The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1906-11-24
THREE LITTLE PIGS.


up and down-up and down-the other side of the
hedge, and wondered what he was thinking of.
Deeds" Andrew murmured darky. 1t was just
the word for an Ogre.
What's deeds Andy whispered the Midget,
in awe.
"Oh-oh, things. Things hes-plotting" That
was another good ogre-word
whats plot"
Ssh. He's looking this way"
As to be sure he was and nodding i'll friendly,
neighbory. un-ogreish way. After that they called
him Just the Neighbor He was very often on the
other side of the hedge, pacing up and down. when
the children were playing on their side. They for
got all about him by and by.
One day the five little ones 'processed" slowly
down the porch steps and across the lawn toward
the hedge. They had to go slowly, for fear of
splitting something For each little girl carried
dish. Andrews contained lemonade. Elsie Mays
was splendidly full of crisp. new hernits. Doris
has a saucer-pie. Roger had bowl of strawber
ries showed with powdered sugar. The Midget had
five hard-boiled eggs on plate.
1t was a party-a picnic. Under the hedge, of
course, where picnics belonged. The five children
trailed carefully across the grass. They too
much absorbed to notice the Neighbor at all.
III set the table," Elsie May said; "the grass
table, l mean. III put the pie my side SO |
cut IT,"
Its my saucer-pe," reminded Doris, gently,
but of course you can vide it.
'Of course promptly. Gin five pieces. accord
ing to our sizes. Pm the biggest, and Andy's
next, and then Roger. and then"
Doris looked at the Midget whose mouth was
drawing down. Of course, the Midget knew he was
the smallest of all.
Never mind, dear" Doris comfored him in his
ear, ''you can have some of mine. too"
I'm zactly tall Andy" brstled Roger,
$50 stomachs are twins You cut my piece as
big as Andys. Elsie May"
YOU'RE not so old-my stomach is the Oldest
Andrew said, authoritatively.
There were thirteen hermits and five into thir-
teen is
Give into thirteen you can't Andrew reckoned.
"but | guess | know what we can do. You wait
minute everybody keep still while do sum-
Everybody kept still Andrew at the head
of the mental arithmetic class at school and could
"do sums" beautifully. he spread out his fingers
wide and scowled-its queer how scowling helps!
Eve got it!' he shouted 'Three of us can
have three apiece and two of US have two
apiece-three times three apiece is nine, and two
times two apiece is four, and nine and four's thr-
teen! That makes 'em count out even"
GLOW smart you are, Andy" cried Elsie May.
admiringly.
Nobody else could have done it p admired Rog-
er But Doris and the Midget said nothing Dor
is knew and the Midget suspected what the "two
apiece" part of Andys sum in mental arithmetic
meant. The Midget's mouth corners drew down
again, but again came consoling voice: "You
can bite two bites out O mine. dear" Nobody
heard but the 1Tidget-and the neighbor on the
other side of the hedge.
"You can dish out the Strawberries Andy" Ell
sic May pernissioned graciously, "and Roger car
pour the lemonade" There was nothing left for
the other little girls to do.
Il guess I'll give the top ones to us older folks
there's more sugar on top" remarked Andrew as
he 'dished." "And too much sugar isn't suitable
for small children-real small ones"
"Of course mott" agreed Roger, in suspicious
/ host l,114i
pouring lemonade into three glasses and two tiny
tin dippers. The dippers he pushed toward the
small children, real small ones.
The picnic went on to its end without further
! incident. The contents of the FIVE dishes dsap-
peared with astonishing rapidity, and the five pic
nickers began to clear away the tumble of dishes
and crumbs.
"Ohl" exclaimed Roger in the midst of opera
lions, there comes The Neghbor into our gate !
He's coming toward u.s." He had been in at the
gate once before but one, in the preoccupation
of the party, had seen him. Now he came smiling
and nodding toward the hedge.
Good afternoon, chidren" he said pleasantly,
in not at all an ogre-like voice Give come over
look at those little pigs Can any of you tell me
where to find themW
"Why, there aren't any little pigs" Andrew said
politely "Our papa doesn't keep them"
No. echoed Roger 81 guess you've come to
the wrong house, sir"
The Neighbor looked puzzled But the sign
he said. There's sign out there" pointing Chat
says Three Little Pigs Within ] came over to
take look at them"
'But-but there aren't any," Elsie May gently
persisted Not single little pig within u.s.
The Neighbor held out his hands to them all
"Come and read the sign" he smiled. And they
all went with him. "Three Little Pigs Within. y
It was certainly there, printed very blackly on a
little board and stuck a long "stem" into the
ground.
"Why' chorused al +he little surnr;sed e,;rls T.
seemed to have grown up there while they were
having the picnic under the hedge "Three Little
Pigs"-right there before their eyes! And they
never knew papa had pigs at ALL
Never mind-never mind!" the Neighbor said.
kindly. IF l mistaken-but l certainly
thought | heard them-er-s quealing-a little
while ago-right on the other side of the hedge.
They seemed to be eating their-er-rations"
"Ohw 1t was Andrew that said it very sudden
ly indeed and his face grew red all over-oh very
red. Then Elsie Mays grew red. too, and lastly
Rogers face underneath its freckles. Only the
Irro+'- Il H.,