The Black Spanish Cock reproved the Chickens sharply for this. "It is very rude," said he, "to laugh at people for things they cannot help. How would you like to have a Lamb follow you around and bleat, 'Look at that Chicken! He has only two legs! Hello, little two-legs; how can you walk?' It is just as bad for you to laugh at his harsh voice, because he cannot help it. If he should say foolish and silly things, you might laugh, because he could help that if he tried. Don't ever again let me hear you laughing when he is just saying 'Paon.'" The Chickens minded the Black Spanish Cock, for they knew he was right and that he did not do rude things himself. They remembered everything he said, too. One day the Peacock was standing on the fence alone. He did this most of the time. He usually stood with his back to the farmyard, so that people who passed could see his train but not his feet. A party of young fowls of all families came along. Their mothers had let them go off by themselves, and they stopped to look at the Peacock. "I do think you have the most beautiful tail, sir," said a Duckling, giving her own little pointed one a sideways shake as she spoke. "Please call it my train," said the Peacock. "It is beautiful and I am very proud of it. Not every fowl can grow such a train as that." [Illustration: THE PEACOCK WAS STANDING ON THE FENCE.] "Oh, dear, no!" giggled a jolly little Bantam Chicken. "I'd grow one in a minute if I could." This made all the other young fowls laugh, for they thought how funny the little brown Bantam would look dragging around a great mass of feathers like that. The Peacock did not even smile. He never understood a joke anyway. He was always so busy thinking about himself that he couldn't see the point. Now he cleared his throat and spoke to the Bantam Chicken. "I hope you don't think that I grew my train in a minute," said he. "It took me a long, long time, although I kept all the feathers going at once." "Look at his crest!" exclaimed one young Turkey in his piping voice. The Peacock turned his head so that they could see it more plainly. "That is a crest to be proud of," he said. "I have never seen a finer one myself. Have you noticed the beauty of my neck?" "Charming!" "Wonderful!" "Beautiful!" exclaimed the young fowls. Just then one of the spoiled Dove children flew down from the barn roof and sat beside the Peacock. "What homely feet you have!" this Squab exclaimed. "Are you not dreadfully ashamed of them?" The young fowls thought this rude. Not one of them would have said it. The Peacock became very angry. "I know my feet are not so handsome as they might be," he said, "but that is no reason why I should be ashamed of them. I couldn't help having that kind of feet. They run in my family. I don't feel ashamed of things I can't help."