"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.'
[Illustration: 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 shore 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."
[Illustration: 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?"