"Dearest," she piped, "I hear a dreadful noise down-stairs. I think there must be burglars in the house. You must go down and see." Now, every one knows that a man hates to be disturbed from a sound sleep, and Mr. Mocking Bird proved no exception. "Oh, birdie," he grumbled, "do leave me alone; you're always imagining things." "Imagining things, am I?" she answered shrilly. "Just hear that awful noise. You're so lazy that you would see me and the children murdered before you'd move. If you don't want me to think you a coward, you'll go down this instant. This instant, I say." Now Mr. Mocking Bird was, as Mrs. Mocking Bird knew, very brave, and he also loved her praise. So he only blinked his eyes once more, and literally flew down-stairs. There he spied the chickens settling down for a good night's rest. Such impudence aroused his ire. He did not hesitate a second, but dived into their midst and pecked furiously at the poor, unsuspecting intruders. The chickens, taken utterly by surprise, fluttered to the ground without offering any resistance. They cackled so loudly, however, that the noise brought Titus to their rescue, and he succeeded in capturing the badly frightened hens. Mr. Mocking Bird, triumphant, ascended to his anxious spouse. "Dearest," she cried, "you're not hurt, are you?" "Hurt!" he repeated boastfully, "hurt? Well, I should say not. It was only some upstart chickens who dared to sneak into the house, and I'm more than a match for any number of such. I guess we shan't be disturbed again by chickens or by impudent dogs and cats." Mr. Mocking Bird proved right in his surmise. The birds thereafter enjoyed their home without further intrusion. Under Beth's care, the chickens flourished finely. They laid many an egg which in due time were placed beneath mamma hens. There was a very proud little girl in the Davenport family when finally balls of yellow broke through the egg shells. Then Beth began saving eggs for Easter, and, on Easter Day, she found that she had enough to give every darky one, besides having all that were wanted for her own family. This Eastertide brought new diversions to Beth. For one thing, she received an invitation to spend a night in town with a little girl named Laura Corner. The Davenports and the Corners had been friends in the North before the two families moved South. Beth had never before spent a night away from home. She thought it would be a "sperience" to go, and prevailed upon Mrs. Davenport to let her accept the invitation. The momentous day arrived at last. Beth wished to take all her belongings with her, from Fritz to a small trunk. She had to be content, however, with a valise. Fritz and Arabella were admonished to be good during her absence, and the chickens were entrusted to Marian's care.