The Sheep and the Pig

O NE morning, bright and early, a sheep and a curly-tailed pig started out through the world to find a home. For the thing they both wanted more than anything was a house of their own.

"We will build us a house," said the sheep and the curly-tailed pig, "and there we will live together."

So they traveled a long, long way, over the fields, and down the lanes, and past the orchards, and through the woods, until they came, all at once, upon a rabbit.

"Where are you going?" asked the rabbit of the two.

"We are going to build us a house," said the sheep and the pig.

"May I live with you?" asked the rabbit.

"What can you do to help?" asked the sheep and the pig.

The rabbit scratched his leg with his left hind foot for a minute, and then he said: "I can gnaw pegs with my sharp teeth; I can put them in with my paws."

"Good!" said the sheep and the pig; "you may come with us."

So the three went on a long, long way farther, and they came, all at once, upon a gray goose.

"Where are you going?" asked the gray goose of the three.

"We are going to build us a house," said the sheep, the pig and the rabbit.

"May I live with you?" asked the gray goose.

"What can you do to help?" asked the sheep, the pig and the rabbit.

The gray goose tucked one leg under her wing for a minute, and then she said: "I can pull moss, and stuff it in the cracks with my broad bill."

"Good!" said the sheep, the pig and the rabbit; "you may come with us."

So the four went on a long, long way, and, all at once, they came upon a barnyard cock.

"Where are you going?" asked the cock of the four.

"We are going to build us a house," said the sheep, the pig, the rabbit and the goose.

"May I live with you?" asked the barnyard cock.

"What can you do to help?" asked the sheep, the pig, the rabbit and the goose.

The cock preened his feathers and strutted about for a minute, and then he said: "I can crow very early in the morning; I can awaken you all."

"Good!" said the sheep, the pig, the rabbit, and the goose; "you may come with us."

So the five went on a long, long way until they found a good place for a house. Then the sheep hewed logs and drew them; the pig made bricks for the cellar; the rabbit gnawed pegs with his sharp teeth, and hammered them in with his paws; the goose pulled moss, and stuffed it in the cracks with her bill; the cock crowed early every morning to tell them that it was time to rise, and they all lived happily together in their little house.