08 RED HEN’S NEST
Red Hen was in the garden.
She was eating corn.
Then she went to her nest.
Red Hen saw something white in her nest.
“Cluck, cluck! Oh, I am so frightened!” said Red Hen.
Red Hen ran till she met Gray Duck.
Gray Duck said, “Quack, quack! Good morning, Red Hen.”
Red Hen said, “Cluck, cluck! Oh, I am so frightened! There is something white in my nest.”
“Did you look at it?” asked Gray Duck.
“Yes, I looked at it,” said Red Hen.
“Did you talk to it?” asked Gray Duck.
“No, I did not talk to it,” said Red Hen.
“Let us go and tell White Goose,” said Gray Duck.
So they ran and ran till they met White Goose.
White Goose said, “S-s-s! Good morning, Red Hen.”
Red Hen said, “Cluck, cluck! Oh, I am so frightened! There is something white in my nest.”
“Did you look at it?” asked White Goose.
“Yes, I looked at it,” said Red Hen.
“Did you talk to it?” asked White Goose.
“No, I did not talk to it,” said Red Hen.
“Let us go and tell Brown Owl.”
So they all ran on and on till they saw Brown Owl.
Brown Owl was up in a tree.
Brown Owl looked very wise.
Brown Owl said, “Who, who! Good morning, Red Hen.’
Red Hen said, “Oh, I am so frightened! There is something white in my nest.”
“Did you look at it?” asked Brown Owl.
“Yes, I looked at it,” said Red Hen.
“Did you talk to it?” asked Brown Owl.
“No, I did not talk to it,” said Red Hen.
Brown Owl said, “Let me think.”
Red Hen said, “Let him think.”
Gray Duck said, “Let him think.”
White Goose said, “Let him think.”
So they all let him think.
By and by Brown Owl said, “Let us go to Red Hen’s nest.”
Brown Owl and Red Hen walked together.
Gray Duck and White Goose walked together.
They walked and walked till they came to Red Hen’s nest.
Brown Owl said, “All stand back, and I will call. Who, who is in Red Hen’s nest?”
But no one made a sound.
Brown Owl called once more. “Who, who is in Red Hen’s nest?”
But no one made a sound.
So Brown Owl said, “I will look in Red Hen’s nest.”
He looked in Red Hen’s nest, and saw—a white kitty!
“Oh,” said Brown Owl, “it is only a kitty! What a pity!”