“Oh! you stupid boy, Tommy! You should have put it on a nice white plate and covered it with a piece of white paper.” “Oh! I’ll do better next time, Mother; I’ll do better next time.” A few days after, his Mother said: “Tommy, Farmer Jones has given us a little hen. Will you go and fetch it?” “Oh! yes,” said Tommy. Off he went, fetched the little hen, and put it on a white plate; but before he could put a nice piece of white paper over it, it had flown quite away! When he got home, his Mother said: “Well, Tommy, and where is the little hen?” “Oh! Mother, I did what you told me; I put it on a white plate, but before I could cover it with a piece of paper it flew quite away.” “Oh! you stupid boy, Tommy! You stupid boy! You ought to have put it in a wicker basket and shut down the lid.” “I’ll do better next time, Mother; I’ll do better next time.” A few days after, his Mother said: “Tommy, there is a plum pudding for dinner. Go and fetch a pound of brown sugar.” Off went Tommy, bought the pound of sugar, and put it in a wicker basket, and shut the lid down tight. When he got home his Mother said: “Well, Tommy, and where’s the sugar?” “Here it is, Mother, here it is.” And he opened the basket, but it was quite empty, for all the sugar had tumbled through the holes in the wicker-work! “Oh! you stupid boy, Tommy! You should have put the sugar in a paper bag and tied a piece of string very tightly round it.” “I’ll do better next time, Mother; I’ll do better next time.” Some time after, his Mother said: “Tommy, Farmer Jones has promised us a dear little puppy dog. Will you go and fetch it?” “Oh! yes,” said Tommy. So off he went, fetched the little puppy dog, put it in a paper bag, and tied a piece of string _very_ tightly round its neck. When he got home and opened the bag, the poor little puppy was quite dead. “Oh! you stupid boy, Tommy! You stupid boy! You should have tied a string quite loosely round the little dog’s neck, and let it run after you, and you should have called, 'Hi, little dog!’” “I’ll do better next time, Mother,” said Tommy, crying. A long time after, his Mother said: “Tommy, will you go into the town and fetch a leg of mutton? Now, mind you bring it home very carefully.” “Oh! yes,” said Tommy. So off he went, bought a leg of mutton, tied a piece of string round it, and dragged it after him on the ground, and said: “Hi, little dog! Ho, little dog!” and all the little dogs in the town came after him and ate the mutton, and when he got home there was nothing left but the bone! When his Mother saw it, she said: “Really, Tommy, you are _too_ stupid; you really are _quite_ a goose.”