Imagine a picturesque barnyard: a chicken coop, a pigsty, and a classic little white farmhouse with pies cooling on the windowsills. Enter a portly and handsome Buff Cochin hen. This, my friends, is Gertrude McCluck, an intelligent, middle-aged hen with a penchant for everything yam. She is the central character in our tale of valor.

And so we begin. The time: early one fall morning at harvest time, a slight nip in the air.

An enthusiastic, and more-than-slightly off-key song permeated the early morning silence of Yamwood Farm. Jimmy Hootle, a spry old Dorking rooster was making his rounds. As he meandered through the scratch, he stumbled over something firm, yet supple, and pleasantly orange. To make a long story short: ‘twas a yam.

"KYEEEE! Oh, Gertrude m'dear! I have discovered a treasure! A truffle in the undergrowth!"

"Oh, put a cork in it!" Gertrude longed to say. Over the years, she had grown accustomed to this sort of announcement, regarding anything from a clothespin to a speck of dirt on the porch railing. Nevertheless, you must show respect to your rooster, so she waddled out to see what all of the commotion was about. Unfortunately, she was not the only one to hear Old Hootle's crows of glee. A wicked, eavesdropping badger scout was patrolling the area. This badger was of a nasty clan that will stop at nothing to deprive others of glee.

At the same time Gertrude was waddling gracefully toward the discovery, the badger was silently creeping closer.

Gertrude arrived at the feeder where Jimmy was still loudly celebrating. "What is this finding of yours?" asked Gertrude, somewhat sarcastically.

"KYEEEEEEE! A YAM!" shouted he as he danced a sprightly jig. Gertrude was filled with merriment, though surprised that he had managed to find something of worth.

While the jovial duo was discussing their plan for the yam, the Badger was slinking closer. In one fell swoop, the creature grabbed the treasure, cackling in elation as he attempted to flee.

"Not so fast!" shouted Gertrude, and with a spiraling skip, she tackled him. The yam was recovered! But, this was no soft badger. He was hardened from years of crime, and he was not going to surrender easily. In a blur of squawks he pinned Hootle to the ground. "I'll take the chicken or I'll take the yam! Either way I win! Huzzah! I win!" shouted he.

Now, Gertrude may have been getting on in years, and even she'd admit she was rather thick around the hips, but she was no quitter. She summoned every ounce of feather vigor she possessed, and wrenched the rooster from his paws. Himmy dashed away with the yam, while Gertrude hauled the dastardly interloper to the far side of the Pecos.

And our story ends. A tale of bravery. They say every fable ends with a moral, and this is no different. The lesson? Don't let the badgers get you down.