1. "No, I have nothing to amuse me," said Betty, "but the thought of
how handsome I am. It is nice to think of that, and yet I am almost
tired of hearing it."
2. Betty would have given one of the best feathers in her tail for a
good race after a beetle, or for a good scratch for grubs down by the
manure heap, which was the best place.
3. But she had hardly yet begun her trials. On the next day, the
coachman took her in a hamper to the show. Betty screamed as she was
put into it, for she did not like it at all.
4. "I will behave well, no matter what happens," said poor Betty. But
she felt afraid of the noise, the pushing, and the crowd of people and
poultry at the Palace.
5. There were Spanish cocks and hens, who were lofty and silent. There
were little silver bantams who chuckled. Some hens were tiny dwarfs
like the bantams, others were giants like the Cochin China fowls.
6. There were gamecocks, too, looking like fierce soldiers. Among all
the smart poultry Betty found herself passed over and called "only a
pullet."
7. All the other fowls were called "loves" and "dears," while hardly
any people took notice of her plain white dress and rosy head-dress.
But one gentle lady came by, who stopped near Betty.
8. She pointed Betty out to a child who was with her, saying that she
was one of the best hens of her kind which she had ever seen.
9. The lady added, "No fowls lay better eggs than these pretty
Dorkings.
"They make the best mothers, they are English in their habits, and
therefore stronger than birds from foreign lands."
[Illustration: THE PRETTY DORKING.]
10. The air at the Crystal Palace was hot and close. Betty began to
wish herself at home again. She could not eat, though food was there.
11. And though her feathers were all ruffled and in a mess, she did
not feel able to put them to rights. Yet she knew that she ought to
tidy herself.
12. One of the hens near began to mock at her. She said with a pretence
of being polite: "May I put your tail tidy for you, madam, since it
seems too much trouble for you to do it yourself?"
13. And then the sly thing gave a tweak and pulled out Betty's longest
feather.
14. A hen near gave a dab with her beak at Betty's pink comb, and made
it bleed. And though she said after that she did not mean to hurt her,
that did not heal the sore place.
* * * * *
_Write:_ At the show Betty found it hot and close. She did not care to
eat. The other hens played tricks with her. She wished herself at home.
Questions: 1. When Betty was in the coop what did she long
for? 2. When she got to the show what did she see? 3. How
did she feel? 4. How did the other hens behave to Betty? 5.
What did the lady say about her? 6. What happened to her
comb?