THE HEN THAT HELPED PETER
Peter is a nice little boy. But he can be very naughty. Mother and father know this. Grandmother Howe and Polly know it, too.
You see, Peter always wishes his own way. And you know this is not good for little boys and little girls.
Peter cannot have cake between his meals. He may always have milk to drink. Sometimes he may have bread and jelly, or bread and sugar.
He likes this very much. But he does not like the crusts of the bread. So he used to eat only the soft part. The crusts he threw away.
But at the table he could not throw them away.
Then he put them under the edge of his plate. You know how.
When mother took the plate, there would be a crust on the table. It did not look very well.
One day father said, "Peter, you are a big boy now. You are nearly five years old. You are old enough to eat your crusts.
"I will give you a week in which to learn how. After that, I shall not expect to see any more crusts on the table."