The New Girl

Meet Cori. She’s the new girl. When she moved, they told her everything would be fine and she’ll make new friends. We’ve all been told that and we know how “not fine” it can be.

Friday was her first day. The other girls didn’t like her and wouldn’t let her into their little clique. “She’s so different," they moaned. “Not at all like us.”

Cori IS different. Her head and feet are bigger than her body. She nervously picks at herself, a habit, I think, from living in close quarters in a cage. Somehow all of her tail feathers are gone. She looks like the cab of a semi with no trailer behind.

Cori is an Americana and will lay bluish green eggs. Americanas are sometimes called Easter Eggers. We thought Bunny would be a good name, but she’s not the type. She is a dozen autumn colors all mixed into a pattern. She’s a scrappy tomboy. She’s coriander.

Cori spent her first two days looking at herself in the mirror, missing her friends, and stayed behind the coop and close to the wall.

The first two nights Cori nonchalantly headed into the coop early and arranged herself on the roost. Maybe she’s thinking she’ll blend in. Or maybe she’s exhausted. Being the new girl will do that. The first night she put up a good argument as to why she should be there, but teenage girls can be mean. A Lizard Twin moved her out. She tried to roost on the water jug, on the light, and finally on a tiny window ledge. She just wanted to be in there somewhere with the other girls. Bill said “she’ll figure it out.” (I set up camp in the back shed and carry her in there.)

She doesn’t know how to drink from the automatic water feeder and on her first day, she panted all day. Bill said she would figure that out. (I set out a pie pan of water.)

The Lizard Twins wouldn’t let her get close to the treats we give them, like strawberry tops and apple cores. She’ll figure it out, Bill said. (I gave her a serving by the pan of water.)

This morning I looked outside and saw Mona sitting close to her at the mirror. Mona is not the most popular girl or the prettiest, but she has a big heart and she made the first move to include Cori in the group.

Now Cori is in the middle of the yard with Mona. She’s figuring it out.