## The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Surprising and Singular Adventures of a Hen as Related by Herself to Her Family of Chickens

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The Surprising and Singular Adventures of a Hen as Related by Herself to Her Family of Chickens

Author: Anonymous

Release date: April 7, 2016 [eBook #51683]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51683

Credits: Produced by David Edwards, readbueno and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURPRISING AND SINGULAR ADVENTURES OF A HEN AS RELATED BY HERSELF TO HER FAMILY OF CHICKENS ***

This cover was produced by the transcriber
and remains in the public domain.

FRONTISPIECE.

ADVENTURES OF A HEN.

# THE
SURPRISING AND SINGULAR
Adventures
OF
A HEN

AS RELATED BY HERSELF TO HER FAMILY
OF CHICKENS.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY WHITTINGHAM AND ARLISS,
Juvenile Library,
PATER-NOSTER ROW.
1815.

## ADVENTURES OF A HEN.

In the beautiful vale of Ravensworth, is situated a commodious farm house: the proprietors treat all their domestic animals with humanity, and provide every possible convenience for them. The poultry yard is large and clean, at the bottom of it runs a clear brook, in which you may always see a number of ducks and geese sporting.

One day, as an old speckled hen was scratching up some grubs for her numerous family, one of her chicks came running up to her. Oh, mother, pray do go and kill the young bantam cock! Why? replied the mother. Oh! he has behaved to me worse than ever any chicken behaved to another, and I will be revenged; I know I cannot fight him myself, but I hope you will. Not till I know how he has offended. Why, I had just scratched up a fine fat worm, and was cackling with delight, thinking what a nice feast I should have, when the nasty little bantum came, snatched it from me, ran away with it, and eat it, even before my face.

Doubtless he has behaved very improperly, replied the old hen; but that is no reason you should; the best way of revenging yourself, is to take no notice of him, or ever play with him again; instead of wasting your time in quarrelling, search for another. What! and not punish him for so very unjust an action! did you ever hear of any thing so shameful before? Oh yes, many things. I should like to hear one of them. Well, my dear, I have no objection; but as it is so very hot, it would be better to go under the shade of the laburnum, and I will then relate to you the chief occurrences of my eventful life. The old hen then walked stately on, followed by her chickens; and having got upon a stone, to be a little higher than her audience, the young ones ranged themselves round her, and she began as follows:

I was hatched with six more in a large nest, formed by my mother; as soon as we broke the shell, she carefully threw out every thing she thought would hurt our tender bodies, spread her warm wings over us, and prattled us to sleep: when we awoke, we complained of hunger; she immediately went forth in search of food, but, alas! we never saw her more.

There chanced to be a large strange dog in the yard, my mother thinking he came to destroy us, flew at him, the contest was unequal, the dog provoked, seized my mother by the neck, and strangled her.

We lay cold and comfortless, wondering what had become of our parent. Before night, two of my brothers died; and we should all soon have shared their fate, had not a little girl, the farmer's daughter, found us: she took us to the fire, and fed us with a little warm milk and bread, which revived us; she then wrapped us up in flannel, and put us in a little basket, which she put in the chimney corner. She fed us very regularly; but I suppose not with proper food, as all my poor sisters and brothers died, probably I was stronger than they. My little mistress grew very fond of me, as I would eat out of her hand, and when she called chickee, would run to her.

As I grew large, I was very troublesome in flying upon the tables, and pecking at every thing; many severe blows I got from the farmer and his servants; who always ended by saying, if that troublesome fowl is not sent into the poultry yard, it shall certainly be killed; but my mistress always begged that I might stay a little longer, for she feared the other fowls would drive me away.

And indeed I had not endeavoured to make friends of any of them; but when the door was open, and I could see them, I insulted them, with calling out, poor creatures! you are obliged to work hard all day, and can scarcely get enough to eat, while I am fed plentifully with the greatest dainties, and have nothing to do but amuse myself. An old hen who had been a friend of my mother's, offered to supply her place, in teaching me how to scratch for myself; but I rejected her kind advice with disdain.

Nursing the chicken.

At last my young mistress could keep me no longer, her father insisted that I should either be killed, or go with the rest of my species, and setting open the door they fairly hunted me out.

Now it was my turn to experience mortification: numbers had been witnesses of my disgraceful exit, and taunted me with, so her ladyship is obliged to come among the working people; I suppose food will come flying to her, as she is of too much consequence to work; I wonder if her claws are differently made to ours?

In the evening, when the servant came to scatter corn, I was very hungry, and thought that would be a nice treat for me; but, alas! coarse as the food was, it was denied me; no one would suffer me to partake, but flew at, and pecked me whenever I attempted it, saying, no, no, mistress, you shall have none of this, we who have done our duty, may be rewarded; but what have you done? nothing. Thus was I driven from society, a thousand times did I wish that I had never known any other pleasure than the rest, and that my mistress had not nursed me so tenderly; but she did it from kindness, and I shall ever respect her memory.

One morning I was rudely seized, and put with several more into a small wicker basket, to be taken to market: my sensations upon that occasion, no words can describe; to the market we came, and were exposed for sale.

Putting the hen into the basket.

Numbers came to inquire our price, I was lifted up, and pricked, and pulled about, to see whether I was fat; but the distress I had of late been in, had made me very thin, I was therefore always thrown down again, with this observation, why, what a bag of bones this hussey is, I would not have her if you would give her to me.

All my companions were sold, and I remained till night tired and hungry. Towards the close of the market, when the people were preparing to return home, a little girl passed by me with a piece of bread in her hand; urged by hunger I pecked at it, and when she patted me, though my poor sides were all over bruises, I would not appear as if she hurt me, but rubbed my head against her hand; she seemed much delighted with me, crying out, Oh! what a nice tame little creature, how I wish you were mine, but I fear I have not money enough to buy you. Why what can you give? (said the man who brought me from the farm.) I have but one shilling; but I will give you all that. Very well, you shall have it then, for I am sure there is not any use in taking it back.

Little Ann, my new mistress, took me directly home; her mother lived in a thatched cottage, and was very poor: when she heard Ann had given all her money for me, she was very angry. Oh dear mother! you know it will soon lay eggs, which we can sell, and get chickens besides. You foolish girl, you cannot get both, what do you intend to feed it with? and we have no place to keep it in. Oh, we can keep it very well in the wood house, I will put up a perch for it, we will give it some crumbs to night, and to morrow it will provide for itself.

Purchasing the hen.

I accordingly had a good supper and went to rest in a clay hovel, very different to what I had been accustomed to, but I thought how much worse my situation might have been; my fatigue and anxiety soon put me into a sound sleep, from which I was awakened, by being violently laid hold of. When I opened my eyes, I saw a great ugly man who held a sack and lanthorn in his hand. Oh! oh! mistress hen, I did not expect such luck, you will be a nice addition to my stock: he then threw me into the sack, which he flung over his shoulder, and walked a considerable way; this mode of carrying me, together with my sore bruises, produced such violent pain, that I grew quite insensible; when I recovered, I found myself confined with several of my fellow creatures in a large hen-coop, they told me they had all been stolen by the same man, some had been torn from their children, husbands, or parents. I asked for what purpose. What! can you be ignorant that he intends taking us to market to be killed, and eaten? At the thought of being exposed in my present miserable condition to be handled by the multitude, my blood froze in my veins.

Stealing the hen.

I passed about a week in this coop; we were well fed, as our keeper wished to make us fat. One night we were alarmed with a tremendous noise, I turned to inquire the cause, when I saw the brave white cock trembling like a chick: oh! said he, give yourselves over now, nothing can save us from destruction, we shall all be devoured; no sooner had he said this, but a large fox entered; Oh! my children, how can I describe the horrors of the bloody scene which followed, even at this distance of time, the recollection draws tears from my eyes; I alone remained of all my companions; he was advancing to me, when some noise in the yard frightened him, and he ran away, leaving me more dead than alive with fright.

After he had been gone some time, I considered that if I stayed where I was, in a few days I should be taken to market: the board which the fox had broken down, offered the way to escape; but where was I to go to, how should I know the way to the cottage of Ann? but the market was worse to my imagination than any other thing. I went through the opening, flew down, and found myself in the open road, I ran as fast as possible, only stopping to take breath, or a mouthful of food; many frights had I before night, from dogs, boys, &c. As the sun was setting, I came to a fine large garden, with a high wall round it; I flew to the top, and not seeing any person in it, I thought I would look out for some grubs, or worms, in a fine bed of newly turned up mould, and then go to rest upon one of the trees; I had scarcely began my search, when I found in the ground some very pleasant tasted seeds, which I began to devour, when I received a blow upon my wing from a stone, and looking up, I beheld the gardener coming forward in a furious passion. So I have now discovered who it is that scratches up all my seeds; but these are the last you shall ever taste, believe me; saying this, he seized me in the most brutal manner. I screamed violently; by this time, another man came up, and said, Why, Thomas, what will you do with it? if it had been a cock, you might have had fine sport with it, in throwing sticks at it. And why can't I at a hen, pray? Oh, why nobody ever does. Well then, I will be the first to throw; I will take her to the village, tie her to a stake, and the boys shall have a throw for a halfpenny a piece.

While they were carrying me away, a lovely looking boy asked them what they were going to do with me. To make a cock-shye. Master, what is that? To throw sticks at it till it is killed. Oh, heavens! you surely are jesting, you cannot have so much barbarity? As to that, it has had the barbarity to eat up my seeds, to repay me for them, the nasty creature shall pay its life.

The young gentleman, whose name was Augustus Manly, entreated that he might purchase me, and offered half a crown; but the man determined I should have a few blows, and tied me to the stake, when Augustus seeming to be inspired with more than ordinary courage, threw down his half crown, and lifting me from the ground, when the barbarous gardeners were not looking, ran off with me in his arms: the men could not overtake him by running, but were cowardly enough to throw a stone, which struck me on the breast; but by the care of this humane boy, I soon entirely recovered.

Taking away the hen.

My master was a pupil in a very large school; the house in which he boarded, accommodated twelve more, but none so kind as himself; many slight injuries I received, but I considered how much worse my lot had been, and felicitated myself accordingly; but too soon I felt the most acute torments.

My master was often laughed at by the other boys for his fondness for me: I loved him so much, that whenever he came into the yard, I ran to meet him, would feed out of his hand, or fly upon his shoulder, but this I would never do to any other boy, and by this I suppose it was which made them hate me.

One day two of them came into the garden to read, the story they fixed upon was, unfortunately for me, that cruel one of Diogenes stripping a cock of all its feathers, and throwing it into the middle of the school where Plato was instructing his disciples; crying, 'there is Plato's man for you.' They laughed heartily at this, and one of them cried out, Oh! the most admirable thought has struck me! let us serve Manly's hen in the same way, and when he is in bed to night, we will open the door, and throw it at him, and cry out, 'there is Manly's lady for you.' This was highly approved of, and I was accordingly seized, and stripped of my feathers. Oh! Dickey, was not this far more unjust than the young bantum's taking your worm from you? that could give you no pain, but the tortures I endured, no one can possibly imagine; the blood flowed copiously, the skin was torn from the flesh, I wished for death to put an end to my torments, but that was denied.

At night they fulfilled their intention, my benefactor was truly distressed to see my miserable condition, and taking me to the mistress of the house, and implored her assistance to cure me; she wished to have me killed instantly, but that he would not consent to. As she was a humane woman, she endeavoured to cure me; and got some oil, which she carefully rubbed over me, and I was kept in a place where these wicked boys could not come to me. I had the pleasure of hearing that these boys had been expelled from the school, the greatest disgrace that could befall them.

It was long before I was entirely recovered; the next holidays Augustus determined to take me home with him, and leave me in charge of his amiable sister, whom he knew would nurse me tenderly. There I may say I was perfectly happy for some time. I became a mother, and had the delight of seeing my children beloved by Augustus and his sister.

Once, owing to the carelessness of a servant, I hatched some duck eggs, I did not perceive the mistake, till taking my chickens (as I thought them) out, to teach them to scratch, they all ran towards the water; in vain I called after them to stop, that they would be drowned if they attempted to go in; deaf to my entreaties, they threw themselves in, I came to the pond in all the agonies of despair, expecting to see all my precious little ones dead; but, to my astonishment, they were all swimming merrily. A duck with whom I was intimate (for I made it a rule to treat all the domestic fowls with civility) came up and assured me she would take care of my young charge while they were on the water, and teach them to swim.

Soon after, Augustus intended giving a supper to some of his friends, and it was proposed that each one should bring his favourite dish; Charles Mellish, Manly's cousin, was staying with him, he was a boy of an ardent temper, and would do any thing by way of frolic, or what he called fun; from the time this supper was proposed, he determined his dish should differ from every other persons, he accordingly procured from the cook a large pie dish and cover, and when the party assembled, he came into the poultry yard, seized me, and in spite of my peeking and scratching, forced me into it, covered me over with leaves, and placed the lid on; when he entered the parlour, I heard a number of little voices say, I wonder what Charles has got. He replied, something different to any one else I think; but before I let you see what it is, I must make an agreement that if it is different, every one of the ladies shall give me a kiss; but if any other person ever thought of bringing the same, every one in the room shall have the liberty to give me a slap on the face. This being agreed to, he set the dish upon the table, and took off the lid; I, who had been sadly cramped, immediately flew out, to the great astonishment of all present. I suppose master Charles received the reward from the ladies, but of that I did not wait to be witness; but ran out of the room as fast as possible.

Charles's dish.

Not long after, I was again seized by the same gentleman, who having discovered that miss Manly, and a party of her friends were assembled round a small fire, telling terrible stories of ghosts and murders, resolved to frighten them; he placed a ladder by the side of the chimney, and mounting it, put me in at the top. I was glad to escape from him, so I flew down the chimney, carrying the soot with me, which suddenly put out the fire; and when I entered the room, the most terrible screams were heard from all quarters; the servants soon came in with lights, to know what misfortune had happened, to occasion such an uproar. I had hidden myself in a corner of the room; one of the young ladies said it must be a ghost, that they had been sitting very quietly, when suddenly they heard a tremendous noise, the fire was extinguished in an instant, that a thick cloud of smoke followed, and a great black thing, the shape of which she could not distinguish, knocked against her face, and threw her down. By this time, Charles had joined them, and hearing such exaggerated stories, burst into a hearty laugh. You may laugh, said one of the ladies, but had you been here when it happened, you would have been as frightened as we were, it could not be fancy, for see the fire is out, and what a strong smell of sulphur is in the room.

The fright.

What would you think of me, if I discovered the cause of this wonderful affair? I should think you very clever indeed. Well then, give me a candle and I will soon find the ghost; he then took one off the table and by its assistance, soon discovered poor me sitting disconsolate under the table; at this the whole party joined in a hearty laugh; except myself, who had got some soot in my eyes, which made them very painful. Augustus took me in his arms, my poor hen, said he, you have had many strange adventures, and if you should ever take it into your head to write them (for all animals write their lives now-a-days), you shall make good mention of me, for I will now give you a good supper after your troubles.

At the idea of a hen's writing her adventures, the party was highly diverted; no, said they, that can never be, as a domestic fowl can know nothing out of the poultry yard, and that would never be worth reading; but I think, my children, that some of the adventures I have gone through, are almost as wonderful as those of cats and dogs, which I hear are published in little books: talking of cats, I once had a severe combat with one of them, in which I nearly lost one of my eyes, and had many feathers torn off: as to dogs, I was always afraid of approaching them, remembering the melancholy fate of my poor mother.

One time, when the family was paying a visit, orders were sent to the servant to fatten one of the fowls, then kill it, and send it to a poor neighbour who was sick; I was the one pitched upon, and was confined in a little coop, where I could scarcely turn round, much less take that exercise which is necessary to health, my confinement was still more distressing, when looking out, I could see all my companions enjoying themselves, how I longed to join in their sports.

I loathed the quantities of food brought me, and would freely have given a saucer full of delicious white bread softened with cream, for the delight of scratching up a worm for myself; but though I had no appetite I ate, because I had nothing else to do; and that being such voluptuous food, soon made me excessively fat, which caused me much pain, as I could scarcely breathe. I look forward with joy to the time, when the murderer's knife would end my miseries; the day was fixed.

On the morning of that day, to my astonishment, I saw Augustus enter the yard, he had returned from his visit much sooner than was expected: when I saw him, I thought of all his kindness, and wished to hear him speak once more before I died; for which purpose, I called as intelligibly as I could to him; at last I had the pleasure of hearing him say, what can be the matter with that poor hen which is confined, I never heard so pitiful a cry! Upon seeing it was his old favourite, Oh! my poor bird, said he, were you so near being killed; but I am very glad I have come in time to save you; saying this, he opened the door, and gave me liberty, that greatest of all blessings.

I was expressing, in my language, my thanks, when Susan entered with her knife; Oh! Susan, how could you think of killing this my favourite? Pray sir, how should I know which you please to call your favourite? All hens are alike to me, I caught the one which was nearest to me, and as it is now fattened, we must have it, and you may take another favourite. No, this one you shall never kill; it is cruel to destroy any, but this which knows me so well, and is so tame, I never will have it killed; so saying, he carried me away, leaving Sue in a great passion.

Soon after, my young master had to go to a boarding school, near London; his mamma accompanied him, and shut up her house; what was to be done with me, engaged much of his thoughts; at last he determined to place me here, with this worthy farmer, till his return.

Saving the hen.

I must say I have experienced much kindness, but I never can like any mortal so well as my dear Augustus; he will, when he returns, be grown almost a man, but his kind heart must ever be the same.

I anticipate the greatest pleasure from introducing my children to him, and I hope, when he comes, and I point him out to you, you will all behave with propriety to him. Yes, that we will, dear mother, how we long to see him; but I hope you have not finished your adventures, exclaimed Dickey (the little chicken who had been so angry about his worm) I should never be tired of hearing you. But I hope, my child, you have obtained more than entertainment; do you still think I should kill the bantum? Oh no! no, if I never meet with any greater troubles, I shall be a happy bird indeed; how trifling it must have appeared to you.

I wish, said the mother, you could all be advised, to look upon the present evils as trifling, by considering that at this present moment, there are thousands of our species suffering the most dreadful tortures; it is our duty to contribute as much as possible to general happiness, by forbearance and patience.

When I first came to this farm, I determined to make friends not only of my own species, but of the ducks, geese, and pigeons; and I have succeeded, by small acts of civility; and I am persuaded, there is not a fowl in the yard, but would oblige me, if it could; I shall now take you to the mother of the bantum, who is a modest young hen, whom I had once an opportunity of obliging, and I am sure when she hears of the improper behaviour of her son, she will punish him.

As the good mother imagined the young bantum was punished, after which he made apology to Dickey, they were afterwards very great friends; the chickens, by adhering strictly to their mother's advice, passed through life with ease and comfort to themselves, and were respected by all who knew them.

I hope a little history may not be quite unprofitable to children; who, by giving way a little to each other's caprices, will have more happiness themselves, and be more loved by their companions.

END OF THE ADVENTURES OF A HEN.

## PITY.

In the happy period of the golden age, when all the celestial inhabitants descended to the earth, and conversed familiarly with mortals, amongst the most cherished of the heavenly powers were twins, the offspring of Jupiter, Love and Joy. Wherever they appeared, the flowers sprung up beneath their feet, the sun shone with a brighter radiance, and all nature seemed embellished by their presence. They were inseparable companions, and their growing attachment was favoured by Jupiter, who had decreed that a lasting union should be solemnized between them as soon as they were arrived at maturer years. But in the mean time the sons of men deviated from their native innocence; Vice and Ruin overran the earth with giant strides; and Astrea, with her train of celestial visitants forsook their polluted abodes. Love alone remained, having been stolen away by Hope, who was his nurse, and conveyed by her to the forests of Arcadia, where he was brought up among the shepherds. But Jupiter assigned him a different partner, and commanded him to espouse Sorrow, the daughter of Até. He complied with reluctance; for her features were harsh and disagreeable, her eyes sunk, her forehead contracted into perpetual wrinkles; and her temples were covered with a wreath of cypress and wormwood. From this union sprung a virgin, in whom might be traced a strong resemblance to both her parents; but the sullen and unamiable features of her mother were so mixed and blended with the sweetness of her father, that her countenance, though mournful, was highly pleasing. The maids and shepherds of the neighbouring plains gathered round, and called her Pity. A red-breast was observed to build in the cabin where she was born; and while she was yet an infant, a dove pursued by a hawk flew into her bosom. This nymph had a dejected appearance, but so soft and gentle a mien, that she was beloved to a degree of enthusiasm. Her voice was low and plaintive, but inexpressibly sweet; and she loved to lie for hours together on the banks of some wild and melancholy stream, singing to her lute.--She taught men to weep, for she took a strange delight in tears; and often, when the virgins of the hamlet were assembled at their evening sports, she would steal in amongst them, and captivate their hearts by her tales of charming sadness. She wore on her head a garland composed of her father's myrtles, twisted with her mother's cypress.

Pity was commanded by Jupiter to follow the steps of her mother through the world, dropping balm into the wounds she made, and binding up the hearts she had broken. She goes with her hair loose, her bosom bare and throbbing, her garments torn by briars, and her feet bleeding with the roughness of the path. The nymph is mortal, for her mother is so; and when she has filled her destined course upon the earth, they shall both expire together, and Love be again united to Joy, his immortal and long-betrothed bride.

END OF PITY.

## PRINCE ARTHUR AND HUBERT.

Prince Arthur was nephew to John, King of England, and had a stronger title by his birthright to the crown, than his uncle, being the son of Geoffrey, John's elder brother. The power of innocence is strikingly displayed in the influence it had over the mind of Hubert, who had devoted himself to be the guilty instrument of John's injustice and cruelty, had not the feelings of humanity and nature wrought too powerfully to permit him to execute his wicked design.

A Prison.
HUBERT AND ATTENDANTS.

Hubert. Heat me these irons, and be sure keep within call: when I stamp with my foot, come in, and bind the boy that will be with me, fast to the chair. Take heed, and listen to my call.

Attendant. I hope you have authority for what you do.

Hub. Obey my orders, and let me have none of your scruples; for the present retire! Young lad, come here, I have something to say to you.

(Prince Arthur comes in.

Arthur. Good morrow, Hubert.

Hub. Good morrow, little prince.

Arth. You look sad, good Hubert.

Hub. To say truth, I am not very happy.

Arth. Heaven take pity on me! I think nobody should be sad but I. Were I but out of prison, and a shepherd's boy, I could be cheerful all day long; nay, even here I could be happy, were I not afraid my uncle intends me harm. I fear him, and he fears me. Is it my fault that I was Geoffrey's son? Oh! that I were but your son, so you would but love me, Hubert.

Hub. If I listen to his innocent prattle, I shall awaken that compassion I have taken so much pains to stifle; therefore I will lose no time.

(Aside.

Arth. Are you ill, Hubert? you look very pale; if you were ill, I would attend you night and day, would watch by you, and show how much I love you.

Hub. How his words affect me! he shakes my resolution, but I will be firm, and smother these womanish feelings. Arthur, read that paper.

Arth. (Reads). Alas! alas! and will you burn out both my eyes?

Hub. I must and will.

Arth. Can you be so cruel? I have always loved you tenderly, have behaved to you as if I had been your son, watched your very looks, obeyed your orders, attended you when you were sick, and rejoiced at every symptom of recovery. Can you have the heart to put my eyes out? which never did, nor never shall, frown upon you.

Hub. I have sworn to do it, and must not break my oath.

Arth. It is better to break a wicked promise than to keep it. Had you a child you fondly loved, think what you would suffer to have him treated thus? My innocence should plead for me. I could not have believed that Hubert had been so hard-hearted.

Hub. Come in (Stamps, the attendants come in with cords, irons, &c.), do as I bid you.

Arth. Oh! save me, Hubert, save me. The fierce looks of these bloody men terrify me to death.

Hub. Give me the irons, I say, and bind him here.

Arth. Alas! you need not be so rough, there is no occasion to bind me. I will be as gentle as a lamb, if you will but send these men away. I will not stir nor make a noise, whatever pain you put me to.

Hub. Withdraw, and leave me alone with him.

Atten. I am glad to be rid of such a business.

Arth. Alas! then I have driven away my friend, let him come back, that he may plead for me.

Hub. Come, boy, prepare yourself.

Arth. Will nothing avail me?

Hub. Nothing; prepare.

Arth. Oh! Hubert, that a gnat would fly in your eye, that you might feel the pain so small a thing would cause; perhaps that might move your sympathy, and lead you to consider what I must suffer.

Hub. How ill you keep your promise, be silent.

Arth. Forgive me, Hubert, if I try to move you; you once were tender and compassionate, and you will be happier from yielding to these gentle dispositions, than from all the wealth and honours my uncle can bestow.

Hub. Well, your innocence has unnerved my firmest resolution. I am subdued, and will not touch your eyes for all the treasures of your uncle's crown. Yet have I sworn, and fully purposed to have performed----.

Arth. O, now you look like Hubert! Before you were disguised.

Hub. Hush, be quiet; I must conceal you from your uncle's vengeance till I have an opportunity of escaping with you to a foreign country, where we shall be secure from his resentment. For your sake I resign all my hopes of preferment, and incur the danger of my life, should I be taken whilst in your uncle's territories; but, poverty with innocence, is infinitely preferable to a crown with a guilty conscience. Fear nothing, but retire; not India's wealth should bribe me to injure you.

END OF ARTHUR AND HUBERT.

THE DRUNKARD.

Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, taking a walk one evening at Bruges, found in the public square a man laying on the ground, where he was soundly asleep. He had him taken up, and carried to his palace, where, after they had stripped him of his rags, and put on him a fine shirt, and a nightcap, placed him in one of the prince's beds. This drunkard was much surprized, when he awoke, to find himself in a beautiful alcove, surrounded by officers more richly dressed the one than the other. They asked him, what suit his highness wished to put on that day? This demand completed his confusion; but after a thousand positive assurances he gave them, that he was but a poor cobbler, and not at all a prince, he resolved quietly to bear all the honours they loaded him with,--suffered them to dress him, appeared in public,--heard mass in the Ducal chapel, and kissed the mass-book,--in a word, they made him perform all the usual ceremonies: he went to a sumptuous table, then to cards, to the walk, and other entertainments. After supper they gave him a ball. The good man having never found himself at a like feast, took freely the wine they offered to him, and so abundantly that he got brave and drunk. It was then the catastrophe of the comedy was brought about. Whilst he was sleeping himself sober, the duke had him clothed again with his rags, and carried back to the place from whence he had been taken at first. After having passed there all night in a sound sleep, he awoke, and went home to relate to his wife, as a dream of his, what in effect had really happened to him.

THE END.

SUPERIOR BOOKS FOR YOUNG PERSONS,
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
Whittingham and Arliss,
Paternoster Row.
Arliss' Hieroglyphical Bible.
Embellished with four Hundred beautiful Engravings
on Wood, Price 1s. 6d.
This new Edition is, besides its Embellishments, executed in
the first style, printed on a very beautiful type, and in short,
infinitely superior to any similar Bible that has hitherto been
submitted to the Public.
ORPHAN HENRY; or, The Sure Road to Wealth and
Happiness.
Embellished with fine Wood Engravings, Price 1s.
THE CASKET; or, Memoirs of Miss Selwyn.
Ornamented with beautiful Engravings, Price 1s.
JUVENILE ANNALS; or, the Pastime of Edward and
Emma. With beautiful Engravings on Wood, Price 1s.
The HISTORY of PAMELA; or, Virtue Rewarded.
Embellished with beautiful Engravings, Price 1s.
MARY THE BEGGAR GIRL.
With Engravings on Wood, Price 1s.
The CHILDREN'S FRIEND.
Embellished with beautiful Engravings on Wood, Price 1s.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

1. Punctuation has been normalized.

2. Variations in spelling hyphenation and accentuation were maintained.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURPRISING AND SINGULAR ADVENTURES OF A HEN AS RELATED BY HERSELF TO HER FAMILY OF CHICKENS ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE

## THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

> This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”
- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.
- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.
- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516, Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.