Speaker 1: M hm, Hey, says dad, Mom.
Speaker 2: Come on your story hours.
Speaker 3: A resenting your story, hour building for a better tomorrow.
Speaker 3: Today's story?
Speaker 1: Where am i?
Speaker 4: Oh? Oh? Now I remember I'm a Rudder's farm, stepping
Speaker 4: on the porch because it's so hot. Hey, how's come
Speaker 4: that cars coming down the lane with its lights turned off?
Speaker 4: Now not stopping out under the trees?
Speaker 5: Wow?
Speaker 4: Maybe that's the chicken thief that sheriff warned me about,
Speaker 4: Rusty Rusty, Come on, we got rusty.
Speaker 6: Sh be quiet.
Speaker 4: I think there's a chicken thief here out there walking
Speaker 4: to the chicken. See him over.
Speaker 2: There in the moon.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, that's his car over there under those trees.
Speaker 7: But what are we going to do.
Speaker 4: We're gonna catch him, that's what.
Speaker 7: But how what if he's got a gun or something?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 7: We might get hurt.
Speaker 8: Hello, boys and girls, say, have you ever called a
Speaker 8: chicken thief?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 9: Uncle Dan, I doubt most of our listeners have ever
Speaker 9: had that dubious pleasure.
Speaker 8: Well you never know, Aunt Caro. We have listeners in
Speaker 8: many rural areas as well as in cities and farm
Speaker 8: fresh eggs taste mighty good.
Speaker 9: Well, that's true, and we do have many listeners whose
Speaker 9: parents or grandparents were children when this story took place
Speaker 9: in the nineteen twenties.
Speaker 8: Uh huh.
Speaker 9: Many families raise their own chickens back.
Speaker 8: Then, And where there chickens, they're always chicken thieves. At
Speaker 8: least the four legged variety ky these foxes and the.
Speaker 9: Like, but the two legged variety are the most dangerous.
Speaker 9: So listen now as we bring you a story we
Speaker 9: call Chicken and Charlie.
Speaker 10: All right, then, are we all agreed that our club
Speaker 10: camp out will be held at Memorial Park and that
Speaker 10: the cost will be ten dollars per member for two weeks,
Speaker 10: including food and transportations.
Speaker 7: Now someone will have to see to it that.
Speaker 10: Punkin gets the word about our decision. He saw me
Speaker 10: this afternoon and said he couldn't be here tonight because
Speaker 10: he had to help his mother take some things over
Speaker 10: to his aunt's place. Well, I can tell him, okay, Rusty,
Speaker 10: that'll be your responsibility. Now, are there any other matters
Speaker 10: that we should consider before we adjourn?
Speaker 7: Yes, Leo, I.
Speaker 11: Think we should make it a rule that everybody that
Speaker 11: goes on this camp out has to earn his ten
Speaker 11: dollars himself.
Speaker 7: And just where do you think we'd get the money
Speaker 7: if we didn't earn it.
Speaker 11: Well, I was thinking mainly about Punkin. He never has
Speaker 11: to work since his mother always gives him all the
Speaker 11: money he wants. It makes it's me disgusted to see
Speaker 11: him get everything handed to him when the rest of us.
Speaker 3: Have to earn it.
Speaker 11: And besides, when we get out to Memorial Park and
Speaker 11: start roughing it, it's going to have to be every
Speaker 11: man for himself. We don't want any mama's boy chicken
Speaker 11: along that the rest of us have to do all
Speaker 11: the work for.
Speaker 1: While the members of the Boys Club are arguing among themselves,
Speaker 1: let's take a quick look at the cause of their argument, Punkin.
Speaker 6: Of course, Punkin wasn't his real name, but because of
Speaker 6: his fiery red hair and his large round face, everyone
Speaker 6: has called him Punkin for as long as he could remember.
Speaker 6: And it wasn't that the other boys didn't like him,
Speaker 6: for he was always fun to be with and had
Speaker 6: a good sense of humor. But in his absence, it
Speaker 6: was finally decided that each member must earn the ten
Speaker 6: dollars himself, and it was left to Rusty to tell
Speaker 6: Punkin of their decision.
Speaker 12: Hey, Rusty, wait up, hi, Bill looks like you got
Speaker 12: a new water canteen, getting all set to go camping?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: Have you told Punkin about the new rule?
Speaker 13: Oh?
Speaker 7: No, I haven't seen him yet today, and I'm not
Speaker 7: really looking forward to telling him either.
Speaker 9: I know what you mean.
Speaker 4: He's got a pretty good temper.
Speaker 12: Well, it certainly isn't his fault that his dad and
Speaker 12: uncle were killed in that accident last summer and left
Speaker 12: him and his mother with all that money.
Speaker 10: Yeah, hey, look over there, speak about the punk And
Speaker 10: there he is where coming out of old man Winters
Speaker 10: grocery store.
Speaker 12: Well, I guess now's about as good a time as
Speaker 12: any to break the news to him. Good luck, I
Speaker 12: gotta run see you later, big help he is, leaves
Speaker 12: me to face him all alone.
Speaker 7: Hey, Punkin, that's quite a lot of groceries. She got there?
Speaker 4: High Rushdee, what are you doing downtown.
Speaker 7: Looking for you? I guess Yeah.
Speaker 12: We had our club meeting last night and decided to
Speaker 12: go to Memorial Park on our camping trip.
Speaker 4: I always enjoyed going.
Speaker 7: We figure it will cost about ten dollars a piece
Speaker 7: for the food and transportation and other things.
Speaker 4: Well, that's no problem for me. Mam will be glad
Speaker 4: to give me the ten dollars.
Speaker 7: I know, that's just it.
Speaker 2: I was just it.
Speaker 7: Well, the club passed a new rule last night, well
Speaker 7: at least for this camp out.
Speaker 4: Oh what kind of rule.
Speaker 7: Well, everyone has to earn the ten dollars. It can't
Speaker 7: be given to them.
Speaker 12: Oh, come will I guess they wanted to make sure
Speaker 12: that everyone who goes is able to take care of themselves.
Speaker 4: I think they made that lousy rule just to try
Speaker 4: and keep me from going along. Well, I'll show them.
Speaker 4: I'll learn more money than any of the rest of
Speaker 4: you before that camping trip on. My name is In
Speaker 4: Punkin' Davies.
Speaker 6: Punkin turned quickly and walked away, leaving Rusty standing in
Speaker 6: the street. His round face became a deep shade of
Speaker 6: red as his temper flared and his anger mounted. But
Speaker 6: as he continued walking, his anger gave way to determination.
Speaker 4: Those fellas they don't think I can work, I'll show
Speaker 4: them don't know what I can do. I'll find something,
Speaker 4: some way to earn some money.
Speaker 6: And as he approached the next corner, he couldn't help
Speaker 6: overhearing two men talking.
Speaker 14: Yep, wife and I want to drive out to Colorado
Speaker 14: for a couple of weeks. Been a long time since
Speaker 14: we had a vacation, and we aren't getting any younger.
Speaker 14: But we needs a good, dependable boy to stay at
Speaker 14: the farm how we're gone, and I just don't know
Speaker 14: where to find one, you know what you.
Speaker 3: Mean, Rudder, good dependable boy, a man for that matter.
Speaker 3: It's pretty hort come by these days.
Speaker 14: There's really not so much to do this time of year.
Speaker 14: Just milk the cows and gather the eggs and look
Speaker 14: after things in general. I paid two dollars a day
Speaker 14: for the right boy.
Speaker 4: I'm the right boy, sir.
Speaker 5: H you wan? Hey?
Speaker 3: Who are you anyway? Hey? Do you know him? Josh?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 3: Sure, that's old Dan Davies.
Speaker 4: Boy.
Speaker 3: You remember Dan, don't you? Of course I do. He
Speaker 3: was one of the smartest and squarest men.
Speaker 4: I have, thank you, sir. I thought he was pretty
Speaker 4: great too. I think I could take care of your
Speaker 4: farm while you're gone.
Speaker 3: Well, I don't know.
Speaker 4: He said you needed a boid, didn't you, mister Rudder.
Speaker 13: Yeah, but I really think Punkin Davies here would be dependable.
Speaker 13: I don't know how much he knows about a farm, though,
Speaker 13: can you milk?
Speaker 4: Yes, sir?
Speaker 2: Well?
Speaker 3: That is I could could well Yeah, you see, I.
Speaker 4: Used to spend my summers on Uncle Walt's farm.
Speaker 3: Well, I don't know.
Speaker 4: I'm sure I could learn again easily. See how soon
Speaker 4: you're leaving.
Speaker 3: We'd like to get off in a couple of days.
Speaker 5: Why I was.
Speaker 4: Thinking, would you give me bored if I went home
Speaker 4: with you tonight and helped around so I could well
Speaker 4: learn the ropes a little before you leave. If I
Speaker 4: don't suit, you don't have to keep me.
Speaker 3: And I guess that sounds fair enough. It's a deal, Punkin.
Speaker 4: Oh thanks, mister Rudder, you won't be sorry. Oh there's
Speaker 4: one more.
Speaker 3: Thing though, Yeah, what is it?
Speaker 4: It's my mother. I don't know how she'll take to
Speaker 4: this idea. Would it be too much to ask for
Speaker 4: you and mister Joshua to come along with me while
Speaker 4: I talked to her? She may want to ask you
Speaker 4: some questions, well.
Speaker 14: Some Since you're going to help me out, I guess
Speaker 14: I can help you a bit, How about you, Joshua?
Speaker 13: Sure I'll go along. Dan Davy's helped me out many
Speaker 13: a time. Least I can do is help out his boy.
Speaker 3: Now let's get going. Then, time's a wasting lead the way.
Speaker 6: Punkin Punkin took the men to his house for a
Speaker 6: meeting with his mother. As he suspected, she didn't like
Speaker 6: the idea at first, but when she saw how much
Speaker 6: it meant to Punkin, and after being assured by the
Speaker 6: two men that everything would be all right, she consented, Well,
Speaker 6: I'm sure you'll get along, but I know I'll worry
Speaker 6: about you all the time. You're gone. With your father dead,
Speaker 6: you're all I have left, and I certainly don't want
Speaker 6: anything to happen to you.
Speaker 4: I know, Mom, I'll be careful, but this is pretty
Speaker 4: important to me.
Speaker 14: I'm sure everything will be all right, missus Davies. There's
Speaker 14: nothing to worry about.
Speaker 4: This. One more thing I'd like to ask all of you.
Speaker 4: I don't want any of the other fellas to know
Speaker 4: where I am or what I'm doing. Put them off somehow.
Speaker 4: Just don't tell them anything. Mister Rudder lifts nine miles
Speaker 4: from here and off the main road, so they won't
Speaker 4: be likely to run across me unless somebody tells them.
Speaker 6: As soon as everything was agreed upon, Punkin left with
Speaker 6: mister Rutter for his stay at the farm. That evening,
Speaker 6: Punkin milked five of the eleven cows and by the
Speaker 6: time he was through, his hands ached like an altered tooth.
Speaker 6: But that was only the beginning of the evening chores.
Speaker 6: Mister Rudder next showed him the separator used to separate
Speaker 6: the cream from the milk.
Speaker 14: Might as well take a turn of the separator, Punkin.
Speaker 14: You'll have to do it by yourself after we leave. Now,
Speaker 14: you just turned the handle, same as your akonado. That's
Speaker 14: so fine.
Speaker 3: Now when you get done, the wife will show you
Speaker 3: how to wash the separator. Oh why you.
Speaker 4: Get any cars to be cranked? I think that it'd
Speaker 4: be mighty easy compared to this.
Speaker 15: Looks like you're done, Punkin. Put the cream and milk
Speaker 15: in the cooler, and then we have to take the
Speaker 15: separator all apart, piece by piece to clean.
Speaker 4: It, every last piece of it.
Speaker 6: That's right.
Speaker 15: If it isn't clean thoroughly, bacteria will grow and contaminate
Speaker 15: the milk. Wash every piece in hot water, then rinse it,
Speaker 15: and then scald it.
Speaker 4: It looks like there's forty eleven pieces to that separator.
Speaker 4: I'm beginning to see that there's a lot of work
Speaker 4: to do on a farm.
Speaker 6: Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 15: Beginning to wish you hadn't bargained for this job.
Speaker 4: No, ma'am, I'm going to stick with it no matter what.
Speaker 4: It's pretty important.
Speaker 6: I can see that. The next morning, things went a
Speaker 6: little easier for Punkin. The milking was not quite so
Speaker 6: tiring this time. Later on, mister Rudder explained about turning
Speaker 6: the windmill on.
Speaker 4: Oh that's easy, yep.
Speaker 14: But somedays the wind doesn't blow, and then you'll have
Speaker 14: to pump the water by hand to fill the tank,
Speaker 14: and that's not so easy.
Speaker 4: Well, I guess I'll just hope for windy weather all
Speaker 4: the time you're gone. I met you in Eleven cows
Speaker 4: and ten horses can drink a lot of water, you think, so.
Speaker 3: When you have to pump it by hand.
Speaker 14: Oh and another thing, you'd better go round the fence
Speaker 14: and the big pasture every two or three days. Make
Speaker 14: sure there's no wires down. You'll find staples and the
Speaker 14: hammer and the shed. And in your spare time, if
Speaker 14: you have any, you can work dig in this cave.
Speaker 14: I just got started on it.
Speaker 6: Punkin was beginning to think that he was going to
Speaker 6: really be earning his two dollars a day. It sounded
Speaker 6: to him like there was going to be a lot
Speaker 6: of work to do. Then at the supper table that night.
Speaker 4: When are you planning to leave, mister Rudder.
Speaker 14: We hope they'll be gone about four thirty in the morning.
Speaker 14: Think you're ready to take over him?
Speaker 4: Not really, but I'll do the best I can.
Speaker 3: I'm sure you will. I like the way you've taken hold.
Speaker 15: Maybe you'll have a chance to catch a chicken thief
Speaker 15: while we've gone.
Speaker 14: Chicken thief there's been one around here, but nobody's caught
Speaker 14: him yet, hasn't bothered us.
Speaker 3: But if he hears we're gone, he may show up
Speaker 3: some night.
Speaker 15: I think it's pretty low down, stealing chicken some woman
Speaker 15: has worked hard to raise.
Speaker 4: I guess you're right. But if it's all the same, well,
Speaker 4: well don't you worry about your chickens, missus Rudder. I'll
Speaker 4: take good care of them.
Speaker 6: The Rudders left at four point thirty the next morning,
Speaker 6: and that day seemed the longest that Punkin had ever
Speaker 6: put in. It seemed to him that there were three
Speaker 6: times as many things to do as when mister Rudder
Speaker 6: was there with him.
Speaker 3: They're sure are a.
Speaker 4: Lot of eggs here. Every one of these three hundred
Speaker 4: hens must have laid an eight today. I better get
Speaker 4: busy with them. Don't pack themselves. Some of these eggs
Speaker 4: are big and others are small. My mother pays more
Speaker 4: for large eggs.
Speaker 2: I wonder forget it, Missus Rudder didn't say anything about
Speaker 2: grating the eggs.
Speaker 5: It wouldn't be much extra.
Speaker 2: The great nonsense. You have a lot of work to do, Punkin.
Speaker 2: Why take the time to separate the large from the small? Besides,
Speaker 2: you aren't being paid to do extra work. Do a
Speaker 2: good job, Punkin, Missus Rudder will be pleased.
Speaker 4: So what if it takes a little more time. I
Speaker 4: have twenty four hours a day. Besides, the large eggs
Speaker 4: will probably bring more money at the market. I'll keep
Speaker 4: a record and see how much more they'll bring by
Speaker 4: grating them, and show Missus Rudder when she comes back.
Speaker 6: When Punkin took the eggs and cream to the market,
Speaker 6: the grated eggs brought two cents more a dozen, and
Speaker 6: the additional amount he got added up to approximately a
Speaker 6: dollar and a half.
Speaker 4: I hope Missus Rudder's pleased. That will help pay a
Speaker 4: good share of my wages.
Speaker 6: The next day was a beautiful, warm summer day, but
Speaker 6: there was no wind.
Speaker 4: Oh Man critters must be camels all the water they drink.
Speaker 6: The following morning was the fourth day since the Rudders
Speaker 6: had left. Punkin awoke at the crack of dawn.
Speaker 4: Who well, I guess i'd back it up and get busy.
Speaker 4: I haven't even touched that root cellar yet, and I'd
Speaker 4: like to have it all finished when mister Rudder gets
Speaker 4: back Fries.
Speaker 6: By afternoon, Punkin had made considerable progress on the root cellar.
Speaker 6: The next day, he took the cream and eggs to
Speaker 6: the market at the county seat again. While there, the
Speaker 6: sheriff stopped him.
Speaker 3: Oh there here, you and the kids staying out the
Speaker 3: rent of arm. Yes, sir, that's me.
Speaker 4: Is there anything wrong?
Speaker 16: No, not especially except you'd better be on the lookout
Speaker 16: for the chicken thief.
Speaker 4: But what what if I do if he comes a
Speaker 4: wrong Yeah?
Speaker 3: Catch him naturally.
Speaker 16: Yeah, well, seriously, if the thief comes around, give me
Speaker 16: a call. I'll be there quick as I can to
Speaker 16: help you out.
Speaker 6: That night, Punkin tried to stay awake listening for the
Speaker 6: chicken thief, but before long he dozed off and forgot
Speaker 6: all about him. The next two days went by uneventfully,
Speaker 6: and then one night while punkin was milking the normally
Speaker 6: gentle and ladylike cows. Queen Bess lifted a nimble hind
Speaker 6: foot and kicked the milk, throwing the contents all over.
Speaker 4: Why have all things?
Speaker 7: What's wrong with you?
Speaker 4: Anyhow? Best rusty willis? Where'd you come from? You're enough
Speaker 4: to make any self respecting cow kick? Now you cannot?
Speaker 7: You make me?
Speaker 4: All right? Right? I will take this.
Speaker 7: Hey, no bad throwing things, especially golkst cruise.
Speaker 4: That's the old okay, okay?
Speaker 2: But right?
Speaker 7: Do you find out where I was over at the
Speaker 7: county seat?
Speaker 4: And I suppose you told all the other guys.
Speaker 17: Oh not yet.
Speaker 7: I haven't told anyone, and I won't if you let
Speaker 7: me stay all night.
Speaker 4: Well, all right, you can stay, but you're gonna have
Speaker 4: to work fair enough.
Speaker 7: What should I do?
Speaker 3: First?
Speaker 4: There's an egge basket on the back porch. You get
Speaker 4: it and go gather the eggs and don't miss any
Speaker 4: I'll finish milk, okay, But where do I look? In
Speaker 4: the henhouse, of course, and in the hay mow, in
Speaker 4: the feed boxes, in the straw stack, in the back
Speaker 4: of the old car, and almost anyplace else.
Speaker 6: You just have to look after the milking was finished
Speaker 6: and the eggs gathered. Rusty helped Punkin turn the crank
Speaker 6: on the separator, and since there was again no wind,
Speaker 6: they had to pump water for the animals. After supper,
Speaker 6: they worked on the root cellar. When they finally went
Speaker 6: to bed, they decided to sleep on the porch because
Speaker 6: it was cooler. Shortly after midnight, Punkin was awakened by
Speaker 6: the rattle of a car.
Speaker 2: Where am I?
Speaker 4: Oh? Now I remember hut mister Rudger's farm, and we're
Speaker 4: sleeping out on the porch.
Speaker 6: Because it's so hot. Hey, u'st come?
Speaker 4: That car is coming down the lane with its lights
Speaker 4: turned off. Not it's stopping out there under those trees. Wow,
Speaker 4: maybe that's the chicken thief. The sheriff warned me about it.
Speaker 8: Boy, Aunt Carol, I wish prices were the same today
Speaker 8: as back then. Ten dollars wouldn't go far in supplying
Speaker 8: food and gas and everything else you'd need for a
Speaker 8: camping trip.
Speaker 9: Now, true, Uncle Dan, But remember back then, two dollars
Speaker 9: a day was good pay for a hard day's work
Speaker 9: on a farm.
Speaker 8: Will that does even things out?
Speaker 5: Then?
Speaker 8: Doesn't it? A dollar represented more labor? So it boughtmore.
Speaker 8: The worth of a dollar has really changed.
Speaker 9: Yes, many things are different now than when our story
Speaker 9: took place, but some things never change, like the need
Speaker 9: for developing good character trait.
Speaker 8: You know you're right, Aunt Carroll. The stories like Chicken,
Speaker 8: Charlie and the hundreds of others in your story our
Speaker 8: catalog showcase all the virtues you want your children to have.
Speaker 9: There are true to life stories that exemplify the principles
Speaker 9: of honesty, obedience, thoughtfulness, courage, perseverance, fairness, hard work, and
Speaker 9: many others.
Speaker 8: We also have history, oracle, adventure stories, Bible stories, animal stories,
Speaker 8: and biographies, all of them entertaining while inspiring young listeners
Speaker 8: to be the best that they can be.
Speaker 9: So visit us at your story hour dot org, click
Speaker 9: on products and take your pick. Each story has a
Speaker 9: brief description of what it's about, so it's easy for
Speaker 9: you teachers and homeschooling parents to choose what best fits
Speaker 9: your curriculum.
Speaker 8: If you don't have access to the web, just call
Speaker 8: us at one eight hundred nine eight seven seven eight
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Speaker 9: Please spell out your name and street address for us.
Speaker 9: It really helps us avoid mistakes.
Speaker 8: Now let's get back to our story. Check In and Charlie.
Speaker 6: In an effort to earn some money for their club
Speaker 6: camping trip, Punkin is taking care of the Rudder's farm
Speaker 6: while they're on vacation. During the second week, his friend
Speaker 6: Rusty makes a surprise appearance at the farm. Punkin agrees
Speaker 6: to let him stay overnight if he'll help with the work.
Speaker 6: While they're sleeping, Punkin is suddenly awakened by the sound
Speaker 6: of a car coming up the lane with its lights
Speaker 6: turned off.
Speaker 4: Rusty, Rusty, Wick up, Come.
Speaker 7: On, Rusty, Oh hey, what's the matter?
Speaker 2: Sh be quiet.
Speaker 4: I think there's a chicken thief here. Yeah, it's his
Speaker 4: car over there under those trees.
Speaker 7: But what are we gonna do.
Speaker 4: We're gonna catch him, that's what.
Speaker 7: But how oh what if he has a gun or something?
Speaker 7: We might get hurt.
Speaker 4: Not if we do it right. Come on, hurry up,
Speaker 4: get your clothes on. He listen, you're the chickens.
Speaker 7: Yeah. Hey, now where you're going.
Speaker 4: To call the sheriff. We'll need his help.
Speaker 5: Hello.
Speaker 4: Central, Hello, Central Central, Hello Central, get me the Sheriff's
Speaker 4: office quick, just a minute.
Speaker 5: Hello, shaft Biment, Hello, Hello, this.
Speaker 4: Is Punkin' Davies. I'm standing out at the Rudder farm.
Speaker 4: The chicken thief is here getting missus Rudder's chickens right now.
Speaker 4: I sure am. I saw him drive up and the
Speaker 4: chickens are squawking their heads on.
Speaker 5: I'll hurry right out. I hope he's still there by
Speaker 5: the time I arrived.
Speaker 4: I'll keep him somehow.
Speaker 5: Will you be careful now, I'll be there in a
Speaker 5: few minutes. Goodbye.
Speaker 4: Okay, Rusty, we've got work to do here. You take
Speaker 4: this rope and I'll get mister Rudd's rifle. They will
Speaker 4: go wait for him in the dark shadow that that
Speaker 4: big maple tree where his car's part.
Speaker 6: The boys waited in the darkness with caps pulled down
Speaker 6: so the thief couldn't tell how young they were. It
Speaker 6: seemed like a long time to them, but it was
Speaker 6: actually only a few minutes later. When the thief came
Speaker 6: back to his both hands full of chickens, held head
Speaker 6: down so they couldn't squawk.
Speaker 4: There he cuts look at that he must have a
Speaker 4: dozen chickens in each hand.
Speaker 6: We'll stop him.
Speaker 3: Let's go.
Speaker 4: Drop those chickens and put your hands over your head. No, no,
Speaker 4: monkey shines, Now don't shoot, don't shoot.
Speaker 3: I got my hands up.
Speaker 4: Okay, Now you tie his hands behind his back.
Speaker 5: Will I hold this gun on him?
Speaker 4: Just in case he tries something foolish. What's your name anyhow?
Speaker 3: All right?
Speaker 4: You don't have to tell us. You can say that
Speaker 4: for the sheriff.
Speaker 7: No, no, no, no no, don't call the sherif.
Speaker 4: I'll talk.
Speaker 5: Her name's Charlie.
Speaker 4: Please don't call the surf.
Speaker 2: Just let me go.
Speaker 4: Well, I'll never come back here again. Oh seems like
Speaker 4: I'll lose everything and never have any luck. And name's Charlie.
Speaker 4: Huh and turning chicken? Aren't well? All you're talking won't
Speaker 4: do you any good, chicken, Charlie. I've already called the
Speaker 4: sheriff and he's on his way. He should be here
Speaker 4: any minute.
Speaker 13: Now.
Speaker 4: Hey, that's a pretty good knot. You tied their rusty.
Speaker 7: I didn't intend for him to get loose. Oh look,
Speaker 7: here comes the sheriff.
Speaker 16: Now see you got him, boys, that's mighty good work.
Speaker 16: We've been after him for weeks. I'll take care of him. Now, Punkin,
Speaker 16: your job's done all right, mister him On, get.
Speaker 2: In the car.
Speaker 3: You're going back to the office with me.
Speaker 4: Thanks a lot, Sheriff, I see you later. And Chicken Charlie,
Speaker 4: you better not try stealing any more chickens from the
Speaker 4: rudder place.
Speaker 7: Pumpkin, you were great.
Speaker 4: Imagine catching a chicken thief twasing nothing really, and the
Speaker 4: way you tied his hands that was something else.
Speaker 7: Didn't want to take any chances. But Punkin, suppose that
Speaker 7: gun had gone off while you were poking him in
Speaker 7: the ribs. Would have been awful to kill a man
Speaker 7: just for stealing chickens.
Speaker 4: Well, it's empty. I used the last shell yesterday morning,
Speaker 4: shooting in a chicken hawk.
Speaker 6: It was four o'clock the next afternoon when Rusty finally
Speaker 6: pedaled away on his bike. They had worked on the
Speaker 6: root cellar for most of the day and it was
Speaker 6: near completion. As he rode down the lane, Punkin called
Speaker 6: after him.
Speaker 4: If you tell the other fellas where I am, I'll
Speaker 4: give you a licking like you never had before.
Speaker 3: Don't worry about me.
Speaker 7: You'll be the first to tell him. I hope you
Speaker 7: make it back in time for a club meeting.
Speaker 6: The next couple of days went by quite uneventfully. Every
Speaker 6: spare minute Punkin worked on the root cellar. He wanted
Speaker 6: to get it finished before the Rudders returned. On the
Speaker 6: third day after capturing chicken Charlie, the Rudders came home.
Speaker 6: As they walked around the farm to see how things were.
Speaker 14: Yeah, Punkin, looks like you did a real good job.
Speaker 14: Couldn't have done better myself, eh, and that root seller,
Speaker 14: I'm sure glad to see that it's finished.
Speaker 4: I could tell you we're anxious to have it done.
Speaker 4: That's why I worked so hard to get it finished.
Speaker 3: Well, you did a real fine job.
Speaker 4: Thank you, mister Rudder, missus Rudder. Here's the money for
Speaker 4: the eggs. Did you check my figures?
Speaker 15: Yes, but according to this you got nearly seven dollars
Speaker 15: more for the eggs than I usually get.
Speaker 6: How that happened? All that?
Speaker 4: You see? I grated the eggs before taking them to town,
Speaker 4: and I got two cents more a dozen for the
Speaker 4: large ones. And I must say, nearly all your chickens
Speaker 4: lay large eggs.
Speaker 15: Frank, I think this boy deserves a bonus for his
Speaker 15: good work. Just think you finished your cave caught a
Speaker 15: chicken thief and grated my eggs.
Speaker 6: So they brought more money.
Speaker 7: I agree?
Speaker 14: Or you say we split that extra money he got
Speaker 14: for the eggs with him, Give him, say, three point
Speaker 14: fifty plus his wages, and we'll keep the rest about it.
Speaker 14: Punkin that agreeable?
Speaker 4: Agreeful? Oh, mister Rudder, that's great.
Speaker 6: Punkin stayed that night to help out, arriving home the
Speaker 6: next day in time to attend the club meeting. They
Speaker 6: were supposed to be planning their camping trip, but they
Speaker 6: didn't get much business done. Punkin's story was too interesting.
Speaker 6: Rusty had been faithful, and it was not until they
Speaker 6: all got together that the rest of the boys heard
Speaker 6: about it.
Speaker 10: You mean you stayed out there all by yourself and
Speaker 10: worked for mister Rutter while he was gone.
Speaker 4: Sure, did, I guess we'll have to admit you really
Speaker 4: earned your money?
Speaker 5: Then?
Speaker 7: How much did you get anyhow?
Speaker 4: Thirty three point fifty He even gave me a bonus.
Speaker 7: Wow, that's a lot of money. Oh, I wonder who's
Speaker 7: at the door. Oh the sheriff. I wonder who's gonna
Speaker 7: get it now?
Speaker 4: Mother said, I find you here, but I don't I
Speaker 4: don't understand, Sheriff.
Speaker 16: You Will and my friend mister Well, we'll explain everything.
Speaker 3: You're Charles Davies.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 4: My friends call me Punkin.
Speaker 3: Glad to meet you. Punkin, I have a slip of
Speaker 3: paper for you.
Speaker 4: Thanks paid to the order of Charles Davies. The some
Speaker 4: fifty dollars dollars.
Speaker 17: The County Poultry Association offered that reward for catching this thief.
Speaker 17: He's stolen many hundreds of dollars worth of chickens, so
Speaker 17: you've earned the fifty dollars. That was good work, mighty
Speaker 17: good work.
Speaker 4: Thank you, mister Caldwell, thank you to.
Speaker 7: Say, Punkin, you know you ought to give me a
Speaker 7: couple of dollars. I helped you a whole day.
Speaker 4: You're not getting two dollars of mine. Why not, because
Speaker 4: you're getting twenty seven dollars. That's why you helped catch
Speaker 4: the thief. So we'll split the reward, okay, and then
Speaker 4: then you get two dollars for the day he helped you.
Speaker 7: Really mean it, man, that's great. Yeah, there is Punkin.
Speaker 11: I'm really glad you're going camping with us. I'll have
Speaker 11: to admit that crazy rule was my idea. I had
Speaker 11: you pegged as a chicken but you're not. Guess that
Speaker 11: shows you can't always judge a person from outward appearance.
Speaker 8: Well, it's time for us to say so long, but
Speaker 8: don't forget to visit us at your story hour dot
Speaker 8: org or give us a call at one eight hundred
Speaker 8: and nine eighty seven seven eight seven nine for your
Speaker 8: free catalog.
Speaker 9: Goodbye everyone, Thanks for tuning in.
Speaker 7: This has been your story hour, building for a better tomorrow.
Speaker 6: This is Ann Carroll and Uncle Anne saying goodbye everyone,
Speaker 6: See you again next time.
Speaker 4: The