THE PHEASANT-HEN
Oh, have you?
THE GUINEA-HEN
[_Presenting the_ CHICKS.] All from the topmost compartment!
THE PHEASANT-HEN
Indeed?
ONE OF THE CHICKS
[_Nudging his neighbour._] She is dumbfounded!
THE GUINEA-HEN
[_Contemptuously._] Eggs hatched by the old vulgar method, fie!
THE BLACKBIRD,
Good Lord, exempt us!
THE MAGPIE
[_Announcing._] The Guinea-pig!
THE GUINEA-HEN
It's the famous one, you know! The Guinea-pig who was inoculated--surely
you remember the case--very well, that's the one! There you see him. I
made a point of getting him to come. Everybody is here! I have
everybody! I have--[_To the_ GUINEA-PIG.] How do you do? [_To the_
PHEASANT-HEN.] I have our great philosopher Tur-Key--Yes, it should be
written with a hyphen--who will give us a little talk among the currant
bushes under the tea-roses--[_To a passing_ HEN.] How do you do? [_To
the_ PHEASANT-HEN.] Educational Tea or Currant Topics! [_Whirling from
one to the other._] Everyone is here, everyone of the slightest mark or
consequence! The Pheasant-hen is here, in a frock from fairyland. The
Duck is here, who is so good as to say he will recite for us by and by.
The Tortoise is here--[_Noticing that the_ TORTOISE _is not there_] I
was mistaken, the Tortoise is not here. She is late.
THE BLACKBIRD
[_Affecting deep concern._] What is the little talk she seems so
regrettably likely to miss?
THE GUINEA-HEN
[_Suddenly serious.
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