About Six Little Chickens
: FIRST STORIES FOR VERY LITTLE FOLK: Boys And Girls Bookshelf
BY S. L. ELLIOTT
A Mother Biddy sat on her nest, with what do you think in the nest? Six
smooth white eggs! After she had sat there quite a long time till she
was very tired, what do you suppose happened to one of those eggs? There
was a noise that went "snick, snick," and out of the shell stepped
something like a little fuzzy ball, but with two bright eyes, and two
bits of feet to wa
Yes, and Mother Biddy was so glad to see it, and she called it "Fluffy."
And Fluffy said "Peep, peep! I have some brothers and sisters in the
shells; if you call them, I think they will come." So Mother Biddy said
"Cluck, cluck!" and something said: "Peep, peep!" and out came another
chicken, as black as it could be, so Mother Biddy called it "Topsy."
"Are there any more?" said Mother Biddy. "Yes. Peep, peep! We're coming;
wait for us," and there came four more little chickens as fast as they
could run. One was as white as snow, and Mother Biddy called it
"Snowball." The next was yellow and white, and she named it "Daisy."
Then there was a yellow one with a brown ring around its neck, and that
was called "Brownie." And what do you think! one was all black, only it
had a little white spot on the top of its head that looked like a cap,
so Mother Biddy called it "Spottie." Now they were all out of their
shells, and they said: "Peep, peep! We're hungry." So Mother Biddy said:
"Cluck, cluck! Come see my babies," and out of the house, close by, came
a little girl with some corn-meal in a dish, and my! wasn't she glad to
see the chickens?
After they had eaten all they wanted, they thought they would take a
walk and see this queer world they had come to live in.
Pretty soon they came to a brook, and they all stood in a row and looked
in. "Let us have a drink," they said, so they put their heads down,
when--
"Peep, peep!" said Spottie. "I see a little chicken with a spot on its
head."
"No, no," said Brownie; "it has a ring around its neck, and looks like
me."
"Peep, peep!" said Daisy. "I think it's like me, for it is yellow and
white." And I don't know but they would all have tumbled in to see if
they hadn't felt something drop right on the ends of their noses.
"What's that?" said Fluffy.
"Cluck, cluck!" said Mother Biddy. "Every chicken of you come in, for it
is going to rain, and you'll get your feathers wet."
So they ran as fast as they could, and in a few minutes the six little
chickens were all cuddled under Mother Biddy's wing, fast asleep.
More
-
A Little Gentleman
When Mother drops things on the floor, My father asks me: "Who Should always pick them up for her?" And so I always do. He says I haven't far to reach And that a gentleman Must do things for his Mother ... A Long-bow Story
One day a bunniah,[1] or banker, was walking along a country road when he overtook a farmer going in the same direction. Now the bunniah was very grasping, like most of his class, and was lamenting that he had had no chance of making any money tha... A Lost Paradise
In the middle of a great forest there lived a long time ago a charcoal-burner and his wife. They were both young and handsome and strong, and when they got married, they thought work would never fail them. But bad times came, and they grew poo... A Message To Mother Goose
By Ellen Manly. Once on a time there lived a child--so it was told to me-- Who never heard of Mother Goose and her fine family. The man who lived up in the moon he saw her with his eyes, And told the shocking story to the ... A Miller His Son And Their Ass
A miller and his son were driving their ass to a neighboring fair to sell him. They had not gone far when they met a troop of women collected around a well. "Look," cried one, "did you ever see such fellows, to be trudging on foot when they might ... A Mock Battle
When Nimble had three-points on each of his antlers, in his fourth summer, he felt that he was at last grown up. He was now a "three-pointer." Some of the older bucks had no more points than he. Many of them were but "four-pointers." His own fathe... A Monkey-hunt
<div> <img src="/images/i196.png" alt="The Monkeys in the Tree Tops" title="The Monkeys in the Tree Tops" height="400" width="280" /> The Monkeys in the Tree Tops </div> <p>We all love to go a-hunting; every one of us in some way; and it is only the di... A Most Wonderful Sight
The most wonderful sight I ever did see Was an owl on the branch of our old oak-tree; His eyes were so large and his head was so small That he seemed all eyes and no head at all. ... A Natural Autograph Album
<p>If you live in the country, I can show you an old Woodcraft trick. Look for a hollow tree. Sometimes you can pick one out afar, by the dead top, and sometimes by noting a tree that had lost one of the biggest limbs years ago. In any case, basswood... A New Story Of The Lion And The Mouse
A long while ago, so the story goes, there was a time when the Lion, King of Beasts, had a little mouse at his mercy. The Lion was about to crush the mouse with his paw. The little mouse begged for his life, and the great King of Beasts spared him... A Pair Of Gloves
BY H. G. DURYEE The little girls who lived on Amity Street all wore mittens when they went to school in winter. Nobody's mother ever thought of anything else to keep small hands warm. Some mothers or grandmothers crocheted them, and some knit the... A Play For The Arms
Pump, pump, pump, Water, water, come; Here a rush, there a gush, Done, done, done. ... A Prisoner Of The Caucasus
I. A certain gentleman was serving as an officer in the Caucasus. His name was Zhilin. One day he received a letter from home. His old mother wrote to him: "I have grown old, and I should like to see my darling son before my death. Come to... A Queer Case
Agnes, you and John may look at this watch. Don't you think its covering is very pretty? The covering of the watch is called its case. Now we will open it, and you may look inside and see what this pretty case covers. Look at all these little whee... A Rabbit's Story Of His Life Written By Himself
<p>Yes, the Rabbit wrote it himself and about himself in the oldest writing on earth, that is the tracks of his feet.</p> <div> <img src="/images/i157.png" alt="A WOODCRAFT TRAGEDY As shown by the Tracks and Signs in the Snow" title="A WOODCRAFT TRAGED... A Real Little Boy Blue
BY CAROLINE S. ALLEN Once there were four little brothers. The oldest had black eyes. He was called Little Boy Black. But I haven't time to tell about him just now. The second little brother had brown eyes. He was called Little Boy Brown. But I c... A Riddle
A plum blossom foot, And a pudding face sweet; He's taller when he's sitting Than when standing on his feet. ... A Solomon Come To Judgment
BY CHARLES W. MOORES Lincoln's practical sense and his understanding of human nature enabled him to save the life of the son of his old Clary's Grove friend, Jack Armstrong, who was on trial for murder. Lincoln, learning of it, went to the old mo... A Sparrow Calls On A Hippopotamus
"The hippopotamus who lived in the zoo had a very strange caller the other day," said daddy. "Into the animal house flew a sparrow. The keeper called out to him: "'Where are you going, sparrow?' But the sparrow did not answer. He flew righ... A Spike Horn
Nimble didn't mind losing his spots, when he grew older. He had something else that gave him much more pleasure than they ever had. He had a new toy. Or to be exact, he had two new toys. And everywhere he went he carried them with him. He carri... A Story About A Darning-needle
There was once a Darning-needle who thought herself so fine that she believed she was an embroidery-needle. 'Take great care to hold me tight!' said the Darning-needle to the Fingers who were holding her. 'Don't let me fall! If I once fall on the... A Story For Very Little Folk To Read No Word In It Has More Than Four Letters
BY A. L. SYKES "I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare to his Mama one day, as he ran to the door of his home. "What do you want to do, my dear?" she said. "I do not know, but I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare. "You may... A Story Of Tuberculosis
PART I Mary, did you and Tom see the poor, sick woman on the cars when we were going to visit grandmother last week? Did you see how pale and thin and feeble she looked? Did you hear her coughing so often that it seemed to hurt her whole body? ... A Stranger At Five-points
(ADAPTED) One afternoon in February, 1860, when the Sunday School of the Five-Point House of Industry in New York was assembled, the teacher saw a most remarkable man enter the room and take his place among the others. This stranger was tall, his... A Tale For Halloween
Babette and Antone were the children of a very poor woodcutter. They lived in a little cottage on the side of a steep mountain, and the mountain looked upon a great forest. Now though their father toiled in this forest from dawn until dar... A Tale Of The Northland Kingdom
I Long, long ago, in a certain far-off region of the world, there was a land of ice and snow, and this land was called the Northland Kingdom. There each year the ice broke on the rivers and flowed out to the sea, and the snow melted in the vall... A Tale Of The Tontlawald
Long, long ago there stood in the midst of a country covered with lakes a vast stretch of moorland called the Tontlawald, on which no man ever dared set foot. From time to time a few bold spirits had been drawn by curiosity to its borders, and on t... A Treasure Hunt
<p>Make 24 little white sticks, each about three inches long, and as thick as a pencil. They are easy to make of willow shoots, after the bark is peeled off. While the young folk hide their eyes, the Guide walks off in the woods, ties a white rag on ... A True Story
In a little city near the great Mississippi River, lived two boys who were the very best of friends. Every day they played together and had a fine time. Life was as pleasant as a summer day to the little fellows. One of the boys was named Oliver. ... A Very Little Story Of A Very Little Girl
BY ALICE E. ALLEN Molly was such a little girl that she didn't seem big enough to have a party all her own with truly ice-cream in it. But she had asked for one so many times that at last Mother decided to give her one. And the party was to be a ... A Visitor From Paradise
There was once a woman, good but simple, who had been twice married. One day when her husband was in the field--of course that was her second husband, you know--a weary tramp came trudging by her door and asked for a drink of water. When she gave ... A Voyage To Lilliput
CHAPTER I My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire, and I was the third of four sons. He sent me to Cambridge at fourteen years old, and after studying there three years I was bound apprentice to Mr. Bates, a famous surgeon in London.... A Was An Archer
A was an Archer, who shot at a frog; B was a Butcher, and had a great dog. C was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face. E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow; F was a Farmer, an... A Wonderful Engine
We all have seen a steam engine, have we not? There are engines that pull trains on the railroad, and there are engines that make factories, gins, and saw-mills work. Then there are engines that run great ships on the water. How many know what mus... A Wonderful Stream
I am going to tell you of a wonderful stream that flows through our bodies. We may call it the stream of life. It is made of tiny rills, and of great branches, all of which join to form this wonderful stream. This stream has a great, double forc... Abi Fressah's Feast
There was not in the whole city of Bagdad a greedier man than Abi Fressah, and you may be sure he was not popular. It was not that he was rich and refused to give heed to the needs of the poor. He was, in truth, a merchant in moderately affluent c... About Six Little Chickens
BY S. L. ELLIOTT A Mother Biddy sat on her nest, with what do you think in the nest? Six smooth white eggs! After she had sat there quite a long time till she was very tired, what do you suppose happened to one of those eggs? There was a noise... Adaptations And Imitations Of Hindoo Fables
THE SNAKE'S HEAD AND TAIL The Snake's Tail had a quarrel with the Snake's Head about who was to walk in front. The Head said: "You cannot walk in front, because you have no eyes and no ears." The Tail said: "Yes, but I have strength, I m... Adventures Of An Indian Brave
A long, long way off, right away in the west of America, there once lived an old man who had one son. The country round was covered with forests, in which dwelt all kinds of wild beasts, and the young man and his companions used to spend who... Adventures Of Ashpot
Norwegian children are just as fond of fairy stories as are any other children, and they are lucky in having a great number, for that famous story-teller, Hans Christian Andersen, was a Dane, and as the Danish language is very like the Norwegian, ... Adventures Of John Dietrich
There once lived in Rambin, a town near the Baltic Sea, an honest, industrious man named James Dietrich. He had several children, all of a good disposition, especially the youngest, whose name was John. John Dietrich was a handsome, smart boy, dil... Adventures Of Tom Thumb
A long time ago, a woodcutter lived with his wife in a small cottage not far from a great forest. They had seven children--all boys; and the youngest was the smallest little fellow ever seen. He was called Tom Thumb. But though he was so small,... Aesop's Fables
THE ANT AND THE DOVE An Ant came down to the brook: he wanted to drink. A wave washed him down and almost drowned him. A Dove was carrying a branch; she saw the Ant was drowning, so she cast the branch down to him in the brook. The Ant got up o... After Celia Thaxter
In the sunny land of France there lived many years ago a sweet little maid named Piccola. Her father had died when she was a baby, and her mother was very poor and had to work hard all day in the fields for a few sous. Little Piccola had no dol... After School
Although we like to go to school, We're rather glad to put away Our books and slates and other things, When it is over for the day. And off we go to play and romp, While teacher, who is good and kind, Is... After Tea
Very often in the evening, Shortly after tea, Father, when he's read the paper, Takes me on his knee. There I fix myself "quite comfy," In his arms so strong, While he makes up lovely stories As ... Aim Or Limb-control
<p>Take 25 medium-sized potatoes, and set up a bucket or bag whose mouth is round and exactly one foot across. Draw a line exactly 10 feet from the bucket or bag. Toe that line, and throw the potatoes, one by one, into the bag. Those that go in, then... Aladdin And The Wonderful Lamp
Aladdin was the only son of a poor widow who lived in China; but instead of helping his mother to earn their living, he let her do all the hard work, while he himself only thought of idling and amusement. One day, as he was playing in the str... Aladdin And The Wonderful Lamp
There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play ball all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mo... Aladdin And The Wonderful Lamp
There once lived a poor tailor who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's ... Aladdin And The Wonderful Lamp
There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother'... Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves
In a town in Persia there dwelt two brothers, one named Cassim, the other Ali Baba. Cassim was married to a rich wife and lived in plenty, while Ali Baba had to maintain his wife and children by cutting wood in a neighboring forest and selling it ... All Change
There was once a man who was the laziest man in all the world. He wouldn't take off his clothes when he went to bed because he didn't want to have to put them on again. He wouldn't raise his cup to his lips but went down and sucked up his tea with... All-souls' Day
"November 2nd is All Souls, a day instituted by the Church of Rome in commemoration of all the faithful departed this life, that by the prayers and suffrages of the living they may be discharged of their purging pain, and at last obtain life everlas... Allerleirauh Or The Many-furred Creature
There was once upon a time a King who had a wife with golden hair, and she was so beautiful that you couldn't find anyone like her in the world. It happened that she fell ill, and when she felt that she must soon die, she sent for the King, and ... Alphabet Rhymes
Amongst the various devices to establish a royal road to infantine learning, none are more ancient or useful than the rhymes which serve to impress the letters of the alphabet upon the attention and memory of children. As early as the fifteenth ce... Alphege Or The Green Monkey
Many years ago there lived a King, who was twice married. His first wife, a good and beautiful woman, died at the birth of her little son, and the King her husband was so overwhelmed with grief at her loss that his only comfort was in the sight of ... An English Alphabet
Ale, A is for Apple, Artichoke, and Ann; Brown Bear, B is for Black Bear, and Bran; Chestnut, C is for Clay, Coke, and Coal, Dear,... An Impossible Enchantment
There once lived a king who was much loved by his people, and he, too, loved them warmly. He led a very happy life, but he had the greatest dislike to the idea of marrying, nor had he ever felt the slightest wish to fall in love. His subjects be... An Indian Story Of The Mole
An Indian once saw a squirrel sunning himself in a tree top. The squirrel saw the hunter and leaped upon a passing cloud. He had escaped into Cloudland before an arrow could reach him. The Indian set a trap for him hoping that he would soon ... An Indian Story Of The Robin
When an Indian boy was eleven years old, he was sent into a forest far away from his home. He had to stay there all alone and fast for seven days and nights. The Indians thought that at this time a spirit came into the youth which helped him ... An Interrupted Nap
Nimble, the fawn, stole away into the woods while his mother was sleeping. And when he went he took great pains not to disturb her. He was careful not to step on a single twig. For young as he was, he knew that the sound of a breaking twig was eno... An Invitation
"What do you say?" said the Work to be Done. "Shall we start bravely together, Up with the morning sun, Sing, whatever the weather?" Come, little busy folks, what do you say? Let's ... An Old Norse Finger Play
Thicken man, build the barn, Thinner man, spool the yarn, Longen man, stir the brew, Gowden man, make a shoe, Littlen man, all for you! ... An Old Song There's No Place Like Home!
When people ask me where I live, I hate to have to go and give A name like Smithville, plain. I'd rather say:--"Sir, if you please, My home is in the Hebrides," Or, "High up in the Pyrenees," Or, "At Gib... An Old-world Ghost
Children are often inclined to think that the nations who ruled the world long, long ago, were quite unlike ourselves, and always busy with very serious things, such as the passing of laws or fighting. It is quite a surprise sometimes to learn tha... An Unexpected Party
Nimble's mother's plans went all awry. She had expected to give her son a treat by taking him quietly to Farmer Green's carrot patch, so that he might have his first taste of carrots. So it wasn't strange that it upset her a bit when she found tha... An Untold Secret
All the field and forest people soon knew that at last Jimmy Rabbit had invited Nimble Deer to his party. And everybody was pleased--that is, everybody except Grumpy Weasel and old Timothy Turtle, who were left out in the cold, so to speak. Grumpy... An Up-to-date Pussy-cat
Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been? I've been to London in my new machine. Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there? The auto broke down and was hard to repair. Adeline Knapp. ... Andras Baive
Once upon a time there lived in Lapland a man who was so very strong and swift of foot that nobody in his native town of Vadso could come near him if they were running races in the summer evenings. The people of Vadso were very proud of thei... Andrew Coffey
My grandfather, Andrew Coffey, was known to the whole barony as a quiet, decent man. And if the whole barony knew him, he knew the whole barony, every inch, hill and dale, bog and pasture, field and covert. Fancy his surprise one evening, when he ... Androcles
A slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled to the forest. As he was wandering about there he came upon a Lion lying down moaning and groaning. At first he turned to flee, but finding that the Lion did not pursue him, he turned...