It was, in a sense, mutual. We had chickens; the chickens had us. On
the other hand, they had the best of the bargain. We kept them; and
they did not keep us.
My aunt insisted that we _must_ keep chickens, and you know my aunt.
Pardon! You don't know my aunt. She is an elderly maiden lady who
"keeps house" for me. She is eminently practical--theoretically
speaking.
She insisted. "With eggs at eightpence it's a sin and a shame not to
keep hens in war-time."