The Tale of Turkey Proudfoot | Page 2

were ready to gobble
for mercy.
Having whipped the younger gobblers a good many times, Turkey
Proudfoot firmly believed that he could whip anything or anybody.
And there was nobody on the farm, almost, at whom he hadn't dashed
at least once. He had even attacked Farmer Green. But Farmer Green
quickly taught him better. A blow on the head from a stout stick
bowled Turkey Proudfoot over and he never tried to fight Farmer Green
again.
That proved that Turkey Proudfoot wasn't as empty-headed as some of
his neighbors thought him. It was possible to get a lesson into his head,
even if one had to knock it into his skull with a club.

II
THE SILLY SIX
Farmer Green owned six geese. Though there was an even number of
them, they were odd creatures. They had little to do with the other
farmyard folk, but kept much to themselves. If one of them started up
the road on some errand, the other five always followed her. If one of
them suddenly took it into her head to enjoy a swim her five
companions were sure to want one too, and waddled with her to the
duck pond.
Now, Turkey Proudfoot never went swimming. Like all the rest of the
flock over which he ruled, he thought swimming was bad for one's
health. He couldn't understand how anybody could enjoy cold water,

except for drinking purposes. And somehow he always felt as if his
feathers had been a bit ruffled whenever he saw the six geese set out for
the duck pond. Although their taking a swim was no affair of his, still it
made him angry.
"Look at those geese!" he would gobble angrily to anybody that
happened to be near him. "They're going to take another cold, wet bath.
They're old enough to know better. I often wonder why Farmer Green
wants such a stupid crew on his farm. The Silly Six, I call 'em!"
When Turkey Proudfoot talked in that fashion there were some that
didn't agree with him. The ducks never failed to quack their displeasure.
And old Spot sometimes growled and told him he'd be the better for a
good swim.
But Turkey Proudfoot always declared, in answer to that, that he knew
he'd catch his death of cold if he ever stepped into the duck pond. And
there were some of the same mind as he.
There was Miss Kitty Cat, who never liked to get her feet wet and on
stormy days lay by the hour beneath the kitchen stove and dozed.
And there was the rooster. He didn't believe in wet, cold baths. He liked
dry dust baths. And when, one day, Turkey Proudfoot turned to him
suddenly and gobbled, "There go the Silly Six to swim!" the rooster
answered with a sniff, "Well, let 'em go! Don't stop 'em on my account.
I certainly don't want to join them."
Turkey Proudfoot was all ready for a quarrel. "I hope you don't think I
want to go swimming with the geese," he retorted. There was a
dangerous glitter in his eyes.
Seeing this, the rooster made haste to assure Turkey Proudfoot that he
meant nothing of the sort.
"Don't let's quarrel!" the rooster cried--for he was much smaller than
Turkey Proudfoot. "There's nothing for us to quarrel about. We're of the
same mind about the geese and their swimming."

"I'm disappointed," Turkey Proudfoot told him. "For a moment I
thought I had an excuse for fighting you. And I'm not sure that I
oughtn't to be angry with you for agreeing with me when I didn't expect
you to."
The rooster gave a hoarse crow. He thought Turkey Proudfoot was
joking. And being afraid of Turkey Proudfoot, the rooster felt obliged
to laugh loudly at his jokes.
"Don't laugh at me!" Turkey Proudfoot cried.
"C-c-can't I laugh at the six silly geese?" the rooster stammered.
"Yes!" said Turkey Proudfoot. "Yes--if you see anything funny about
them. For my part, I couldn't laugh at them if I tried to. The mere
thought of plunging into cold water almost gives me a chill."

III
THE MEDDLER
"Why don't you tell the geese that it's dangerous for them to swim in
the duck pond?" the rooster asked Turkey Proudfoot. "Tell them how it
almost gives you a chill just to see them set out for the pond. Ask them
to keep out of the water."
Turkey Proudfoot drew himself up to his full height, spread his tail, and
looked down at the rooster with great disdain. "Ask!" he exclaimed. "I
never ask anything of anybody. I'll have you know, sir, that I give
orders. And when I give 'em I expect folks to obey 'em."
"Good!" cried the rooster gayly. He was really shaking