g curls; "girls are a
great deal of use, too; I mended all his stockings and all papa's this
week--think of that, neighbor Oldbird!"

"That was really splendid!" said I; and just then we entered the market.

The very first thing we met was a horrid big dog, that belonged to some
butcher; and, bless me! how he began to show his great rows of teeth,
and growl at Gipsey! Nelly gave a little scream, and tried to hide
behind me; Jimmy valiantly flew at the big dog with my walking stick;
and poor little Gipsey nearly stood on the end of his tail with fright,
and squealed dismally. What a fuss we were all in, to be sure! So at
last, to quiet the disputants, I caught Gipsey up, and put him in my
coat pocket, where he sat, looking out at the top, very much comforted.

Then we turned to the right, and went by the brightest and prettiest
stall in the whole market. It was kept by a Frenchman, who, in his own
language, would be called a "_charcutier_;" but Jimmy and Nell shouted
out together "Oh, there's the _pig man_!" as loud as ever they could,
and then stopped, blushing very much, because they were afraid the pork
merchant heard them. I expect he did; for he looked very funny when we
came close, and smoothing down his snowy apron with his fat hands, said
"Bonjour, mademoiselle!" and laughed good humoredly. There was a great
"head cheese" on the pig man's marble counter, moulded in the shape of a
boar's head. The tusks were made of white carrots, the eyes of red
jelly, and the sides of the dish it was on were beautifully ornamented
with white roses, cut out of turnips, and parsley foliage. Then there
were ever so many pork pies, with the most elegant wreaths of flowers on
the top crust, comical little hams already cooked, and fat dumplings of
sucking pigs, as pink as baby himself!

When we had looked about us a little, we concluded to buy a pork pie of
the pig man; and while that was being nicely packed up in paper, out
popped Gipsey from my pocket, and stood triumphant on the counter, in
the midst of the little pigs and savory pastries. I don't know what
forays he would not have made upon them, if he had not been captured by
the pig man, Jimmy, and me; but he did contrive to jump right into the
very middle of another pork-pie! and then we had to pay for that, too;
and wipe the gravy off Gipsey's feet and the ends of his tail and nose,
and button him up tight in the market basket for half an hour, as a
punishment for his naugh