Atondido Stories
"Here," and he turned to one of the attendants standing by
the throne, "take this stupid, little white hen and throw her out
into the royal poultry yard. I think we will have her for dinner to
-morrow."
The little white hen was roughly seized by the tallest royal
attendant and carried down the back stairs, through the back
gate, out into the royal poultry yard. She still clung to the little
brown basket which she had brought with her on her long jour-
ney to the royal palace and through all the sad experiences she
had met there.
When the little white hen reached the royal poultry yard all
the royal fowls flew at her. Some plucked at her rumpled white
feathers. Others tried to pick out her eyes. One pulled off the
cover of the little brown basket.
Out sprang the fox from the little brown basket and in the
twinkling of an eye he fell upon the fowls of the royal poultry
yard. Not a single fowl was left alive.
There was such a great commotion that the king, the queen,
the royal attendants and all the royal servants of the palace came
rushing out to see what was the matter. The fox had already tak-
en to his heels and the little white hen lost no time in running
away too. She did not, however, forget to take her little brown
basket with her.
The royal household all ran after her in swift pursuit. They
had almost caught her when the river suddenly sprang out of
the little brown basket and flowed between the little white hen
and her royal pursuers. They couldn't get across without canoes.
While they were getting the canoes and climbing into them the
little white hen had time to run a long way. She had almost
reached a thick forest where she could easily hide herself when
the royal pursuers again drew near. Then the fire which had
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