It was," said
Norah, in the approved manner of story-tellers," a fair and joyous
scene!"
"'Specially for the grasshoppers!" commented her hearer. "And then--?"
"Then I went out for a ride with Dad, and I didn't get back until late
in the afternoon. I let Bobs go, and ran down to the fowl yard without
waiting to change my habit." Norah paused. "I really don't know that I
can bring myself to tell you any more!"
"If you don't," said Wally, indignantly, "there'll certainly be
bloodshed. Go on at once--
"Am I a man on human plan
Designed, or am I not, Matilda?"
"H'm," said Norah. "Well, I'm not Matilda, anyway! However, I opened
the gate of the yard. And then I stood there and just gaped at what I
saw."
"Dogs?"
"Our dogs are decently trained," Norah said, much offended. "No, it
wasn't dogs--it was pigs!"
"Whew-w!" whistled Wally.
"Pigs. They had burrowed in right under the fence; there was a great
big hole there. And they'd eaten every chicken, and every egg in the
yard. My lovely boxes were all knocked over, and the nests torn to
bits, and there wasn't so much as an eggshell left. The poor old hens
were just demented--they were going round and round the yard, clucking
and calling, and altogether like mad things. And in the middle of it
all, fat and happy and snoring--three pigs!"
"What did you do?" Wally felt that this case was beyond the reach of
ordinary words of sympathy.
Pages:
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185