l that a capital dowry? Pif-paf Poltrie, what
trade are you? Are you a tailor?"

"Better than that."

"A shoemaker?"

"Better still!"

"A plowman?"

"Better still!"

"A joiner?"

"Better still!"

"A smith?"

"Better still!"

"A miller?"

"Better still!"

"Perhaps a broom-binder?"

"Yes, so I am; now, is not that a pretty trade?"

* * * * *

THE WOLF AND THE FOX

A wolf, once upon a time, caught a fox. It happened one day that
they were both going through the forest, and the wolf said to his
companion: "Get me some food, or I will eat you up."

The fox replied: "I know a farmyard where there are a couple of young
lambs, which, if you wish, we will fetch."

This proposal pleased the wolf, so they went, and the fox, stealing
first one of the lambs, brought it to the wolf, and then ran away. The
wolf devoured it quickly, but was not contented, and went to fetch the
other lamb by himself, but he did it so awkwardly that he aroused the
attention of the mother, who began to cry and bleat loudly, so that
the peasants ran up. There they found the wolf, and beat him so
unmercifully that he ran, howling and limping, to the fox, and said:
"You have led me to a nice place, for, when I went to fetch the other
lamb, the peasants came and beat me terribly!"

"Why are you such a glutton, then?" asked the fox.

The next day they went again into the fields, and the covetous wolf
said to the fox: "Get me something to eat now, or I will devour you!"

The fox said he knew a country house where the cook was going that
evening to make some pancakes, and thither they went. When they
arrived, the fox sneaked and crept around round the house, until he at
last discovered where the dish was standing, out of which he stole six
pancakes, and took them to the wolf, saying, "There is something for
you to eat!" and then ran away. The wolf dispatched these in a minute
or two, and, wishing to taste some more, he went and seized the dish,
but took it away so hurriedly that it broke in pieces. The noise of
its fall brought out the woman, who, as soon as she saw the wolf,
called her people, who, hastening up, beat him with such a good will
that he ran home to the fox, howling, with two lame legs! "What a
horrid place you have drawn me into now," cried he; "the peasants have
caught me, and dressed my skin finely!"

"Why, then, are you such a glutton?" said the fox.

When they went out ag