The Child's World Part 15

One of the chicks is bow-legged, and they are a skinny looking lot."

Then she clucked to her chicks and walked out of the barn.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" laughed the dog; "they all think the same. They certainly are a conceited lot. Here comes the goose."

III

The goose waddled over to the mirror.

"Well, well! If there isn't a new goose!" she said, "and she is walking toward me. I must be friendly."

Snap! Her bill struck the mirror.

"Oh, you are in a gla.s.s box!" she said. "Have you come to stay?" And she stretched out her neck.

"My, but you have a long neck!" she went on, "and your feathers are nice and smooth. I suppose you cannot hear in that box."

Then she walked away, nodding good-by. The other goose, of course, nodded also, and goosey went away satisfied.

"She is not so much of a goose as the others," the cat remarked.

"The peac.o.c.k is coming," said the dog. "Keep quiet."

In walked the peac.o.c.k. Seeing another bird, as he supposed, he spread his beautiful tail to its full width. He walked about, but never a word did he say.

"Now, what do you make out of that?" asked the dog. "Did he know that he was looking in a looking-gla.s.s, or wouldn't he speak to another bird?"

"I do not know," said the cat, "but here comes the goat. Hide, quick!"

Billy was clattering over the boards, when suddenly he saw the other goat. He looked at him a minute. "I'll show him," he said, running at the mirror with head down.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The goat crashes into the mirror]

Bang! Smash! Crash! and Billy jumped back, a very much astonished goat.

"Now you have done it," said the horse, who had been watching all the time from his stall. "All the animals will get out and run away."

"What are you talking about?" said the dog, who was laughing so hard he could scarcely talk. "There are no animals in there. That is a looking-gla.s.s; you see yourself when you are in front of it."

"Do you mean to tell me that those animals have all been looking at themselves and finding fault with their own looks?" asked the horse, with his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Of course," said the cat. "Can't you see that Billy has smashed the looking-gla.s.s?"

"Well, that is the best I ever heard," said the horse, laughing, "but I wish I had known that was a looking-gla.s.s before Billy broke it. I should very much like to know how I look."

"You might not have recognized yourself; the others didn't," said the dog.

--F.A. WALKER.

THE BARBER OF BAGDAD

ACT I

PLACE: Ali's barber shop.

TIME: Morning.

WOODCUTTER: I have a load of wood which I have just brought in on my donkey. Would you like to buy it, good barber?

ALI: Well, let me see. Is it good wood?

WOODCUTTER: The best in the country.

ALI: I'll give you five shekels for all the wood upon the donkey.

WOODCUTTER: Agreed. I'll put the wood here by your door.

(Lays wood at door.)

Now, good sir, give me the silver.

ALI: Not so fast, my good friend. I must have your wooden pack saddle, too. That was the bargain. I said, "All the wood upon your donkey."

Truly, the saddle is wood.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Ali and the woodcutter with the donkey]

WOODCUTTER: Who ever heard of such a bargain? Surely you cannot mean what you say? You would not treat a poor woodcutter so. It is impossible.

ALI: Give me the saddle, or I'll have you put in prison. And take that--and that--and that!

(Ali strikes the woodcutter.)

WOODCUTTER: Ah, me, what shall I do? What shall I do? I know. I'll go to the caliph himself.

ACT II

PLACE: Caliph's Palace.

TIME: Hour later.

COURTIER: My lord, a good woodcutter is at the door and begs leave to come into your presence.