This story is finished!
Part 1 - Everything Was Perfect… Until Today
Running with abandon, Freckles couldn’t understand how her ordered, easy life had come crashing down so quickly. Just yesterday, she had woke to Herbert’s dependable crowing, stretched her wings, and as usual, pecked her way through the day with nary a care in the world. As the “pet” chicken, she had the fenced backyard and porch to herself, so food was plentiful. She was offered household scraps and spent spare time preening on her favorite chair. The other hens, relegated to finding food in the field, believed Freckle’s days were boring, but to her, they were enjoyable and simple, and she liked it that way. So why had all that changed?
Part 2: Safe, for Now
Freckles flapped and ran to her favorite shady spot in the yard, which also provided protection. It was a child’s playhouse, with open windows low enough to flop her fat body through, yet high enough to block intruders. The window ledge also offered a comfortable perch at night. She had spent many a hot afternoon here, dusting her feathers in the soft, cool dirt. But today, it afforded her a place to hide from attack and perhaps gain a peek at this unknown attacker.
Part 3: The Chase
While catching her breath, Freckles reviewed what had happened. She’d been collecting lunch; tasty bits from the children’s picnic, a delectable grasshopper that hesitated when she approached, and a few seeds dropped from the feeder by a careless bird. Then her eyes beheld an unexpected treasure – food! In a dish! On the ground! She wasted no time perching on the bowl’s edge, knocking it over, and pecking as fast as her little beak would allow. The clanking of the toppled container attracted her new enemy, and with a flash of fur, he wasted no time chasing her here.
Part 4: This Is MY Yard!
Peeking into the yard, Freckles was unable to catch a glimpse of her adversary. Relieved, she grew more angry than frightened. “Who does he think he is, this intruder into my yard? The People clearly feel I deserve this place after I dug up all the flowerbeds for them. I, alone, scratched up the newly planted garden, finding all the disastrous bugs. None of the other hens knew how to enter the front yard, so to reward me for my cleverness and hard work, they gave the whole, protected backyard to ME. Now this interloper has the gall to chase me away? Hmph!” she fumed.
Part 5: The Intruder Revealed
Interrupting her reverie, caring hands reached into the playhouse and removed Freckles from her hiding place. The woman brought her to the porch where the hen had a clear view of her foe. With a wagging tail, perky ears, and a smiling mouth, he appeared friendly. “This is Toast, Freckles. He’s our new dog. I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you earlier,” the woman explained. Freckles was suspicious but kept calm as she made his acquaintance. “You’ll need to leave his food alone, but I think ya’ll will get along just fine,” the woman concluded. In time, Freckles agreed, but stealing a few pieces of Toast’s food became a new daily pleasure in her happy life.
Come back next week for a new story!