Hoodwinking a Hen.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 268, 30 May 1888, Page 3

Hoodwinking a Hen.

Mr Tmm.nku n' \V<ihmiaiu) has performed a great service for his country, it will be obsei veil, and he deserves a crow-mo from c\ cry thoughtful citi/en. Of com se he will nob ]'ocei\e one from every thoughtful citizen, but if he did it would be no more than he deserves. 0 Mr Workhard was the happy possessor of a good fat lien, which, like other good fat hens, laid one egg a day, including Sun days. Mr Woi klnird, however, was not siti.siied with what his good fat hen accomplished in this direction, .so he set about) to devi.se ways and means by which it would be persuaded to add to the daily delivery. Coaxing piovod (hen) fruitless, and cruel treatment was in vain Workhard wrac^gj his biain and .studied. At last he hit Up on a plan. 0 0 A nest with a false bottom was constructed. Jt worked automatically in such a w.i> that when the good fat hen laid her accustomed egg it would go beyond the seeming limits of the nest and peacefully iepo.se beneath the fal--e bottom away from gallinaceous sight. The good fat hen was a cautious bird, and was accustomed to look into the ne»t after she had deposited her egg, in older to assure herself that it was leally theie bcfoie beginning her gleeful cackle. The first time the ingenious nest v\as put in position the hen was nearly knocked over the ropes in one round with astonishment when she found no egg. Con-tci nation was on her iace. It occurred (o the honest hen, however, that she had made a mistake. She was ofi her base. She had laid no egg. So like the good hen j-he'uas, she immediately proceeded to lay another. 0 0 0 The scheme worked well. Workhard gatheicd in two eggs a day for some time, and then yearned for more. The nc*<t was all ered so that h\ o cL r gs would drop through the faKe bottom instead of one, and a third egg wis laid by the hen. The old hen thought it was mighty funny, but being unsuspicious, she did not suspect. The good woi k went on, and the number of eggs w bich suddenly disappeared was increased fiadually, until the irood fat hen eveiy day laid 00000000000 o.— "Cleveland I 'lain -Dealer. '