It is
important, too, that their houses and yards and nests should be very
clean."
"My uncle said it was too much trouble to keep hens, and he sold his
because they did not lay many eggs," said Robert.
"It is a great mistake to think that we can keep animals of any kind
without some trouble. The horse, the cow, the dog, the cat, the pigs and
hens, all need patient, thoughtful attention.
"If they are to be well and happy, and do the work for us that we demand
of them, we must feed them well and wisely, keep them clean, give them
fresh water every day, and a comfortable place to sleep in.
"Unless we are willing to do this, we have no right to keep for our
pleasure any living creature. It is selfish to expect them to do all
they can for us, when we give them as little as we can in return."
While Mrs. Spencer was saying this, Robert had finished feeding the
chickens, and he was sitting on the grass in front of one yard admiring
a white hen with ten lovely white chickens. "I think these are the
prettiest little chickens I ever saw," he said, "and their mother seems
very proud of them. Is the mother hen always fond of her chickens?"
"Almost always," Mrs. Spencer replied, "but this white hen you admire so
much is a queer creature.
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