"Not very long ago, in our beautiful brook, there lived three little silver trouts, who were very great friends. For some time they were happier than the day was long, playing together, eating together, and sleeping cosily together in the same little cave scooped out of a stone under the water, and wanted for nothing that good little fishes ought to have.
"But after this I am sorry to have to tell that two of the little trout became very sad and discontented: one wished for this, the other for that, and neither cared a shrimp for any thing he had, because they were always foolishly sighing for something else.
"At last Neptune, the King of the Sea, heard of these naughty little fish, and he resolved to punish them, by granting them all their desires.
"Accordingly he called them before him, and told them they should have whatever they wanted.
"Now, the oldest was a very proud little fish, and wanted to be able to snub up all the other fishes, by being set above them--so he said,
"'Please your gracious goodness Majesty, I do not like the place where you have put me. Here I am poked into a mean, narrow river, where I can neither get down into the ground, or up into the air, and yet I can see well enough what fine times others have; there are the little birds that fly about over my head, and sing all day, because they have wings. Give me wings, gracious goodness Majesty--only give me wings, and then I shall have something for which to be thankful; in fact, it will make me perfectly happy.'
"No sooner asked for than granted. In a moment the little fish felt the wings fluttering, and in another moment he had spread them wide, and rose joyfully out of the water.
"Ah! what a delicious sensation. He resolved to travel; then a thought struck him.
"'One favor more, your gracious Majesty.'
"'Well, speak,' answered Neptune.