33. How Malice Cheated Madame Bouqui.


 Cric ?
 Crac !

 VHIS happened in the days when Bouqui and Madame
Bouqui were young, and Bouquinette, their first child, was
just a few months old. Madame Bouqui planned to go to
the weekly market, across the red mountains of Marfran,
to sell her collection of red clay pottery.
 She harnessed the white-headed black donkey that Bou-
qui had borrowed. She arranged the things carefully on her
back. Before she left, she directed Bouqui to take good care
of the baby.
 ,Look after the baby,, she said. cIf she cries, dandle her
in your arms and sing her a lullaby, yes.,
 ,Bon,, said Bouqui holding the baby on one arm and
 tipped his hat politely to his wife, who put the laden donkey
 before her and started off.
 Hours after Madame Bouqui had left, the baby began
 to cry. Bouqui dandled her in his arms, but she kept on
 crying. Bouqui never had heard her cry like that. He walked
 around a while, then sat down a while, dandling her; but
 she cried just the same. Now Bouqui began to sing a lullaby.