JEFFERY HEN - The Neighborhood Is Waiting

( Hey, maybe this Hen Tale will remind Jennie of long, long ago when she was a Young Chick. )

While all of the hens in the neighborhood were standing around the henhouse of Cluck and Jenny Hen, the elder hen finally showed up.  She said, "Let me see if I can be of any help!" All of hens let her though the crowd so she can look into the doorway where Cluck and Bran was staying, keeping anybody from entering.

"Can I be of any help!" called the elder hen.

Cluck decided to let her inside the house, but he didn't want anybody else to enter. "What's the matter?” she asked. All three of them looked at each other and couldn’t decide what to say or do. "Is something wrong?"

Jenny Hen said, "I don't want anybody to know this."

"What?" asked the elder hen. "Did you break your egg?"

Jenny Hen said, "No."

Cluck said, "If you promise not to tell. Bran go outside." Bran went outside as he was told. The crowd asked him what was going on inside the henhouse. Bran said, "I don't know, they won't let me know."

The elder hen said, "I promise I won't tell."

Cluck stayed at the doorway to make sure nothing was heard. "Come up to the nest," said Jenny Hen. The elder hen flew up to the nest and Jenny Hen said, "Shhh, be very quiet I don't won't anybody to know this." The elder hen put her wing to her mouth and Jenny Hen exposed the egg.

The elder hen was in a big surprise, she didn't know what to think. In a low voice she said, "I never seen a brown egg before."

Jenny Hen said, "Neither have we."

The elder hen said, "I don't know what to tell you to do, but in the meantime just take care of it just the same as if it was a white egg.  I'll be back in a few days to see if it is all right, and see if I can hear a heartbeat inside of it.  When did you laid it?”

Jenny Hen said, "Two days ago."

Cluck said, "You promise not to tell."

The elder hen said, "Don't worry, I’ll just tell them you laid your egg."

When the elder hen exited the henhouse the hens started crowding around her, wanting to know about what was going on in the henhouse.

The elder hen said, "Jenny Hen had laid her egg, but its to the best if all would just leave her alone for the time being. I will be back in a few days to check to make sure it is all right."

Jeffery Hen said, "Well, girls lets go home." Jeffery Hen, Panda and Crystal Fawn left to go home. Panda and Crystal Fawn wanted to see the egg. Jeffery Hen said, "I'm sorry girls, but maybe it to the best."

The next morning the roosters brings in the morning grain. Cluck and Bran always comes out of the henhouse and eat. They take some inside of the henhouse for Jenny Hen to eat.

Everybody was waiting.

Sherry