“Why, my dear fellow, I am not the only man who knows you!”
Spippoletti’s wife, not having much confidence in the abilities of her servant, has been going to market herself. One day, approaching the fishwife’s stall; she asked the price of a large carp.
“Six francs.”
The lady examined the fish, and exclaimed—
“It’s not fresh!”
“I tell you it is!”
“But it’s quite flabby.”
“Oh! go on insulting it!” replied the fishwife bitterly. “It can’t answer you!”
And with that kindness of heart which is natural to her, Signora Spippoletti bought the fish to make up for the injury to its feelings.
A. to B. The intelligence of animals is something extraordinary. For example, my dog Fido is a wonderfully clever fellow. When I am staying in the country I send him to the nearest village, and he executes all the commissions I give him better than any servant.