Page:Story of the robins.djvu/158

144 means of testifying their joy at seeing them, which was increased when a boy, whom Mrs. Wilson had ordered to bring some bean-shells, emptied his basket before them. Now a scramble took place, and each pig began pushing the other aside and stuffing as fast as he could, lest they should have more than himself.

Harriet said she could not bear to see such greediness.

"It is indeed very disagreeable, even in such creatures as these," replied Mrs. Benson, "but how much more so in the human species! and yet how frequent is this fault, among children in particular! Pray look at these pigs, Frederick, and tell me if you ever remember to have met with a little boy who ate strawberries as these pigs do bean-shells?" Frederick's cheeks, at this question, were covered with conscious blushes; on which his mamma kindly kissed him, and said she hoped he had seen enough of greediness to-day to serve him for a lesson as long as he lived.

In a separate sty was a sow with a Utter of young pigs. This was a very pleasing sight indeed to Frederick, who longed to have one of them to play with; but Mrs. Wilson told him it would make the sow very angry, and her gruntings would terrify him more than the turkey-cock had done; on which he