E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 30629-h.htm or 30629-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/30629/pg30629-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30629/30629-h.zip) CHICKEN LITTLE JANE ON THE BIG JOHN [Illustration: Came half way across and held out his hand.] CHICKEN LITTLE JANE by LILY MUNSELL RITCHIE New York Britton Publishing Company Copyright, 1919, by Britton Publishing Company, Inc. Made in U. S. A. All rights reserved. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I With Huz and Baby Jill in the Pasture 11 II Harking Back To Centerville 27 III Chicken Little Pays a Visit 43 IV A Cherry Penance 62 V The Guests Arrive 81 VI A Hunting Party 100 VII Pigs 123 VIII A Party and a Picnic 141 IX Bread and Polliwogs 161 X Supper at the Captain's 179 XI Calico and Company 195 XII Dick and Alice Go On Alone 215 XIII Chicken Little and Ernest 238 XIV Off to Annapolis 255 XV School 273 XVI The Prairie Fire 295 XVII The Lost Oyster Supper 315 XVIII An April Fool Frolic 338 XIX Sherm Hears Bad News 355 XX The Captain Finds His Own 373 CHAPTER I WITH HUZ AND BABY JILL IN THE PASTURE "Chicken Little--Chicken Little!" Mrs. Morton's face was flushed with the heat. She was frying doughnuts over a hot stove and had been calling Chicken Little at intervals for the past ten minutes. Providence did not seem to have designed Mrs. Morton for frying doughnuts. She was very sensitive to heat and had little taste for cooking. She had laid aside her silks and laces on coming to the ranch, but the poise and dignity that come from years of gentle living were still hers. Her formal manner always seemed a trifle out of place in the old farm kitchen. On this particular morning she was both annoyed and indignant. "She is the most provoking child!" she exclaimed in exasperation as Dr. Morton stepped into the kitchen. "Provoking--who?--Chicken Little? What's the matter now?"