Finally she dismissed the scholars, and gave them permission to search
for the silver hen. She offered the successful one the most beautiful
Christmas present he had ever seen. It was about three weeks before
Christmas.
The children all put on their things, and went home and told their
parents what they were going to do; then they started upon the search
for the silver hen. They searched with no success till the day before
Christmas. Then they thought they would ask Dame Louisa, who had the
reputation of being quite a wise woman, if she knew of any more likely
places in which they could hunt.
The twelve scholars walked two by two up to Dame Louisa's front door,
and knocked. They were very quiet and spoke only in whispers because
they knew Dame Louisa was nervous, and did not like children very
well. Indeed it was a great cross to her that she lived so near the
school, for the scholars when out in their own yard never thought
about her nervousness, and made a deal of noise. Then too she could
hear every time they spelled or said the multiplication-table, or
bounded the countries of Africa, and it was very trying. To-day in
spite of their efforts to be quiet they awoke her from a nap, and she
came to the door, with her front-piece and cap on one side, and her
spectacles over her eyebrows, very much out of humor.
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