Page:Stories and story-telling (1915).djvu/198

 the empty hand she changed her tune. "You stupid lout," said she, "you've lost the good money. That's no way to bring home a penny. The safest thing to do with a penny is to put it into your pocket and come straight home."

"Say no more about it, sweet mother," whimpered Jack, "that's what I'll do the next time." So his mother gave him his supper.

The next day Jack went out again, and this time hired himself to a cowherd and got for his day's labor a jug of new milk. Jack took the jug, squeezed it into the largest pocket of his coat, and set off home, spilling the milk at every step, so that by the time he got home there wasn't a drop left.

When his mother saw his pocket bulging out, she asked, "What have you there, Jack, my son?"

"A jug of new milk, mother," answered Jack, tugging it out of his pocket.

"A jug of new milk," cried his mother, "and you've spilled it! Have you no sense, you ninny-*hammer? That's no way to bring home a jug of milk. The safest way to carry a jug of milk is to put it on your head and hold it with both hands and come straight home."

"Say no more about it, sweet mother," whimpered Jack, beginning to blubber; "that's what I'll do the next time." So his mother gave him his supper that time, too.

Well, the next day Jack hired himself to a farmer,