COUNTING THE CHICKENS.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3766, 22 January 1881, Page 4

COUNTING THE CHICKENS.

The Danbury Newsman says that "the reason people count their chickens before they are-hatched is because it ia easier. Mr Benson, on Grafton street, found a dead ben at the back of his barn on Saturday morning. He suspected it was one of his fowls, but he was not certain, and the way to ascertain, be ihoUKht, was to count his flock, which numbered sixteen. He gathered them together with a few flakes of cold paucakes, and then commenced counting: 'One, two, three, four five—, six, seven- — •. One, two, thre«*, ■ fourj fife—, six——. One t« o, three, four—, fire, six, seven, eight—, nine—ten—.eleven— pshaw ! One, two, three, four, four, four—goodness gracious! One, two— —-three, four- —five, six ——seven—sev en—seven —thunder and lightning! One, two, three-—-one, two, three; four five, six— six, seven • eight—nine——ten, eleven— elev— blast ye, stand still! One, two—twotwo, three, four——four-^-four—four —•0, ye will, will ye ? Ye will, ye will, ye will' 'he suddenly screamed, choking with passion, and jumping up and down in a perfect ecstacy of rage. Then he dove after a clothes-pole, and bore down on the frightened and fleeing hens like a whirlwind, scattering the yard with feathers, and filling the air With the shrieks of the crazed bipeds; arid never ceased the attack until every hen was out of sight. He don't know yet whether that hen is his."