The Sun and Moon and Stars

Chapter IV

Frances picked up her skirts and ran for Winnie just as the first chicken squawked around the corner. The hen flapped her wings and her eyes bugged out of her head. Frances could not smile over the surprise. 

Three more chicken joined the first in her frenzied state and soon more appeared: a stampede of future suppers.

Winnie ran into Frances’ legs and nearly sent them both toppling over. At seeing the fright in the little girl’s eyes, Frances could not keep the giggles at bay. She threw back her head, laughing, then grabbed Winnie’s hand and pulled her towards the nearest chicken. 

“Come on!” she urged, racing after the small brown hen. Winnie was hesitant at first, still clinging to the skirt of Frances’ dress. But after a few tugs, she was quick to join in, her screams of fear turning into shrieks of laughter within moments. Jem was easier to convert. The moment he saw them chasing after the chickens in merriment, he quickly followed suit, tripping over his own feet and scaring the hens away. 

After a few minutes void of any success, a deep laughter joined in. Frances glanced over her shoulder. Julian had arrived. He stood on the bench of the wagon staring down at the seen, a helpless grin on his face and his hands on his hips. 

Frances tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The commotion was sending it all flying everywhere. “I’m afraid we have a situation,” she said. 

Julian chuckled. “I’ll ask questions later.” He jumped right in, taking off after a black hen with beady eyes. He dived for her but came away with only a feather and a very angry chicken.

“Isn’t there an easier way of doing this?” Frances asked, stepping out of the way as Winnie barreled passed her, her arms outstretched towards one of the prey. “Using chicken feed or grain?” 

Julian nodded, evidence of the heat and the excursion already pooling at the neck of his shirt. “There sure is,” he said before a cheeky grin took over his face. “But where is the fun in that?”

Frances laughed along and they all doubled their efforts. Julian was the first to catch a hen and, grabbing it by the scaly claws, he escorted it back to the coop. Jem was next, by accident. He tripped and landed on a hen. A blood-curdling cackle came from the red hen and Julian quickly scooped it out from under Jem. 

It took a while to round up the other five hens, and by the end they were all drenched in sweat, with hair in knots and sides splitting from the laughter.

With the chickens taken care of, Julian turned his sights to his children and he chased after them, swinging them out from under their feet.

“How did the chickens get out?” he asked Winnie, tickling her. Winnie could barely breathe, much less respond, but he chuckled and threatened that he would not stop tickling her until she answered him. In reply, she only howled louder. Jem clapped his hands together and glanced between Frances and the scene, making sure she was witnessing the events unfolding. Frances knelt down beside him and drew him onto her lap.

Julian eventually relented and Winnie--more as gasps of breath than actual words--, said, “We were just trying to find a secret place!”

Julian let her up and, sitting on his lap, she pulled out her penny. “We need to keep them safe.”

“I don’t think the chicken coop is the best place,” Julian argued.

“The chickens will protect the money.”

Julian chuckled and shared an amused glance with Frances. “How about I make you a special box just to keep your coins in?”

Winnie nodded enthusiastically and jumped off his lap. Jem took off after her and Frances pushed herself to her feet, a little unstable.