"Nuffin—only eatin' 'lasses," came the chirping reply. "Me just loves 'lasses. Me picked it up by han'fuls! Yep! right in bofe my han's!" How Mother Grunty did laugh, and it was only the stickiness that kept her from hugging the cunning piglet who liked to "eat 'lasses by han'fuls"!
But Mother Porky could not laugh, even when Mother Grunty said not one bit of harm had been done. Indeed, she spoke of going home at once. But, of course, Mother Grunty would not let her do that.
"Very soon now we'll have a bite to eat, and Blacky-ears and Little-wee will be coming home to amuse the children. Then you and I can have our good visit," she coaxed. And sure enough! Just as the Porky piglets had been excused from the table, in bounded Blacky-ears and Little-wee, followed by Kinky-tail and Curly-tail.
"Mumsie, we fellows want to play pirate, and first may we have some bread and molasses?" called Blacky-ears.
"Oh! don't mention molasses in this house," said Mother Porky as she came through the doorway. When the "pirates" spied their new playmates, they shouted for joy, "Oh, goody! Here's somebody to rob! Come on, will you play too?"
Now "pirate" sounded rather dangerous, but it proved a real blessing to the two mothers who wanted a quiet chat, for not until they were called in for supper did the piglets come in with even so much as a question.
After a supper of corn muffins and strawberry preserves, fresh creamy milk and a fruit cake, the Porky family hurried into their wraps, for they had a rather long ride out to Swineton.
"Now don't you ever again think of Little-tot's molasses. And you come whenever you can," were Mother Grunty's parting words.
As she returned to her kitchen and saw her half-finished washing and her table full of dishes, she chuckled to herself, "I always thought Bad Boy Mischief was more friendly with my two than with any other piglets in the world. But to-day he rode on the shoulders of two very lovely but very lively little girls."