He gave an angry cluck , flapped his wings , and tried again . Alas , alas , for poor Strut ! he leaned so far forward in his frantic effort to get a big crow out , that he toppled over and fell bump on the hard barn-floor , killing himself instantly . For some time after this , Mrs. Cluck kept her three remaining little ones close to her side , watching over them with maternal care , till they were heartily tired of her anxious cluckings . Peep and Peck were always together , being very fond of one another . Peep was a most inquisitive chicken , poking her head into every nook and corner , and never satisfied till she had seen all there was to see . Peck was a glutton , eating everything she could find , and often making herself ill by gobbling too fast , and forgetting to eat a little gravel to help digest her food . ` Do n't go out of the barn , children . I 'm going to lay an egg , and ca n't look after you just now , ' said their mother one day . ` Yes , ma'am , ' chirped the chickens ; and then as she went rustling into the hay-mow , they began to run about and enjoy themselves with all their might . Peep found a little hole into the meal-room , and slipped in , full of joy at the sight of the bags , boxes , and bins . ` I 'll eat all I want , and then I 'll call Peck , ' she said ; and having taken a taste of every thing , she was about to leave , when she heard the stableman coming , and in her fright could n't find the hole , so flew into the meal-bin and hid herself . Sam never saw her , but shut down the cover of the bin as he passed , and left poor Peep to die . No one knew what had become of her till some days later , when she was found dead in the meal , with her poor little claws sticking straight up as if imploring help . Peck meanwhile got into mischief also ; for , in her hunt for something good to eat , she strayed into the sheep-shed , and finding some salt , ate as much as she liked , not knowing that salt is bad for hens . Having taken all she wanted , she ran back to the barn , and was innocently catching gnats when her mamma came out of the hay-mow with a loud . ` Cut-cut-cut-ca-dar-cut ! ' ` Where is Peep ? ' asked Mrs. Cluck . ` Do n't know , ma .
She ' -- there XXXXX stopped suddenly , rolled up her eyes , and began to stagger about as if she was tipsy .
Cut-cut-cut-ca-dar-cut Peck Sam barn-floor day glutton hay-mow left meal-bin meal-room