Sophie's Misfortunes (chapter 5)

Les Malheurs de Sophie(in English, Sophie's Misfortunes) is a children's book, written in 1858 by the Countess of Ségur. The original, in French, can be read here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15058
The following is an English translation of the 5th chapter, by Christopher Peck, Jr.





V – The Black Chicken

Every morning, Sophie went with her mother to the barnyard where there were beautiful chickens of all different kinds. Mrs. de Réan had some hens sit on eggs which were supposed to hatch into superb crested chickens. Every day, she went with Sophie to see if the chickens had hatched yet. Sophie carried some bread in a little basket, which she fed to the chickens. As soon as she arrived, all the hens and all the roosters ran to her and jumped around her. They pecked at the bread in her hands and in her basket. Sophie laughed and ran. The chickens followed her, which amused her.

During this, her mother would go into a big, beautiful gallery where the hens lived. They lived like princesses, cared for better than many real princesses. Sophie would catch up with her when her bread was all gone. She watched little chicks come out of their shells, still too young to run in the fields. One morning, when Sophie entered the coop, she saw her mother holding a magnificent chick, born one hour before.

“Ah, what a beautiful chicken, mother! Its feathers are black like a crow’s.”

“Look at the lovely crest he has on his head, too. He’ll be a magnificent chicken.”

Mrs. de Réan put him back near the broody hen. Just after she put him down, the hen pecked the poor chick. Mrs. de Réan slapped the naughty hen’s beak. The little chick fell and was crying. She picked him back up and put him near the hen. This time, the hen, furious, pecked the poor baby two or three times and chased him when he tried to get away.

Mrs. de Réan ran and caught the chick, who the mother was going to peck to death. She made him swallow a drop of water to revive him.

“What are we going to do with this chick?” she said. “We can't leave him with his terrible mother, she’ll kill him. He’s so beautiful, I’d like to raise him.”

“Listen, mother, put him in a big basket in the room with my toys. We’ll feed him and, when he's grown-up, we’ll put him back in the coop,” Sophie suggested.

“I believe you’re right. Carry him in your bread basket. Let’s make a bed for him.”

“Oh, mother! Look at his neck. He’s bleeding. His back, too.”

“That’s where the hen pecked him. When you bring him home, ask your maid for some cream and put it on his wounds.”

Sophie was unhappy to see the chick hurt, but she was delighted to have to put cream on him. She ran ahead of her mother and showed the chick to her maid. She asked for some cream and put a bit on each place that was bleeding. Then she prepared a mash of eggs, bread and milk, which she crushed and mixed for an hour. The chick was suffering and sad. He didn’t try to eat. He only drank fresh water every now and then.

After three days, the chick’s wounds had healed and he was wandering in front of the steps to the garden. One month later, he became so beautiful and big for his age that people would’ve guessed he was at least three months old. His feathers were an unusual blueish black, smooth and brilliant as if he had been in water. His head was covered with an enormous crest of black, orange, blue, red and white feathers. His beak and legs were pink. His gait was proud. His eyes were lively and brilliant. A more beautiful chicken had never been seen.

It was Sophie who took charge of taking care of him. She was the one who fed him. She was the one who looked after him while he wandered in front of the house. A few days later, they were going to put him back in the coop because he was becoming too difficult to watch. Sophie sometimes had to chase him for half an hour without being able to catch him. Once, he almost drowned in a pond that he couldn’t see because he was running so fast to get away from Sophie.

She tried to attach a ribbon to his leg. He struggled against it so much that she had to remove it, fearing that he might break his leg. Her mother forbade her from letting him out of the coop.

“There are a lot of vultures that could take him away, so we have to wait for him to grow up before we can let him be,” Mrs. de Réan said.

But Sophie, who was disobedient, continued to let him out behind her mother’s back. One day, knowing that her mother was busy writing, she brought the chicken to the front of the house. He was having fun looking for midges and worms in the sand and in the grass. Sophie was combing her doll a few steps away from the chicken, which she looked at often to keep him close. Raising her eyes, she was surprised to see a big bird with a hooked beak that was three steps away from the chicken. He eyed the chicken with a ferocious look and Sophie with a timid look. The chicken wasn't moving. He was crouched and trembling.

“What a weird bird!” Sophie said. “He's beautiful, but he's so peculiar! When he looks at me, he looks scared, and when he looks at the chicken, he looks furious! Hahaha, he's so weird!”

Right then, the bird let out a piercing, savage cry and jumped upon the chicken, who cried out in pain. The bird seized him in his talons and flew off in a hurry.

Sophie was stunned. Her mother, who ran to the cries, asked Sophie what happened. Sophie told her that a bird took the chicken away and that she didn't understand what that meant.

“It means you’re a disobedient girl. The bird was a vulture. You let that mean bird take my beautiful chicken away to gobble him up. You’re going back to your room, where you will eat dinner and where you will stay until evening to learn to be more obedient.”

Sophie lowered her head and sadly walked to her room. Her maid brought her soup and meat for dinner. Her maid loved her and cried when she saw her crying. Sophie was crying for her poor chicken, who she would miss for a long time.