nts, and then became as
still as a mouse.--"This young pig, said the venerable Bramin, is now
animated by the soul of the late master _Greedyguts_, who died about
two months ago, and has left a number of relations behind him in almost
every town you can mention. Poor foolish youth, if he had been less
fond of his belly, and more attentive to his book, and to the good
advice of his parents, his soul would not have been confined as it now
is, in the body of that nasty, greedy, and noisy little animal which
you see before you. But, to represent his character in its proper
colours, he was always a hoggish little fellow, and disdained every
other sort of labour but that of lifting his hand to his mouth. He
loved eating much better than reading; and would prefer a tart, a
custard, a plumcake, or even a slice of gingerbread, or an apple, to
the prettiest, and most useful little book you could present him with;
so that if his parents had purchased a hundred books for him, one after
the other, he would have readily parted with them to the first crafty
boy he met with, who had any trash to spare by way of exchange. It
cannot therefore be considered as a miracle, notwithstanding the
extraordinary care and expense which his friends bestowed upon his
education, that he always continued a blockhead, and was such a perfect
dunce at eleven years of age, that instead of being able to read and
write as a young gentleman ought to do, he could scarcely tell his
letters. He was equally remarkable for his selfishness; for if he had
twenty cheesecakes in his box, or his pockets full of oranges and
apples, he would sooner have given a tooth out of his head than have
parted with one of them, even to his own brother or sister. The
consequence was (and indeed what else could have been expected) that he
was despised and hated by all his play fellows, and distinguished by
the mortifying title of _Tony Pig_; an animal which he perfectly
resembled in his nastiness as well as greediness. For if he was dressed
in the morning as clean as hands could make him, he would, by running
into puddles and kennels, and rolling upon the ground, become as black
as a chimney sweeper before noon; and I sincerely believe that he
thought it as great a punishment to have his hair combed, or to wash
his hands and face, as to be whipped; for he would cry and struggle as
much to avoid the one as to escape the other. But, to ease his parents
of their heavy apprehensions upon