of a rat below his wheelbarrow. But he could
not catch it, any more than his wife could catch the Aylesbury duck. Of
course not. Both were--the Brownie!

Just at this moment the six little people came running into the
farmyard. When they had been particularly good, they were sometimes
allowed to go with Gardener a-milking, each carrying his or her own mug
for a drink of milk, warm from the cow. They scampered after him--a
noisy tribe, begging to be taken down to the field, and holding out
their six mugs entreatingly.

"What! six cupfuls of milk, when I haven't a drop to spare, and Cook is
always wanting more? Ridiculous nonsense! Get along with you; you may
come to the field--I can't hinder that--but you'll get no milk to-day.
Take your mugs back again to the kitchen."

[Illustration: A noisy tribe, holding out their six mugs entreatingly.]

The poor little folks made the best of a bad business, and obeyed; then
followed Gardener down to the field, rather dolefully. But it was such a
beautiful morning that they soon recovered their spirits. The grass
shone with dew, like a sheet of diamonds, the clover smelled so sweet,
and two skylarks were singing at one another high up in the sky. Several
rabbits darted past, to their great amusement, especially one very large
rabbit--brown, not gray--which dodged them in and out, and once nearly
threw Gardener down, pail and all, by running across his feet; which set
them all laughing, till they came where Dolly, the cow, lay chewing the
cud under a large oak-tree.

It was great fun to stir her up, as usual, and lie down, one after the
other, in the place where she had lain all night long, making the grass
flat, and warm, and perfumy with her sweet breath. She let them do it,
and then stood meekly by; for Dolly was the gentlest cow in the world.

But this morning something strange seemed to possess her. She altogether
refused to be milked--kicked, plunged, tossed over the pail, which was
luckily empty.

"Bless the cow! what's wrong with her? It's surely you children's fault.
Stand off, the whole lot of you. Soh, Dolly! good Dolly!"

But Dolly was any thing but good. She stood switching her tail, and
looking as savage as so mild an animal possibly could look.

"It's all your doing, you naughty children! You have been playing her
some trick, I know," cried the Gardener, in great wrath.

They assured him they had done nothing, and indeed, they looked as quiet
as mice and as