And poor, patient Mother Grunty believed him and gathered him into her strong mother arms where he went quietly off to sleep.
[MOTHER PORKY GOES VISITING]
Monday morning! And such a busy Monday morning in the little brick house! Mother Grunty was washing clothes. The house was a bit neglected, or so Mother Grunty thought, though a stranger entering it would never have guessed it to be so.
The kitchen was steaming with hot suds as Mother Grunty hurried to rub the clothes and feed her wringer so that Blacky-ears could turn it before starting for school. And there at the table sat Little-wee, book in hand, reading, "The clock strikes 11. How many hours ago did it strike 2?" At eight-thirty off hurried Blacky-ears and Little-wee.
"Good-by now, dearies. Do be careful of the crossings! Little-wee, your shoelace is dragging. There! that's better! You don't want to be called Johnny shoestrings, do you?" And then, though she was so very busy, Mother Grunty stood at the door smiling happily as her two trim little piglets trotted off to school.
"Well," she said to herself as she turned back toward the kitchen, "now I simply must go to work if I am ever to finish before night." Then back to her washtub she whisked.
She had just caught up her clothes basket and taken steps toward the back door when "Ringle, ringle, ring!" chimed the front doorbell. With a sigh, Mother Grunty put down her basket, tied on a fresh gingham apron, and went to open her door. And when she had thrown it wide, whom should she see but her very dear friend Mother Porky, with three of her very lovely but very lively little pigs!