(Excerpt from Tales From Heritage Farm)
“You are wrong there, Hildy. Is that really what you think he is saying? You had better clean out your ears. He’s not saying that at all,” insisted Frieda.
“What’s that you say?” Hildy cocked her head to hear better what her neighbor had just said.
“Come on over here and let me check your ears,” urged Frieda. “You’re not going to peck at me, are you?” asked Hildy defensively.
“Of course not. Come on… ha! Just as I thought,” she commented diagnostically. “You’ve got feathers in your ears. Let me wipe them out for you.” Gently Frieda feather-dusted over each of Hildy’s little ears with her wing feathers. “There now, ” she asked, “do you hear better?”
“Don’t talk so loudly,” shouted Hildy.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo—————————God-is-good-to-you———————!” interrupted Maximillian.
“Oh-h-h, he’s louder than before. He really did say, ‘God is good to you.’ Has he been saying that all along?” she asked in astonishment.
“He sure has,” was the reply.
“Well, I guess I stand corrected. Praise the Lord!! Maybe I should think more praising thoughts. It might help. A hen’s lot in life still isn’t easy though,” added Hildy.
“No, but a little praise to God goes a long way to lift anyone’s spirit. We can all face each new day with a better perspective and
… cluck…
cluck…
cluck…
squawk!!
“Oh, pardon me,” Frieda blushed, “I just laid an egg. Praise the Lord!”
The Bible says in Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
You may have a list of hardships or misunderstandings to deal with like Hildy did. Talking it over with a friend and exercising praise to the Lord can turn the tide for you as it did for Hildy. And when you hear, “Cock-a-doodle-doo——————!” listen closely. In rooster vernacular, translated it means, “God is good to you.” Respond as Hildy did and “Praise the Lord!”
Sketch by Wenda Grabau
Yet another cute sketch 🙂 I love the part of the story where Frieda lays an egg. So silly. It’s very easy to be a Hildy. Thanks for the reminder, Mom!
You are very welcome.
I was raised on a farm similar to yours and I really enjoy reading about your experiences. It brings back so many memories. When I have a particular hard day I think of how hard it was to be on the farm and of your strong faith. Please continue with your website. It does not go unnoticed. Maxine Fokken
How fun to hear from you! I am glad you like the stories. Readers like you are such an encouragement. Wendy Grabau