"Look, Mary," said William, "how those little pigs are quarrelling for the milk! how greedy it seems of them, when there is plenty for all!"
"It is very naughty for them to fight," said Lewis, "they are such pretty little white creatures; what a pity it is that they are not good."
"They are indeed very pretty," said Kate; "but you know, Lewis, those things which are the prettiest are not always the best."
They were still amusing themselves by looking at the little pigs, when they were called into the parlour to supper. The children gazed with wonder at the profusion of victuals provided for them. An enormous hot apple-pie smoked in the middle of the table; on each side of it stood two large custards. At one end of the table were three roast chickens and a large ham, and at the other a huge plum-pudding. The journey had made them very hungry, and they did honour to the ample supper that Mrs. Harrison, the good old housekeeper, had provided for them.
The children's eyes were open by sunrise in the morning, and Mary and Kate jumped out of bed, and began dressing with great expedition, when Mary looking out of the window into a green meadow below, exclaimed in a tone of great surprise, "Oh, Kate, come and look at a beautiful creature that is walking about in the meadow below: I never saw any fowl like it before; it is prettier than mamma's stuffed humming-bird."
Kate left off washing her face, and ran to the window, for she could not think what Mary was admiring so much.
"Oh, it is only the peacock," said she.
"How I should like to catch it," said Mary. "Kate, is it tame?"
"Not very, for it runs away and makes a noise if any one comes near it," said Kate; "it was once very tame, but John used to pull the long feathers out of its tail, and drive it about till it grew very cross, and has not suffered any one to catch it since."
"How cruel!" said Mary, "to pull out its nice feathers; what a pity John is not good!"