men could not overtake him by running, but were cowardly enough to throw a stone, which struck me on the breast; but by the care of this humane boy, I soon entirely recovered.