"Hum, hum!" said the grandmother, pretending to look cross. "Why should I tell you a long story?" "Oh, because I have my Sunday clothes on, and must not play in the dirt!" replied the little boy. "Don't you know a long story, grandma?" "Would you like to hear about "WHITELING'S WAR WITH ISEGRIM?" asked the Báby. "Yes, indeed, that I should!" cried the little boy. So the grandmother began: Once upon a time there was a moujik who had a perfectly white Dog, which he called Whiteling. Now Whiteling had struck up a great friendship with Isegrim, the Wolf, and one day each made a solemn compact never to betray the other in any of their stealings. Not long after, Isegrim said to Whiteling one day, "I intend to make a call upon your master's swine to-night; so do you keep no watch, but just lie as still as possible, and don't wake up the whole family with your barking, as you usually do, for you know that they will move heaven and earth to capture me." "Kill all the swine, if you like," replied Whiteling; "I won't betray you." "A word is enough, brother; I shall be there," said Isegrim; and so the friends parted. Punctually at nightfall Isegrim appeared and greeted Whiteling heartily, saying, "I gave you my word, and as you see, here I am." "Get to work, then," replied Whiteling; "you have nothing to fear from me." Isegrim crept cautiously to the swine-pen. He had all the work in the world to get in, and once in, he had hardly begun his meal when the swine broke out in fearful squealings and gruntings. Whiteling, at the house-door, no sooner heard the noise than he began to bark and whine with all his might, waking all the family with his noise. "What makes our Whiteling howl so?" they said. "We must go out and see what the trouble is." So all the family went out, and hearing the squealing of the swine, they hastened to the pigpen. Peeping in, they saw the Wolf and set upon him with clubs and fists, belaboring him so soundly that he barely escaped with a whole skin. Waiting till the family had returned to bed, Isegrim crept back, and seizing Whiteling by the throat, "Aha!" he cried, "I have caught you now. You pledged me your word not to bark, and you broke your promise. No, I'll never forgive you. Just look at me once, what a plight I'm in." Whiteling began to beg. "Ah, let me go, let me go, dear, sweet brother Isegrim; forgive me just this once; I'll never do it again; come again and steal whenever you like; you may be perfectly sure of me!" "Will you ever play me another such trick?" asked Isegrim. "Never, never again!" said Whiteling. "Very well, then," said the Wolf, "you may go free this once; but next time, remember, hold your tongue!"