Girl in a Cage

To my great joy, my bantams Dick and Polly reproduced. Polly hatched the tiniest, cutest little chicks ever. Since Dick was a pure black Cochin (maybe) and Polly was a Silver Seabright, the babies were all different colors, and I was fascinated with them. I had given each chick a name, and they were very tame. I would go into their enclosure, (chicken wire sides and top since they needed to be protected) and I would nestle all the babies in my arms and the skirt of my dress, where they would cuddle down and go to sleep. I'd be reluctant to move when all(probably 6 or 7)of the chicks were sleeping at the same time. I'd just sit there in the sun and watch them. The chicken cage was at the bottom and in front of where our garden was then, and in full view of the sidewalk in front of our house, which had Sara's store on the front part of the house. One day, while I was lulling my chickens, I heard my mother who was in the side yard, call out to someone on the sidewalk, "No, she's just playing with the baby chicks." A man going into the store, a salesman I think, had asked her if the little girl was locked in the cage. When I think of it, a great many of my early memories had to do with my feeling embarrassed, guilty, or ashamed. It's a wonder I'm able to function as well as I do.