Little Topknot

Once a cock and some hens lived

in a farm yard.

One little hen had a pretty topknot.

She was very proud of it.

So she strutted about by herself.

She wanted every one to see her topknot.

She would say, "Cluck, cluck, cluck!

See my pretty topknot."

One day she looked over the fence.

"Cluck, cluck, cluck!" she said.

"I am tired of this farm yard.

I want the world to see me.

I shall fly over the fence.

Cluck, cluck, cluck!

I want the world to see me."

The cock heard little Topknot.

He shook his comb and feathers, and said,

"Go not there! go not there!"

All the old hens said,

"Go-go-go! go not there!

Go not there! go not there!"

But little Topknot said, "Cluck, cluck!

I want the world to see me."

And she flew over the fence.

She felt very proud of herself.

So she strutted down the road.

Just then a hawk flew over her head.

He saw little Topknot all alone.

So he flew down

and he caught her in his claws.

The cock saw the hawk,

and he cried as loud as he could,

"Come, come, come and help!

Come and save Topknot."

The farmer heard the cock.

He came running out,

and he frightened the hawk away.

The hawk let Topknot go,

but he had her pretty topknot

in his claws.

Little Topknot was glad to get away,

and she ran back to the barn yard.

Soon she began to strut about.

Then the hens cried,

"Lost your topknot! Lost your topknot!"

Then little Topknot began to cry,

"See, see, see how I look!

See, see, see how I look!"

The cock came up to her.

He held his head very high and said,

"What did I tell you!

What did I tell you!"

Now Topknot does not strut about,

but she scratches for seeds.