Page:Tales in Political Economy by Millicent Garrett Fawcett.djvu/32

 in return, was amusing to witness. One day hunger overcame his laziness, and he consented to superintend the broiling of a quantity of fish, on condition that he was to share in the eating of the supper. The weather had been stormy, and fishing had been difficult and very unproductive for some time past; when therefore a large haul was made there was a great deal of rejoicing, and everyone promised himself a good supper. Great therefore was the wrath when it was found that Mr. Davies had left the fish on the fire to broil while he went to sleep under a tree, and that consequently it was burnt to a cinder. Everybody was cross, and no one was less so when Mr. Davies excused himself by saying that burning fish was good for trade. He was quite prepared to argue the point, and turning to Collins and the other men who had caught the fish, he said, "You have nothing to complain of; you have sold the fish that is burnt, and have got all kinds of things in exchange for it; and now everybody wants some more, and you will be able to sell twice as much and get twice as many