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Tale of Benny Badger, The

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<h2>XII</h2> <h3>THE PRAIRIE CHICKEN</h3> After he left Mr. Fox, Benny Badger hurried here and there and everywhere in search of a <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'pairie'">prairie</ins> chicken. He found one, after a time. But the lady wouldn't stop to talk with him. The moment she spied Benny she whirred into the air and flew off, though she certainly must have heard him calling to her. But at last, just as red streaks began to shoot up in the eastern sky, Benny caught sight of a stately dame who was so busy catching grasshoppers for her breakfast that she hadn't noticed him. He did not dare go too near her, for fear of scaring her. So he called to her in as gentle a tone as he could, saying, "Don't be alarmed, madam! I only want to ask you a question." The prairie chicken stretched her neck as high as she was able, and looked all around. "Here I am!" Benny sang out from a grassy hummock. The startled lady saw that he was not near enough to be dangerous. So she asked him, with a proud air, what his question might be. "I'm interested in birds' eggs," Benny explained. "Have you any, madam?" The prairie chicken took a few steps towards him, in a very grand manner. "Yes, indeed!" she answered. "I have a baker's dozen! They are the most beautiful eggs I've ever seen—though perhaps I shouldn't say so.... They're speckled with brownish specks," she continued. "How interesting!" Benny Badger exclaimed. "I must have a look at those eggs. Where is your nest, madam?" And just then the prairie chicken did a strange thing. Without a word of warning she sprang into the air and sailed away, leaving Benny Badger to gaze after her, and wonder why she hadn't answered his question. He soon made up his mind that he would find her nest, anyhow. Now, since there wasn't a tree anywhere in the neighborhood, Benny felt quite sure that the lady's nest must be on the ground. And since he knew that all prairie chickens slept at night, he waited until dark before he began his search, for he wanted to find Mrs. Prairie Chicken at home when he called on her. So when night came once more, Benny Badger left his den and went forth on his errand. He had gone only a short distance when he met his old friend Mr. Fox, who had told him a little—and very little, too—about eggs. "Are you having any luck to-night?" Benny Badger inquired. "What do you mean?" Mr. Fox asked him. "Have you found any eggs?" Benny questioned. Mr. Fox said something that might have been either "Yes" or "No." Benny was not quite sure which it was. But since Mr. Fox shook his head, he decided that it must be "No." "I think we're too late," Mr. Fox remarked. "The eggs must have all hatched by this time." Benny Badger hastened to set Mr. Fox right. "That can't be possible," he replied. "I met Mrs. Prairie Chicken this morning and she told me she had a baker's dozen of eggs in her nest." "You must be mistaken about that," Mr. Fox assured him. "Where did you say her nest is?" "I didn't say," Benny answered. "No, of course not!" Mr. Fox corrected himself. "What I meant was, where did Mrs. Prairie Chicken say it is?" "She didn't say," replied Benny Badger. "That's unfortunate," Mr. Fox told him. "It would have saved us a good deal of trouble if she had explained where she lives." Then he told Benny Badger to go home, and not to trouble himself any more. "I will hunt for the old lady's nest," Mr. Fox declared. Benny Badger couldn't help thinking that Mr. Fox was a very kind person. And he went away feeling that it was very fine to have a friend like him. But after a while he began to wonder if he wasn't mistaken; for he happened to remember that Mr. Fox hadn't said a single word about letting him know when he had found the nest with the thirteen eggs in it. <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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