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Show AARY OPiAHAM BOMMER. 3-Tll&- f VMMH HIV-.f.fil ljii'" .. I A FASHIONABLE TEA Miss Fuzzy White Hen was also known us an ornamental bantam anil poor Mrs. Hen did not know what that meant. "I don't even know what ornamental ornament-al means," she cackled. "It means that members of our family," suld Miss Fuzzy, "are like fine decorations around the barnyurd. To be ornamental one must be beautiful beau-tiful and Just like a handsome decoration, decora-tion, and we have been named the ornamental buntams, because In the first place we are bantams and In the second place we are ornamental. "Po you understand now? I want to be quite clear." "Yes," said Mrs. Hen, "I understand under-stand quite clearly. I see now why you nnd all your family nre called the ornamental bantams. "Still, It Is a lot to say all at once, isn't It?" "Quite a good deal," said Miss Fuzzy White, "but then beautiful Is a much bigger word to say than pluin, or al least It Is a good deal bigger." "Yes," agreed plain Mrs. Hen somewhat some-what sadly. "We have nice cousins, haven't we?" asked Miss Fuzzy White. She wanted to change the conversation conver-sation for she felt very badly that Mrs. Hen had seemed so hurt when she had spoken of Ihe difference In the length of the two words beautiful and plain. Miss Fuzzy White was a white bantam, ban-tam, ns you may have guessed quite easily. Her head was of fuzzy, fluffy white feathers and all the rest of her feathers feath-ers were white. Around her whole neck too was something very much like a collar of fuzzy white feathers. In fact her head and neck we.re always most beautifully dressed up and she Indeed looked ornamental. She and all her family added greatly great-ly to the attractiveness of the barn yard. Their beaks and feet were black All the rest of their bodies were She Indeed Looked Ornamental. white and such a beautiful pure white too. "Yes, you have lovely cousins," agreed Mrs. Hen. "Are they ornamental ornament-al bantams too?" "Yes, they have the same family name," said Miss Fuzzy White, "but of course their coloring is different. "They have bluish feet and their beaks are blue. Just below their ears they have blue feathers quite a lovi-ly lovi-ly shade like the sky when it is deep blue." "I suppose," said Mrs. Hen, "that you talk in such a grand way because be-cause you're an ornamental animal, cluck, cluck, cluck, cackle. "You do talk in a very grand way." "Thank you for the compliment," said Miss Fuzzy White. "Would you like to meet my cousins? "They're not quite so sociable as we are not because they don't want to be, but because they're strangers iD the barnyard. "They've only been with us a short time, and it takes a little while to know the rest. "Of course as they are our cousins, we know them better than any of the other creatures." "I've never met them," said Mrs. Hen longingly. "I have always been much honored to know your own family fami-ly though." "We like you," said Miss Fuzzy White politely, and she was so glad to be able to make Mrs. Hen look so happy and pleased, for she had fell rather badly for her speech about the difference In length between those two words beautiful and plain. Mrs. Hen looked very joyful. "Well," said Miss Fuzzy White, "I think it would be a good plan to give a tea." Mrs. nen could hardly keep still-she still-she was so happy. She stood on one foot nnd then on the other, and finally, as she felt about the same on either one, she de cided to stand on both. During this time Miss Fuzzy White wns thinking. "Yes. I have It now," she said, "will you and your family have tea with us this afternoon at half-after-foui o'clock? "We'll have delicious worms nnd seeds, and you'll me:M our cousins.' And that very afternoon a fash lonable tea was given in the barn yard, and Mrs. lien was one of tin happiest of all the guests. It was wonderful to meet such dh tinguished i-ijuiures. |