The Gray Gooses Story | Page 6

Mrs. Hog had seven of the dearest little
babies you ever saw, and they were as fat as butter, for Mr. Man gave
them all they wanted to eat. The family lived over on the north side of
the farm, a long distance from the house, and the fence to Mrs. Hog's
yard wasn't what it should have been when she had so many little ones
to look after. Every one, even Mr. Man himself said it ought to be
mended; but it seems that what's everybody's business is nobody's
business, therefore nothing was done.
"One afternoon, when supper had been eaten and Mrs. Hog was
clearing up the sty, Mr. Wolf poked his nose between the boards of the
fence, and said sweet as honey:
"'I am surprised, Mrs. Hog, to see that Mr. Man doesn't look after you
better. The first thing you know some bad person will come along, and
then one of the babies will be missing.'
"'There's little fear of that, Mr. Wolf, while I'm around,' and Mrs. Hog
showed her teeth.
[Illustration: Mr. Wolf wants to live with Mrs. Hog.]
"'Oh yes, I understand what you mean,' Mr. Wolf said, smiling all over
his face as if he was the best friend Mrs. Hog ever had. 'What I'm afraid
of is that the little ones may get into trouble while you are out calling,

and that would come near to breaking my heart, for I am very fond of
them. Now suppose I come here to live with you until they are large
enough to take care of themselves?'
"Mrs. Hog knew that if Mr. Wolf should try real hard to make trouble
for her, he might be able to do it, so she didn't dare tell him just what
she thought; but, going a little nearer him, to where one of the boards
had been slipped aside at the top, she said:
"'I'm afraid we haven't got room enough for you, Mr. Wolf. You can't
even get your head between these boards.'
"'Indeed I can,' Mr. Wolf said, laughing to think how easily he was
fooling Mrs. Hog, and he stuck his head through where the board was
loose.
"That was just what Mrs. Hog wanted him to do, and before he knew
what had happened, she jammed the two boards together with her nose,
holding Mr. Wolf by the neck in such a way that he couldn't do
anything but howl, till one of the babies ran and told Mr. Towser Dog
to come and look after the visitor.
"The next time you want to fool anybody you'd better find a foolish
little pig, instead of an old hog like me, who knows that there's some
mischief in the air when the wolves get to acting like one's best friends,'
Mrs. Hog said, as Mr. Towser took Mr. Wolf by the throat to teach him
better manners.
"I think myself that it is better to be suspicious, as was the colored
minister's rooster, than believe everything you are told, and make
friends with the first one who holds out his hand."
"Tell me the story about the rooster," your Aunt Amy said as Mrs.
Goose ceased speaking and turned to look at Mr. Gander, who still
appeared to be in pain.

WHEN MR. BOOSTER WAS SUSPICIOUS.
"It is one of Mr. Crow's stories," Mrs. Gray Goose said after another
long look at the suffering gander; "but it agrees with what I said about
the wisdom of being suspicious now and then.
"It seems that once upon a time a colored man raised a nice flock of
fowls; but his neighbors, who dearly loved stewed chickens or roasted
turkey, came to dinner so often, that very soon one thin turkey and an
old rooster, were all he had left.

"Just then two friends of the man's wife came to dinner, and, because
he hadn't any meat in the house, there was nothing to do but catch and
cook one of the lonesome looking pair.
"Mr. Turkey Gobbler saw the man coming, and flew up on the top of
the barn, as he cried:
"'I've got other business, and can't go to dinner with you, no matter how
much you want me.'
"'Now he's after me!' Mr. Rooster cried, growing suspicious when the
man caught him by the end of the tail and pulled nearly half the
feathers out.
"'Get under the barn! Get under the barn!' Mr. Turkey screamed, and
Mr. Rooster shouted while he went across the yard as fast as his legs
could carry him:
"'Give me a little time, and I'll win the race; but he's dangerously near.'
"Well, Mr. Rooster got under the barn nearly a minute before the man
did, and there he stayed, paying no attention to the