The Pigeon Tale

  CHAPTER II.

  After supper, Laurie slipped his small hand inside Uncle Sam's big one,and they started out together to see the farm, the big collie dog "Shep"running along beside them.

  "I've never seen so many animals in all my life," he exclaimed, as theycame up to the great gate that shut in the barnyard, "except perhaps inthe Zoo."

  "Shall we stop here for a moment?" said Uncle Sam, lifting Laurie up andseating him on the gate-post, where he could see all over the yard atonce.

  "Oh, how fine!" exclaimed Laurie, "I feel just like a little bird thatperches on a tree, and looks down on the cows underneath, and isn't abit afraid of their horns!"

  Uncle Sam and Laurie]

  Uncle Sam laughed, for he knew the cows would not hurt him, neverthelesshe kept his arm around Laurie to be sure, for he was a little city boy,and city boys only see pictures of cows in books, and Uncle Sam thoughtLaurie might be a weeny bit afraid. Bossie, Bonnie Bee, Lilian andDaisy, the cows, were standing around waiting to be milked, switchingtheir tails and moo-oo-ing now and then; some would wander over to thewide horse trough, over which the water spilled, and bend their headsuntil their mouths touched the water, when they would drink in greatgulps, then turn away with dripping chins.

  Just then there was the sound of hoofs, and old "Sue," "Magic" and"Marvel" and the colt "Arbutus" raced up from the pasture, and into thebarnyard.

  Uncle Sam drew a handful of apples out of his capacious pockets, and thehorses came whinneying and ate them out of his hand.

  "I'm glad I'm up here," laughed Laurie, but Uncle Sam latched the gate,and lifted him down, for there was ever so much more to be seen.

  Over in the pig-sty the old mother sow and her family of pigs werepushing each other out of the way to see who could get the most supper,some of them being impolite enough to stand with their feet in thetrough, but of course that is considered correct in pig society.

  The little pigs were cunning, with their bright eyes and curly tails,and even the old sow was admirable, for she would grunt as though to say"Did you ever see so fine a family; I have taught them that the bestthings in this world must be hunted for, and to look out for themselves,yes! they have been brought up properly, I have a right to be proud."

  Laurie had never seen a real pump before, so they stopped and he had adrink of the cool well water. How refreshing it was! Next they peepedinto the chicken house, deserted, except for a few old mother hens,sitting on their eggs, who, when they saw Laurie, set up such a fussthat he quickly came out again.

  Chickens]

  As they came near an old brown hen sitting in the grass, Laurie laughedwith delight when she got up, and a whole brood of downy yellow chicksran from under her wing.

  Laurie with the hen and chicks]

  Uncle Sam now took Laurie back to the barn to see the milking, and theythreaded their way through the dim twilight of the stable, past thetired horses munching their oats, to the cow-shed, frightening an oldhen off her nest, where she had laid her eggs away from prying eyes in acorner of the hay.

  Laurie thought he had never smelt anything so delicious as the odor ofthe sweet clover grass that hung down between the boards of the flooringof the hay loft, and when a mouse would scurry away, he would laugh atits being afraid of him.

  Outside in the gathering twilight, the pigeons were wheeling andcircling overhead, and dipping to the ground for the corn that layscattered among the pebbles.

  High overhead, was the dove-cote on the wagon house. "Do the pigeonsfly far away, Uncle Sam? and what are they always doing?" asked Lauriewhen he had watched them for some time. "They fly ever so far away,Laurie," answered Uncle Sam, "but always come back again. Some pigeonsyou know, the carrier pigeons, carry messages, but I do not think thiskind is used for that purpose." Meantime Aunt Laura had come out toscatter corn to the chickens, who, seeing her approach, hurried to meether on all sides, until she stood surrounded by the pretty featheredcreatures. Laurie begged for a handful of corn to throw to them, butstarted back in dismay, when an old turkey-gobbler reached up andpicked a grain out of his hand. "What a rude old bird," he said, "but Iwasn't a bit afraid of him, he only surprised me," he explained to AuntLaura quickly, for fear she would think him timid. Just then the turkey,who was a pompous sort of creature, cocked his head on one side, andlooked at Laurie for a moment as though he understood, then turned away.

  _"What a rude old bird," said Laurie._]

  "I'm afraid you have hurt his feelings," said Aunt Laura, "you see he isnot used to little boys calling him names"--"Well, I'll not do it anymore, I'm sure I didn't know he minded," replied Laurie, "but still," hecontinued, "it's not as if he really understood, he couldn't unless hewere a fairy--but turkeys, and cows and pigeons on farms are notfairies, are they, Aunt Laura?" "I can't tell you that, Laurie," saidAunt Laura, "for I've never seen any fairies--some animals are moresensible than others, and some like to be petted, and are fond of beingwith people--if that is what you mean." "No, that is not what I meanaltogether, it's only part of what I mean," he answered; "if theturkey-gobbler wasn't a fairy, it ought not to make any difference tohim, my calling him rude or not, for he couldn't understand, but helooked at me in such a funny way, with his head on one side, that hemust have known what I was saying."

  Laurie taking off his shoes and stockings]