II
The donkey went up to the mirror.
"If they haven't another donkey!" he said. "I suppose I should speak first, as I have lived here so long. Why, he is coming to meet me. That is friendly, indeed."
Bump! his nose hit the glass.
"Well, I had better give up!" he said. "You are in a glass case, but I don't know why you should be. You are a homely creature, and your ears are not so long as mine." And he walked off with a disgusted air.
The cat rolled over and over, and the dog buried his head in his paws. "Did you ever see anything so funny?" he said to puss.
"Hush!" she replied, "Here is the rooster."
The rooster stopped quite still when he saw himself in the mirror.
"Well, where did you come from?" he asked, ruffling up his feathers. He walked straight to the mirror and flew at the other rooster. Bang! He went against the glass.
"In a glass case, are you?" he said. He stretched out his neck and looked very fierce. "You should be; you are a sight—your feathers are ruffled, and you are not half so handsome as I am."
And off he walked, satisfied that he was handsomer than the other rooster.
"Oh, dear!" laughed the cat. "I certainly shall scream. They all think they are handsomer than their reflections. Here comes the turkey gobbler. Let us see what he does."
The gobbler walked slowly over to the mirror and looked at his reflection.
"Now," he asked, "where in the world did they get you? You are an old, bald-headed creature, and your feathers need oiling. You look like a last year's turkey." And off he strutted.
The cat and the dog leaned against the barrels and laughed until the tears ran down their faces.
"Keep still," said the dog. "Here comes speckled hen and her chickens."
Speckled hen walked around, picking up bits of corn. Suddenly she looked up and saw the mirror.
"There is a hen with a brood of chicks, but they are not so handsome as mine," she said, walking toward the looking-glass. "Where do you live? I know you do not belong here." And she looked closer at the other hen.
Click! Her bill hit the glass.
"Well, if she isn't in a glass coop!" the hen said, stepping back. "If master has bought her and those chicks, there will be trouble. Mercy! 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."