1.Peepsie is Alice‘s hen，and she has ten little chickens.She is a very good mother.
2.This is the stor y of how she got her chickens？It took her a long time.The first thing was to lay some eggs.Every time she laid an egg she walked about，saying，“Cackle，cackle，”very proudly，as if she had done a great thing.
3.When a dozen eggs were laid，Peepsie began to sit on them and keep them warm.She sat day after day for three weeks.Then，“Crack！”went the shell of one egg，and very soon a tiny chick came out into the big world.
4.Soon another chick pecked its way through its shell，then another，and then another，until there was a brood of ten.There were no chickens in the other two eggs.
5.The little chicks were very funny at first.They stood on their shaky little legs，and cried，“Peep，peep，”in a weak voice.And then Peepsie would answer，“Cluck，cluck，”very softly.
6.Peepsie is very good to her chickens.She scratches up the earth to find seeds and worms for them to eat.When she says，“Cluck，cluck ！pick it up.Cluck，cluck！eat it up，”all the chicks run to see what she has found.
7.It is funny to hear Peepsie chuck-chucking at our dog Snap，when he comes barking up the garden in the morning.
8.She seems to say to him，“Chuck，chuck！what do you want here，sir？Chuck，chuck！You are too early，sir！Chuck，chuck！We do not want you till your mistress comes.”
9.Peepsie does not know that Snap would not hurt her chicks.She will not let him comenear them；but she always lets Alice touch them.She knows that Alice loves them，and will do them no harm.
10.When the chicks are cold or tired，Peepsie stoops down，and they run under her wings.Soon every little chick is fast asleep.
All the little tiny things Nestle close beneath her wings；There she keeps them safe and warm，Free from fear and free from harm.
