WHEN MR. PIG DIDN'T GO TO MARKET.

"Tell me the story," your Aunt Amy said, knowing very well that Mrs.

Goose had one in mind, as indeed she had, for she told it as follows:

"One day Mr. Man was taking Mr. Pig to market, when they came to a tree on which hung hundreds and hundreds of apples.

"'I'd like to have an apple,' Mr. Pig said, as he looked up wistfully.

"'I'd like to have a whole barrel,' Mr. Man cried greedily.

"A little further down the road they saw a pear tree.

"'I'd like to have a pear,' said the hungry Mr. Pig.

"'I'd like to have a wagon-load of pears,' Mr. Man added.

"Presently they saw a grape-vine, and Mr. Pig sighed:

"'I'd like to have a bunch of grapes.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Two Pigs.]

"'I'd like to have a wine-press full of them,' Mr. Man said.

"The two walked on until they came to a field filled with ripe melons.

"'Oh, how I wish I had one of those,' Mr. Pig whispered, and Mr. Man growled:

"'I'd like to have a car-load.'

"'Look here, Mr. Man,' Mr. Pig cried, 'you're more of a hog than I am, and I think we're at the wrong ends of this rope.'

"Then Mr. Pig jumped suddenly, pulling the rope out of Mr. Man's hands, and, dashing between his legs, threw him to the ground. Mr. Pig ran right into the field, picked out a nice ripe melon and ate it, while Mr.

Man got up, brushed his clothes, and went home."

Mrs. Goose ceased speaking, as if she was at an end of her story-telling, and your Aunt Amy, unwilling to part with her new friend so soon, was trying to think of some word which would provoke such a remark as would give new life to the conversation, when she was really startled by a loud hissing, as if an angry goose was near at hand.

Much to her surprise, she saw that it was Mrs. Gray Goose herself who was making the outcry, as she looked angrily toward the sh.o.r.e of the pond, where could be seen a goose and a gander dressed in clothing of the latest style.

"What do you think of that?" Mrs. Gray Goose cried. "Isn't it really very foolish?"

"Indeed it is," your Aunt Amy replied emphatically. "When birds, animals, or human beings appear dressed in anything likely to attract attention, they show very poor taste, to speak mildly."

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Foolish Pair.]

"That foolish goose would willingly go hungry in order to get something which would cause the ganders to look at her. Instead of raising feathers and laying eggs, as is her work in this world, she goes rambling all over the neighborhood in some ridiculous fashion, and, I am sorry to say, she finds plenty of ganders who are ready to follow her.

"She'll come to some such end as did young Mr. Rat, before many years have gone by, else I'm very much mistaken. How strange it is that some birds are never contented to do what nature intended should be their duty!"

"I know of a number of human beings who act just as silly," your Aunt Amy replied. "Will you tell me what happened to Mr. Rat of whom you spoke?"

THE DISOBEDIENT RAT.

"Surely I will," Mrs. Gray Goose replied promptly, "for the story is one that teaches a lesson, even if it does come from Mr. Crow. It seems that once upon a time a young Mr. Rat said to his father, speaking as if he knew the ways of the world better than did those who had lived in it many years before he was born:

"Now that I'm of age, I'm going to take a partner, and go into business for myself.'

"'Very well,' his father replied mildly, for he was a wise old Rat. 'I hope you will get an honest partner, and prosper in whatever you undertake.'

"'I suppose you think I am going into business with some common rat,'

the young fellow said with a sneer. 'I'm not going to choose my friends from among such people. I intend to take a kitten as a partner, and in such way get into the best society.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Two Partners.]

"Old Mr. Rat stroked his whiskers mournfully, as he looked tearfully at his son, and said:

"'Oh my son, my son! Kittens grow to be cats, and cats eat rats; it would be much better for you to stay among your own kind.'

"But the wilful young rat ran off with a flirt of his tail to a dear little, fluffy kitten, who was not much larger than himself, and asked if she would be his partner.

"'I am willing,' little Miss Kitten said. 'What are we to do after we go into business?'

"'Why, when your mother takes you into the pantry to-night to teach you rat-catching, you are to warn me. As soon as your mother has gone out, you must call me with three mews, and I will come.'

"Well, all this was done as young Mr. Rat planned, and when old Mrs. Cat had gone out of the pantry, leaving Miss Kitten alone, young Mr. Rat scampered from his hole. Without paying any attention to his partner, he pulled a big piece of cheese down from the shelf, and began eating it greedily.

"'Where do I come in on this business?' Miss Kitten asked. 'I'm your partner; but I don't like cheese.'

"'Get what you want then,' young Mr. Rat said sharply. 'You can't expect me to hunt around for things that I don't eat. Have anything you please.'

"'My mother once gave me a rat-tail to eat,' Miss Kitten replied thoughtfully. 'I believe I would rather have that than anything else,'

and she looked longingly at young Mr. Rat's tail.

"'Oh, no indeed, you can't have that! Perhaps I spoke too sharply about the cheese; but you can't have my tail.'

"'Yes, she can,' growled old Mrs. Cat from the door, where she had been listening. Then she pounced upon young Mr. Rat and ate him, giving the tail to her kitten. There is a good lesson in that story, old Mr. Turtle says."

"So there is, Mrs. Goose, and one needn't look long in order to find it," your Aunt Amy replied, and then she asked that question which had been in her mind ever since the bird began to talk. "Have you ever heard about the Mrs. Goose who laid golden eggs?"

THE TRUE STORY OF THE GOLDEN EGGS.