Frederick Richardson

NCE upon a time a curly-tailed pig said to his friend the sheep, "I am tired of living in a pen. I am going to build me a house on the hill."

"Oh! may I go with you?" said the sheep.

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

"I can haul the logs for the house," said the sheep.

"Good!" said the pig. "You are just the one I want. You may go with me."

As the pig and the sheep walked and talked about their new house, they met a goose.

"Good morning, pig," said the goose. "Where are you going this fine morning?"

"We are going to the hill to build us a house. I am tired of living in a pen," said the pig.

"Quack! quack!" said the goose. "May I go with you?"

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

"I can gather moss, and stuff it into the cracks to keep out the rain."

"Good!" said the pig and the sheep. "You are just the one we want. You may go with us."

As the pig and the sheep and the goose walked and talked about their new house, they met a rabbit.

"Good morning, rabbit," said the pig.

"Good morning," said the rabbit. "Where are you going this fine morning?"

"We are going to the hill to build us a house. I am tired of living in a pen," said the pig.

"Oh!" said the rabbit, with a quick little jump. "May I go with you?"

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

"I can dig holes for the posts of your house," said the rabbit.

"Good!" said the pig and the sheep and the goose. "You are just the one we want. You may go with us."

As the pig and the sheep and the goose and the rabbit walked and talked about their new house, they met a cock.

"Good morning, cock," said the pig.

"Good morning," said the cock. "Where are you going this fine morning?"

"We are going to build us a house. I am tired of living in a pen," said the pig.

The cock flapped his wings three times. "Oh, Oh, Oh, O-O-Oh!" he crowed. "May I go with you?"

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

"I can be your clock," said the cock. "I will crow every morning and waken you at daybreak."

"Good!" said the pig and the sheep and the goose and the rabbit. "You are just the one we want. You may go with us."

Then they all went happily to the hill.

The pig found the logs for the house. The sheep hauled them together. The rabbit dug the holes for the posts. The goose stuffed moss in the cracks to keep out the rain. And every morning the cock crowed to waken the workers.

When at last the house was finished, the cock flew to the very top of it, and crowed and crowed and crowed.