After he left Mr. Fox, Benny Badger hurried here and there and everywhere in search of a prairie chicken.

He found one, after a time. But the lady wouldn\'t stop to talk with him. The moment she spied Benny she whirred into the air and flew off, though she certainly must have heard him calling to her.

But at last, just as red streaks began to shoot up in the eastern sky, Benny caught sight of a stately dame who was so busy catching grasshoppers for her breakfast that she hadn\'t noticed him.

He did not dare go too near her, for fear[57] of scaring her. So he called to her in as gentle a tone as he could, saying, "Don\'t be alarmed, madam! I only want to ask you a question."

The prairie chicken stretched her neck as high as she was able, and looked all around.

"Here I am!" Benny sang out from a grassy hummock.

The startled lady saw that he was not near enough to be dangerous. So she asked him, with a proud air, what his question might be.

"I\'m interested in birds\' eggs," Benny explained. "Have you any, madam?"

The prairie chicken took a few steps towards him, in a very grand manner.

"Yes, indeed!" she answered. "I have a baker\'s dozen! They are the most beautiful eggs I\'ve ever seen—though perhaps I shouldn\'t say so.... They\'re speckled[58] with brownish specks," she continued.

"How interesting!" Benny Badger exclaimed. "I must have a look at those eggs. Where is your nest, madam?"

And just then the prairie chicken did a strange thing. Without a word of warning she sprang into the air and sailed away, leaving Benny Badger to gaze after her, and wonder why she hadn\'t answered his question.

He soon made up his mind that he would find her nest, anyhow.

Now, since there wasn\'t a tree anywhere in the neighborhood, Benny felt quite sure that the lady\'s nest must be on the ground. And since he knew that all prairie chickens slept at night, he waited until dark before he began his search, for he wanted to find ............