Nikki, Rooster & Chick-A-Biddy

Now, Nikki was curious. If Mike and David were trying to play a trick on her, she would catch them at their very own game. She pulled back the covers and lowered first one foot, then the other onto the wooden floor. Taking great caution not to be heard, she inched her way and stayed only in the shadows.

At last, she could stand, unseen, and still look out of the window. But everything looked normal. She listened and the sound was not coming from the window at all, it was coming from the wall. Making sure that she kept out of the moonbeams, she got down on her hands and knees and crawled beneath the windowsill. She put her ear to the wall and could hear a scratching sound. 'That sounds like an animal,' she thought.

Nikki felt silly and decided to go back to bed. She got up and bravely walked through the moonbeams when there came a piercing howl from below. It took Nikki completely by surprise. She jumped and screamed all at the same instant, leaped into bed, pulled the covers over her head and curled up.

Uncle Tillo was immediately awake. He lit his candle and within seconds he was tapping on her door. 'Nikki,' he called out, 'are you all right?

She was so relieved to hear his voice. 'Oh, Uncle Tillo,' her teeth chattered, 'what was that?'

Tillo held his candle high, while Mike and David peeked from behind their father at the round ball under the covers.