iven his tail a thought. So long as it
followed him wherever he went he had been satisfied with it.

[Illustration: Grunty Pig Stuck Fast in the Fence.

(_Page 86_)]

From that moment Grunty began to think a great deal about his tail. He
was always turning his head to look at it, to make sure it hadn't lost
any of its kink. Now and then he was even late for a meal, because he
was feasting his eyes on his tail when Farmer Green came to the pen with
food for Mrs. Pig's family.

It must be confessed that Grunty sometimes boasted before his brothers
and sisters about his beautiful curly tail. And just before meal time
his brother Blackie was known, upon occasion, to mention the subject of
tails. He did that in the hope that Grunty would be late at the feeding
trough.

Sad to say, Grunty Pig was fast becoming vain. He even talked about
tails with the neighbors, taking pains to explain that his own was the
handsomest one on the farm.

Old dog Spot sniffed when Grunty boasted about his tail one day.

"Why, your tail is of no use whatsoever," Spot told him. "You can't use
it to switch a fly off your back. The Muley Cow can do that. And so can
the old horse, Ebenezer."

"Ah! But my tail is so pretty to look at!" Grunty Pig exclaimed.

"You can't puff it up to show you're angry, as Miss Kitty Cat does,"
said Spot.

"Ah! But my tail has a beautiful curl!" said Grunty Pig.

"You can't wag it, to let folks know you're friendly, as I can," said
Spot.

"Ah! But my tail is _so_ handsome!" Grunty Pig exclaimed.

XIX

DOG SPOT'S PLAN

When Grunty Pig insisted that his own tightly curled tail was the most
beautiful one in the neighborhood, old dog Spot yawned.

"If that's the case," he remarked, "I should think you'd want your tail
where you could see it more easily. Don't you find it a nuisance to have
to turn your head around every time you want to look at your tail?"

Grunty Pig admitted that his tail wasn't in the most convenient place in
the world.

"If Farmer Green should cut off your tail and nail it up on the outside
of the barn," old Spot suggested, "you could look at it easily enough.
And it would give others a better chance to see it, too. Even the people
that drive along the road could enjoy it. Everybody spoke about the tall
corn that we nailed to the barn last fall. And I'm sure that folks would
admire your tail."

When Spot spoke of Farmer Green's cutting off his tail, Grunty Pig
winced. Bu