The Milkmaid and Her Pail of Milk

D OLLY the Milkmaid having been a good girl and careful in her work, her mistress gave her a pail of new milk for herself.

With the pail upon her head, Dolly Tripped gaily along on her way to the town, wither she was going to sell her milk.

"For this milk," said Dolly, "I shall get a shilling, and with it I will buy twenty of the eggs laid by our neighbor's fine fowls. The mistress will surely lend me a hen, and, allowing for all mishaps, I shall raise a good dozen of chicks. They will be well grown before the next fair-time comes around, and it is then that chickens bring the highest price. I shall be able to sell mine for a guinea.

"Then I shall buy that jacket that I saw in the village the other day, and a hat and ribbons too. And when I go to the fair, how smart I shall be!

"Robin will be there and will come up and offer to be friends again. But I won't make up too easily; and when he wants me for a partner in the dance, I shall just toss up my head and—"

Here Dolly gave her head the least bit of a toss, when down came the pail, and all the milk was spilled upon the ground.

Poor Dolly! it was her good-by to eggs, chickens, jacket, hat, ribbons, and all.