Pennsylvania Farmer Girl

I came across a charming old book and skimmed its pages, finding a very accurate lesson in food management that I never knew and never thought of learning as a boy. It was not till only five years ago in Ceridwen's barnyard that I did this same task, bringing on one of the most satisfying meals I can reemmber. There is almost no detail left out of the teaching. The book had been discontinued from the library of a Junior High School here in Philadelphia.

"Can you do it?" Johnny asked. He did not like the sight of blood and always made himself scarce when it was time for this job. Now Martha supposed he did not know whether to stand by to lend support or not.

"I guess so." Martha took out a piece of cord mother kept handy and tied the hen's legs tightly together and then laid her sidewise on the block. She took the axe in her right hand and made testing motions up and down near the chicken. Then, suddenly closing her eyes, she brought the axe down in one fell swoop. It was more luck than management, she admitted afterward, for she might have struck the chicken anywhere else than the neck.

"I'm glad I remembered to tie her legs," she said, "or she'd flap all over the place even though she is dead."

Johnny brought a bucket of scalding water and Martha dunked the hen's body. After it was well soaked she and Johnny stripped off the feathers. It was a messy but not a difficult task.

Then, back in the kitchen, Martha cleaned out the insides with a sharp knife. She was proud she did not break the gall, which would turn the chicken bitter.

From Mennonite Martha by Margaret Pitcairn Strachan (New York: Ives Washburn, 1961), Illustrated by Charles Geer.

[EDIT: [url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980325&slug=2741414]The author [/url]turns out to be just the type of person I would love to have known!]