THE PIG BROTHER
[35]
HERE was once a child who was untidy. He left his books
on the floor, and his muddy shoes on the table; he put his
fingers in the jam-pots, and spilled ink on his best pinafore;
there was really no end to his untidiness.
One day the Tidy Angel came into his nursery.
"This will never do!" said the Angel. "This is really
shocking. You must go out and stay with your brother while I
set things to rights here."
"I have no brother!" said the child.
"Yes, you have!" said
the Angel. "You may not know him, but he will
know you. Go out in the garden and watch for him, and he
will soon come."
[36] "I don't know what you mean!" said the child; but he went
out into the garden and waited.
Presently a squirrel came along, whisking his tail.
"Are you my brother?" asked the child.
The squirrel looked him over carefully.
"Well, I should hope not!" he said. "My fur is neat and
smooth, my nest is handsomely made, and in perfect order,
and me young ones are properly brought up. Why do you insult
me by asking such a question?"
He whisked off, and the child waited.
Presently a wren
came hopping by.
"Are you my brother?" asked the child.
"No indeed!" said the
wren. "What impertinence! You will find no
tidier person than I in the whole garden. Not a feather is
out of place, and my eggs are the wonder of all for
smoothness and beauty. Brother, indeed!" He hopped
off, ruffling his feathers, and the child waited.
By and by a large Tommy Cat came along.
"Are you my brother?" asked the child.
[37] "Go and look at yourself in the glass," said the Tommy Cat
haughtily, "and you will have your answer. I have been
washing myself in the sun all the morning, while it is
clear that no water has come near you for a long time.
There are no such creatures as you in my family, I am
humbly thankful to say."
He walked on, waving his tail, and the child waited.
Presently a pig came trotting along.
The child did not
wish to ask the pig if he were his brother, but the pig did
not wait to be asked.
"Hallo, brother!" he grunted.
"I am not your brother!" said the child.
"Oh, yes, you are!" said the pig. "I confess I am not proud of you, but
there is no mistaking the members of our family. Come
along, and have a good roll in the barnyard! There is
some lovely black mud there."
"I don't like to roll in mud!" said the child.
"Tell that to the hens!" said the pig brother. "Look at
your hands, and your shoes, and your pinafore! Come along,
[38] I say! You may have some of the pig-wash for supper, if
there is more than I want."
"I don't want pig-wash!" said the child; and he began
to cry.
Just then the Tidy Angel came out.
"I have set everything to rights," she said, "and so it
must stay. Now, will you go with the Pig Brother, or will
you come back with me, and be a tidy child?"
"With you, with you!" cried the child; and he clung to
the Angel's dress.
The Pig Brother grunted.
"Small loss!" he said. "There will be all the more
wash for me!" and he trotted on.
![[Illustration]](http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/thumbnails/ripperton_ft0601.jpg) |
Hundreds of additional titles available for
online reading when you join Gateway to the Classics
|
![[Illustration]](http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/thumbnails/perry_inventors.jpg) |
|
|