And he saw the waving grain and the tasselled
maize and the sunshine flooding it all.
The scene was very enticing to the young egg, and Humpty at once
resolved to see something of this great world before going back to the
nest.
He began to make his way carefully through the hay, and was getting
along fairly well when he heard a voice say,
"Where are you going?"
Humpty looked around and found he was beside a pretty little nest in
which was one brown egg.
"Did you speak?" he asked.
"Yes," replied the brown egg; "I asked where you were going."
"Who are you?" enquired Humpty; "do you belong in our nest?"
"Oh, no!" answered the brown egg; "my name is Coutchie-Coulou, and the
Black Bantam laid me about an hour ago."
"Oh," said Humpty proudly; "I belong to the Speckled Hen myself."
"Do you, indeed!" returned Coutchie-Coulou. "I saw her go by a little
while ago, and she 's much bigger than the Black Bantam."
"Yes, and I 'm much bigger than you," replied Humpty. "But I 'm going
out to see the world, and if you like to go with me I 'll take good
care of you."
"Is n't it dangerous for eggs to go about all by themselves?" asked
Coutchie, timidly.
"Perhaps so," answered Humpty; "but it 's dangerous in the nest, too;
my brothers might have smashed me with their kicking. However, if we
are careful we can't come to much harm; so come along, little one, and
I 'll look after you.
Pages:
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145