Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rudyard Kipling
the ashes of a fire made out of broken fence-rails; and a girl ‘You’ve fanned some of your feathers out of the fire,’ said
sat on the van-steps singing to a baby on her lap. A wise- Una. ‘There’s a tail-feather by that chestnut-tot.’
looking, thin dog snuffed at a patch of fur on the ground till ‘What of it?’ said the old woman, as she grabbed it.
the old woman put it carefully in the middle of the fire. The ‘Oh, nothing!’ said Dan. ‘Only I’ve heard say that tail-feath-
girl reached back inside the van and tossed her a paper parcel. ers are as bad as the whole bird, sometimes.’
This was laid on the fire too, and they smelt singed feathers. That was a saying of Hobden’s about pheasants. Old
‘Chicken feathers!’ said Dan. ‘I wonder if they are old Hobden always burned all feather and fur before he sat down
Hobden’s.’
to eat.
Una sneezed. The dog growled and crawled to the girl’s feet, ‘Come on, mother,’ the man whispered. The old woman
the old woman fanned the fire with her hat, while the man climbed into the van, and the horses drew it out of the deep-
led the horses up to the shafts, They all moved as quickly and rutted shaw on to the hard road.
quietly as snakes over moss.
The girl waved her hands and shouted something they could
‘Ah!’ said the girl. ‘I’ll teach you!’ She beat the dog, who not catch.
seemed to expect it.
‘That was gipsy for “Thank you kindly, Brother and Sis-
‘Don’t do that,’ Una called down. ‘It wasn’t his fault.’ ter,”’ said Pharaoh Lee.
‘How do you know what I’m beating him for?’ she an- He was standing behind them, his fiddle under his arm.
swered.
‘Gracious, you startled me!’ said Una.
‘For not seeing us,’ said Dan. ‘He was standing right in the ‘You startled old Priscilla Savile,’ Puck called from below
smoke, and the wind was wrong for his nose, anyhow.’ them. ‘Come and sit by their fire. She ought to have put it
The girl stopped beating the dog, and the old woman fanned out before they left.’
faster than ever.
They dropped down the ferny side of the shaw. Una raked
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