148 THE WISE GOOSE:

Yet he had often called his brother a little goose, and joined
in the laugh against him!—but which do Pos think was the
silly boy now?

~ Harry stood stock still, looking the very picture of surprise
and vexation; then he walked slowly into the cottage after his
mother and told her the whole story.

The first thing she did was to take Harry by the hand,
lead him to the farm, and ask to see the farmer’s wife.

Harry cried all the way there.

‘My little boy has come to say he is very sorry, but he has
been stealing,” said the poor widow to her kind friend. “I
never knew one of my children do such a thing before—not
even little Bill, bless him! Harry’s stole one of your goose’s
eggs. The child had some notion about its being made of
gold; how he got such trash into his head I don’t know—but
I’m sure it’s.a sad trouble to me. I hope you'll forgive him.
He has broke the egg—he can’t give it back.”

“Tam very sorry, too,” said the farmer's wife, ‘ because I
couldn't have a little thief to work on my farm. Harry must
never come Bo any more, because [eants trust: hime soll,
Billy may come.’

Harry buried his head in his mother’s petticoats and cried
very much when he heard this. He had not thought before
that he was a thief!—or that it was stealing to take a goose’s
egg. 3 :
A I thought it belonged to the goose!” sobbed he.

The farmer’s wife laughed.
“Well —for sure!—And so it did,” said she, gently.
“Well—we will let bygones be bygones this time! Farmer
wants a boy to weed in the turnip fields—only remember if you
come about my place that you must not rob even a goose ora
hen—not the little birds in the hedges even. Farmer won't