The Chicken Yard

Once the “Pecking order” was straightened out, all the “mean kids” were now good friends. The little country schoolhouse set on a hill. Behind it glowed a creek. Between the creek and the schoolhouse were swampy areas that held either mud or water, depending on the time of year. In the spring the creek overflowed and filled the low areas. If it froze hard the ice was thick enough to walk on. To the South just over the hill was the chicken yard of Mr. & Mrs. Clausen.

All you could see of it was the small chimney of the broader house form the schoolyard. In front was the church and parsonage. Kids I them days chucked rocks at everything, including: birds on fence posts, insulators on telephone polls, rabbits, and anything that looked like a good target. Although few of these things were ever hit, throwing stones was a passion!

So it came to pass that on the 1st day of school we found that the driveway of the church and school had recently been covered with new gravel. Not just ordinary gravel, but stones 1 ½ to 2 ½” big. It was a perfect size for throwing. The 1st problem was what to throw at. In that part of the country Martens, a bird similar to a large swallow, were greatly desired to have around. They came in colonies and each bird ate its weight in harmful insects each day. Elaborate birdhouses were built hoping to attract a colony of Martens. A birdhouse was found in a dilapidated state in the back yard of the parsonage. It was full of sparrows (each one would eat a bushel of wheat a year). So it soon became the object of discussion. Meanwhile, the war still raged in Europe and it didn’t take much imagination to turn the sparrows into Japanese or Germans, and the stones into hand grenades.

Soon the air was thick with stones and the old Marten birdhouse slowly lost parts and pieces. Soon nothing was left except the pole and the flat board it used to set on. Just like that, complete victory over the enemy! Next a stone was thrown at the little chimney over the hill, no, not a stone, a grenade. This brought forth a lot of racket from the chickens (Japanese). It didn’t take long for the air to be full of stones headed at the Japanese in Clausen’s chicken yard.

Great clouds of dust and feathers flew into the air accompanied by a lot of “fowl language”. The school bell ruined what could have been a complete victory. What fun! About 1 hour later there came a timid knock on the room door and the teacher went out in the hall. She came back in with an angry look on her face. She made the announcement that all the boys who threw rocks at Mr. Clausen’s chickens had to come forward. With great trepidation all the boys came to the front. The teacher said to follow Mr. Clausen.

He was a nice older man of about 20 years of age. He led us to the chicken yard where the dead Japanese were laying. Also, there were quite a few wounded ones. He quietly told us he wanted us to help him pluck and butcher all the chickens. He said they were getting old and not laying the way they should. He seemed quite pleased that he would have a lot of help with the work of getting the Japanese chickens ready for the freezer.

Later his little wife came out with cookies and lemonade. All had a nice time and he said he would be getting some new chickens. He told the boys he would appreciate it if they would hold off on throwing any more grenades. Next day a delegation arrived at school and spoke to them about the mess that parts of the old Martin birdhouse and all the rocks had made in the Parsonage backyard. The boys were volunteered to go over there during noon hour and recess to pick up the mess. Also it was suggested that a new Martin birdhouse be the next project in shop class. It took us the better part of the year to build it from some plans that someone came up with. The house was painted and it sure looked nice! A farmer with a loader on his tractor came and helped install it on the pole of the former Japanese hideout. It sure looked nice up there. Next spring a flock of Martins thought so also! They took over and returned every year thereafter!