"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.'
[Illustration: 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?"