Adventures of Jake the Snake
Case of the Missing Eggs
by
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Mae Hennie did not care what the other chickens thought about her. Soon, she would be having lots of fun. She slept outside on a tree branch that night and dreamed about her secret.
Early Sunday morning, before Riley Rooster crowed his wake-up alarm, Mae Hennie sneaked out again. She did not plan to return to the chicken yard. She was going to be too busy.
Mae Hennie quickly ran to the cornfield. Tucked away in some bushes, on the edge of the cornfield, was her nest. Altogether, she had laid four eggs in the nest. Today she would lay one more egg, for a total of five. She would sit on them and keep them warm until they were ready to hatch.
Soon, she would be a mother and have baby chicks to care for and play with. She could hardly wait to show off her babies, especially to those hateful chickens. She could just see herself marching across the barnyard with her baby chicks parading happily behind her.
When Mae Hennie arrived at her secret place, her nest was gone! All she could find was a few pieces of scattered straw and leaves. Running around in circles, she clucked, “Oh, no! Where is my nest? Where are my eggs? Someone took my eggs!” Squawking loudly, she ran around the cornfield and through the brush looking for her nest.
Then, she saw Jake looking at her sleepy eyed. He had a guilty look on his face. She was positive he had stolen her eggs. Oh, my, He has probably eaten all my eggs, she thought. Mae Hennie was hysterical! She puffed out her feathers and screamed at Jake, “Where are my eggs?” Flapping her wings and jumping up and down, she accused Jake of destroying her nest. She clucked hatefully at Jake, “Did you eat my eggs? I hate you, I hate you! You are a bad snake, and no one likes you!”
Jake crawled out of the hole and slithered up a tree. He shouted back, “No, it was not me! I did not take your eggs! Why do I always get blamed for all the bad stuff? I live in the woods in my hole in the ground and mind my own business. I don’t even like eggs.” He yelled, “I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!”
Jake was so upset at Mae Hennie. He reminded her that Sly Fox had been seen sneaking around the barnyard at night. “He probably destroyed your nest and ate your eggs. You better get yourself back to the hen house before he eats you,” he warned. “Oh, by the way, a chicken hawk followed you here today too. You have been in danger day and night. I have been trying to protect you and guard your nest. You are just a pea-brain chicken and don’t appreciate what a good home you have. I just want to be your friend.”
Jake crawled back to the hole and started packing his backpack. He told Mae Hennie to go home and leave him alone. One more time, he shouted, “I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!” His feelings were very hurt. I guess Mae-Hennie will never be my friend, he thought.
Jake was disappointed in himself. He had gone to sleep instead of guarding Mae Hennie’s secret place. He had no clue of what happened to the nest. Still, it was not his fault the nest had been destroyed. It was Mae Hennie’s fault. Even a bird-brain chicken should know the cornfield is a dangerous place to lay eggs. Laying eggs outside the chicken yard is not a good choice.
Mae Hennie sadly made her way back home. Softly talking to herself, she said, “Oh, I have lost my eggs. All that hard work and I have nothing to show for it. I will never leave home again.” She just wanted to get back to the chicken yard and lay her last egg. At least one egg is better than none, she thought.
Once again Mae Hennie ran up and down outside the chicken yard looking for the hole in the fence. Finally, she found the hole, but it was all patched up! There was no way she could get through the fence.
Mae Hennie sat down in the grass and began to cry. She prayed, “Dear God, what am I going to do? I’m so scared Sly Fox will find me or that mean old chicken hawk will swoop me away. Please help me. I wanna go home. I wanna go home.”
Suddenly, a huge shadow hovered over Mae Hennie. She was too scared to move or even cluck. A large hand reached down and gently picked her up and held her tight. It was Mrs. Mack. Mae Hennie thought, what in the world is she going to do to me? Will I be punished for leaving home?
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About the Book
Jake is a story about a friendly snake. He lives in a hole in the ground on the Mack farm. He is a very nosy snake. He likes to spy on the farm animals. He really wants to be their friend, but they don’t like him. Jake gets blamed for most everything that goes wrong on the farm.
Mae Hennie, the chicken, leaves the barnyard and runs away from home. Jake follows her. He finds her secret place. Mae Hennie gets very angry with Jake and accuses him of stealing from her. He shouts at Mae Hennie, “I didn’t do it!”
Jake is innocent. How can he prove he is not guilty? Will he ever be a friend to the barnyard animals? Somehow, he must help Mae Hennie. She is in danger, and he must warn her. Maybe then, she will be his friend.
About the Author
Joyce McK-Hammers was born and raised in western Kentucky. She attended Bowling Green College of Commerce, Murray State University, and Austin Peay University. She has an Associate Degree in Business Education. She is author of the children’s book series, The Adventures of Jake the Snake and the teen novel triology, Remembering. She also writes lyrics, poems, and daily devotions, which she plans to incorporate in a book for publication. She has ministered, as a volunteer, in church children and youth programs for over fifty years. She currently enjoys serving as the Student Intercessory Prayer Leader and singing in the choir at Abba’s House, Hixson, Tennessee. She is a seasoned traveler and has vacationed in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Israel, Jordon, Mexico and Canada. She has four children, thirteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She and her husband, Lewis, live in Lakesite, Tennessee, a suburb of Chattanooga.