As for food, they did not even have to hunt for themselves these days, for the feasts now being spread before Little Chicken were more than he could use, and he was glad to have his parents come down and help him.
He was a fine, big, overgrown fellow, and his wings, with quills of jetty black, gleaming with bronze, were so strong they almost lifted his body.

He had three inches of tail, and his beak and claws were sharp.
His muscles began to clamor for exercise.

He raced the forty feet of his home back and forth many times every hour of the day.

After a few days of that, he began lifting and spreading his wings, and flopping them until the down on his back was filled with elm fiber.

Then he commenced jumping.