“For this milk,” said Dolly, “I shall get a shilling, and with it I will buy twenty of the eggs laid by our neighbor’s fine fowls. The mistress will surely lend me a hen, and, allowing for all mishaps, I shall raise a good dozen of chicks. They will be well grown before the next fair-time comes around, and it is then that chickens bring the highest price. I shall be able to sell mine for a guinea. “Then I shall buy that jacket that I saw in the village the other day, and a hat and ribbons too. And when I go to the fair, how smart I shall be! “Robin will be there, and will come up and offer to be friends again. But I won’t make up too easily; and when he wants me for a partner in the dance, I shall just toss up my head and—” Here Dolly gave her head the least bit of a toss, when down came the pail, and all the milk was spilled upon the ground. Poor Dolly! it was her good-by to eggs, chickens, jacket, hat, ribbons, and all. THE CAT AND THE FOX THE Cat and the Fox were once talking together in the middle of the forest. “I do not care what happens,” said the Fox, “for I have a thousand tricks, any one of which would get me out of difficulty. But pray, Mrs. Puss,” he added, “what would you do if there should be an invasion?” [Illustration] “I have but one course,” Puss replied. “If that would not serve me, I should be undone.” “I am sorry for you,” said the Fox. “I would gladly teach you one or two of my tricks, but it is not wise to trust another. We must each take care for himself.” These words were hardly spoken, when a pack of hounds came upon them in full cry. The Cat, by means of her one well-proved safeguard, ran up a tree and sat serenely among the branches. “This is my way,” she said to the Fox. “What is yours to be?” The Fox, with all his thousand tricks, was not able to get out of sight, and fell a prey to the dogs. THE MONKEY AND THE CAT A MONKEY and a Cat lived in the same family, and it was hard to tell which was the greater thief. One day, as they were roaming together, they spied some chestnuts roasting in the ashes of a fire. “Come,” said the cunning Monkey, “we shall not go dinnerless to-day. Your claws are better than mine for the purpose; pull the chestnuts out of the ashes and you shall have half.” Puss pulled them out, burning her paws very much in doing so. When she had stolen every one, she turned to the Monkey for her share of the booty; but, to her chagrin, she could find no chestnuts, for he had eaten them all. THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD FOR a long time the Wolf had followed the Sheep without attempting to injure one of them. The Shepherd stood on his guard against him for a while, and kept strict watch that he did not come too near. But as day after day passed and the Wolf showed no disposition to injure any of the flock, he allowed him to approach nearer, till at last he came among the Sheep, and seemed to watch over them like a dog.