The Tale of Turkey Proudfoot | Page 8

have a right to go anywhere on this farm."
Turkey Proudfoot looked at her in amazement. Never before had
Henrietta Hen spoken to him in such a way.
"Hoity-toity!" he exclaimed. "Aren't you forgetting your manners,
Henrietta?"
"No, I'm not!" she snapped. "I've stood too much from you all my life. I
warn you now that the worm has turned."
Turkey Proudfoot glanced quickly down at the ground.
"Where's the worm?" he asked. "Point him out to me before he gets
away."

"There!" cried Henrietta Hen. "That's just like you. If anybody spies a
worm, you think you ought to have it."
"Come! come!" Turkey Proudfoot coaxed her. "Don't let's quarrel over
a mere trifle such as a worm. Just you show me where you saw him
turn and I'll show you how to snatch a worm up in the neatest and
quickest fashion."
Henrietta Hen tossed her handsome head.
"The worm I was talking about is right before you," she sniffed. "If you
can't see it, I shan't help you."
Of course she had been talking of herself when she remarked that the
worm had turned. She had meant that she had always allowed Turkey
Proudfoot to treat her like a worm under his feet. But at last she had
made up her mind that he shouldn't order her about any longer.
Meanwhile Turkey Proudfoot was fast losing his temper.
"You've caused me to lose a fine, fat worm; and you shall suffer for it!"
he scolded. "The only thing for you to do is to offer me a fine, fat chick
in its place."
At that Henrietta Hen set up a great clamor.
"I'll do nothing of the sort!" she shrieked. And then she screamed for
the rooster. "Come quick, Mr. Rooster! Help! Help!"

XI
BLUSTER
Soon after Henrietta Hen shrieked for the rooster he came hurrying
around a corner of the barn. When he saw Turkey Proudfoot towering
above Henrietta and her new brood of chicks in the middle of the
farmyard he stopped short. To tell the truth, the rooster was afraid of

Turkey Proudfoot and usually took pains to keep out of his way.
"Go back!" Turkey Proudfoot called to him. "You're not needed here.
There's been a little difficulty; but I can settle it myself."
"Oh, very well!" the rooster replied. "I'm glad there's no great trouble.
When I heard Henrietta calling me I thought she was in danger." He
turned, then, to slink away behind the barn.
"Don't desert me!" Henrietta Hen besought him. "Help! Help!"
Turkey Proudfoot waved a wing at the rooster.
"Don't pay any attention to her!" he said. "She's excited. I'll have her
calmed down in no time."
"Of course I'm excited!" Henrietta Hen cried. "Don't let him deceive
you, Mr. Rooster! He's been threatening me!"
Turkey Proudfoot bade her, in an undertone, to be quiet.
"Go along about your business," he told the rooster. "She's mistaken. I
haven't said I'd harm her."
"No! But he's talking about eating one of my chicks! And that's worse,"
Henrietta screamed. "If you're as brave as I always supposed, Mr.
Rooster, you'll defend my family."
Although the rooster was terribly frightened, and wanted to run away,
he simply couldn't desert Henrietta Hen.
"She's a nuisance," he muttered as he marched across the farmyard. "I
don't see why she wanted to bring her chicks out here where Turkey
Proudfoot would see them. She's landed me in a scrape. There won't be
much left of me when that old gobbler gets through with me."
Nevertheless the rooster put on a bold front. Drawing himself up to
look his tallest, he glared at Turkey Proudfoot and said shrilly, "What
do you mean by annoying this lady?"

Turkey Proudfoot gulped. He wondered what had come over his
neighbors. The rooster had always acted afraid of him. Though small,
the rooster was strongly built. And he had a sharp bill and sharp spurs,
too. Turkey Proudfoot noted these details carefully.
"I won't have to fight him," he thought. "I'll behave so fiercely that the
rooster will be glad to run off. And then I'll run after him so folks will
think I am chasing him."
Turkey Proudfoot then began to bluster. He gobbled loudly, without
saying anything at all. He even made a few quick passes at the rooster
with his bill.
To his dismay, the rooster merely dodged. He didn't turn tail and run, as
Turkey Proudfoot had hoped he would.
"I'll have to try something else," Turkey Proudfoot said to himself. So
he flapped his wings and jumped up and down and around the rooster.
The rooster was very ill at ease. But he didn't let Turkey Proudfoot
know that. He kept turning about, so that he faced Turkey Proudfoot all
the time. And he said to