is made in this

hay, and the old hen is in it.

Put your hand into the nest,

Mary.

O no, the hen will not let me !

But, Mary, I will hold her.

Well, Ned, if you can hold her, I will put my hand into the nest.

O Ned, there are some little chicks under the hen!

Are there ?

Do take her off from the nest and let us see them.

Now, Ned, the hen is off the nest,

and we can see the chicks. There are six of them.

O the dear little chicks! How pretty they are!

We will feed them, Mary.

Yes, I will run and get some food and give them some water.

Here, chick, chick, chick! Here is some water for you.

Will the old hen take care of them, Ned?

O yes. She will hide them under her wings.

See, mamma'! What a nice ship Ned has !

Yes, it is a very nice ship. You and Ned may go down by the pond and sail it, but do not get into the water.

Come, Ned, let us go.

see Roy?

Did you

Yes, and I saw the pretty toys the funny old man left for Mary. What old man, Ned?

I do not know, but he came and left a ship, drum, book, and some little dishes.

O how good! Look, here is Mary. I will ask her to let me see them. Now let us go and see the nest the hen made in the hay.

too.

Well, come on. Mary will go,

Here is the hen, Ned.

Let us

see if there are some little chicks under her.

Ned, you hold the hen, and Mary will put her hand into the nest.

Is there a chick under her, Mary? O yes. Take the hen off the nest. Well! well! Do look at the dear little chicks. One, two, three, four, five, six of them.

Run, Ned, get some food, and we will feed them.

Will the hen take care of them? Yes, she will hide them under her wings.