Chapter Seven: Taking it all in Stride
By this point, Fatima of the Gold-dust Feathers- and the rest of the flock- had gotten quite used to the "snow". They pecked at the shiny icicles that hung down from the roof in long spears. And much of their time was spent indoors, on the roost, and sleeping.
As Fatima ajusted, she began to lay more and more frequently. She found the safe haven of the nest box comforting- once she even fell asleep in it! She had not done this since before she was laying and had seen the nest box as a place of refuge from the big mean girls. The Ones with Great Hands were always booting her out when she did that, after discovering she was not really in there to lay. Now, however, they made encouraging noises as she cocked a bright eye out of the box when they peeked in. The incident of falling asleep in the nest box was very strange to Fatima. Perhaps she was going broody? Olympia of Midnight had gone broody twice and planned to again in the spring. She said that she had overheard the Great-Handed Ones talking about letting her hatch some chicks if she did that. Fatima wondered how Olympia could understand the rumblings and slurs of the Great-Handed Ones but the black hen just churred wisely and said, "When you have been around them long enough you learn things. You can pick up the general feeling. You know when they make frustrated noises at us?"
Fatima knew only too well.
"Well, they're saying we're slackers and not laying enough eggs."
Fatima wandered off, marvelling at Olympia's wisdom. She could only hope to someday be as wise as her leader.
Anyway, Fatima took these changes in her little chicken life in stride. She knew that, as fowl, she had little or no control over her life and fate. She did not mind. She was content to merely lay eggs, pick at icicles, sleep, and poop. It was her lot and life and she enjoyed it.