'Out with you, you idle, good-for-nothing creatures!' cried they; 'we cannot find food for you any longer; you are big enough, and can provide for yourselves.' But the poor young ravens lay upon the ground, flapping their wings, and crying: 'Oh, what helpless chicks we are!

The rotten bark gave way under his feet, and with a despairing yelp he pitched down the rounded crescent, smashed through the leafage and stalks of a small bush, and in the heart of the bush, on the ground, fetched up in the midst of seven ptarmigan chicks.

But if there be a whole nest of you hatching here by the waterside, cluck out the other chicks and I'll make shift to fight them all."

The rooms wherein dozens of infants had wailed at their nursing now resounded with the tapping of nascent chicks. Distracted hens in coops occupied spots where formerly stood chairs supporting sedate agriculturists.

Afterward, she went to see Billina's fast-growing family of chicks.

"Let me see; that's about seven thousand chicks she has hatched out; isn't it, General?"

"I've hatched out ten of the loveliest chicks you ever saw."

Again came the call: "Here, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick!

But in place of the white and the yolk of the egg, a little yellow Chick, fluffy and gay and smiling, escaped from it.

"You precious chick! Who put that into your head?" said Jo, enjoying the innocent revelation as much as the Professor.

"The wrath and curse of God fall upon you, woman without pity, who have slain mine innocent grandchild and made desolate this old heart that had nor chick, nor friend nor stay nor comfort in all this world but him!"

`I'm getting old, Cornelia,' he said, `and I've no chick or child of my own.