One day in early spring Gertrude McCluck visited with a flock of 15 chickens. Some of their names were Guin, Red, Ban and Crower. They lived at a farm on a bluff overlooking a sparkling river.

One bright morning Guin, the Guinea hen, laid an extra large egg. All the chickens were astounded. It took up the entire base of the muck-truck!

After 21 days, this odd-looking, oversized egg hatched. A chicken the size of a pullet with red feathers and blue and white spots emerged. From his chin hung a dangly wattle. Sprouting from the top of its head grew a large spiky comb. Long, bushy tail feathers swished and fanned out when he became excited.

Gertrude had to find out why this chicken was like this. So she went to some friends, the bronze turkeys who lived out near the river. She described the odd-looking hen to the turkeys. They said it looked like a dyed turkey, but she didn't believe that. Gertrude thought it was a mixed breed. So Gertrude returned to the coop. Next, she looked closely at the male Rhode Island Red and the Guinea hen. She looked at them closely together. The rooster and hen had the same field markings.

Before Gertrude told anyone this, she rode the muck-truck to the bronze turkeys to make sure she was correct. She took one of the turkeys to go see this strange looking hen. Then the turkeys said, "You must be right." She took the turkey back in the muck-truck, back with the other turkeys.

Gertrude revealed the good news to all the other chickens. The new hens started having new babies. Soon there were many more of this peculiar breed. That is how Gertrude found out about the mystery of the big egg.