“I don’t know what to do, Mary,” Amelia confessed. “We thought we were doing the right thing by getting tough with Ronnie, but I feel so badly for him. He keeps sneaking inside.”
Mary Lapp was Amelia’s Amish neighbor, and she and Amelia sat at the kitchen table with a plate of cookies between them and a cup of coffee each. Outside Mary’s kitchen window, Amelia could see their pasture and the snowfrog they’d built. Standing next to the snowfrog was Ronnie the rooster, looking a little confused and rather lonesome. It was enough to break a frog’s heart!
“Ronnie’s no different than any other troublesome bachelor,” Mary said. “He needs a wife to keep him in order.”
“A wife?”
“A hen!”
Amelia was silent for a moment, considering. “I have been thinking he same thing, but I don’t know how to shop for a hen. That’s my problem.”
“Shop for one?” Mary laughed merrily. “You’d don’t need to shop for one. You trade for one. Someone else might need a bag of flour but have a lot of chickens. You see?”
“Oh!” Amelia brightened. “That should be easy enough. Do you have extra chickens?”
“Not right now,” Mary said. “But the next farm over, the Yoders, have lots of chickens. It’s a great way to introduce yourself.”
Amelia was a little nervous considering just walking up to complete strangers and asking for a chicken. What could she offer in exchange? Would a bag of flour really be enough?
She’d figure it out! Ronnie needed a woman in his life STAT!
George was out feeding the animals in the field. He brought a bale of hay, and they all came happily trotting in his direction, glad for the meal.
And guess who came trotting right along with the cattle and the horse? Why, Ronnie, of course. But Ronnie was not alone. Tagging along behind him was a plump little brown hen.
“Ronnie!” George said. “Who is THAT?”
Ronnie looked very pleased with himself, and the little hen pecked at the snow and looking around herself. And when Ronnie went trotting on past in the direction of the warm barn, that little hen went waddling along after him.
“Ronnie’s got a hen!” George said to himself. “I wonder where she came from?”
He looked around and he spotted Mose Lapp leaning against the fence.
“Where did the hen come from?” George called.
“I don’t know!” Mose called back. “But it’s great idea. I’m sure that hen will solve your problems!”
George agreed, the hen would make a big difference, he was sure. But where had she come from? Did Ronnie kidnap a wife?
When George poked his head in the barn a few minutes later, he found the hen sitting on a rafter, and Ronnie bok-bok-bokking to himself on the floor below.
“Congratulations to the newlyweds,” George said solemnly. “May they keep each other busy!”
When George came back inside after chores, he found Amelia and Brigette toasty warm in front of the fireplace. Brigette was on her rocking horse–not really rocking so much as just sitting upright and getting to look around. The cat just looked happy that Brigette wasn’t on wheels right now so she couldn’t give chase!
“Ronnie has a hen!” George announced.
“I noticed that,” Amelia said. “Isn’t she the cutest? I think it was love at first sight when Ronnie saw her. He puffed himself up and strutted around, and she fell in right behind him.”
“But where did she come from?” George asked. “Did you buy her?”
“No!” Amelia blinked. “I thought you bought her!”
“Not me,” he said. “I fear we have a problem. I think Ronnie might have kidnapped her!”
“She seems to be her of her own free will,” Amelia countered. “But there is an ethical dilemma. Did our rooster steal himself a wife?”
George and Amelia regarded each other seriously. They were new to this Amish community and they could not afford the reputation of being chicken thieves.
“We’ll have to sort this out,” Amelia said. “We have to pay back whoever owns her, because I don’t think Ronnie will part with her now.”
“Is it stealing to eat the eggs until we find the owners?” George asked.
“Oh my goodness!” Amelia said, throwing up her hands. “We are in an ethical pickle, George! We’d better head out and see if we can find the owners before any eggs are laid!”
Christmas is upon us, and I hope you’re all having a wonderful holiday season! If you’re looking for some reading material, why not check out my books? You might find your next read!
Happy reading!
❤
Patricia Johns 
Your comments make me feel warm and fuzzy. Seriously!