130 A Grasshopper’s Trip to the City.

saw rubbish, rubbish, rubbish, everywhere. ‘“ Tchu,
tchu, tchu,”’ and on went the steamboat down the
harbor.

An old tin Can that was lying near, said,
‘Good morning. Baaaa.”

‘Good morning,’ answered the Grasshopper,
‘but why ‘baaaa’ ?”

‘Because,’ said the Can, proudly, “I am a
Mutton-can, so of course I say ‘ baaaa.’”’

‘“Oh, of course,” assented the Grasshopper,
adding politely, ‘‘ Iam sure it sounded very pretty,
only I did n’t know quite what it meant, Sir.”

‘Quite excusable,” said the Can.

‘Where are we going?”

‘To be emptied into the sea,’’ answered the
Can. Then noticing the terrified look on the
Grasshopper’s face, he added: ‘“ You must not
give yourself the slightest uneasiness, however,
for I can float.”

After this abominably selfish speech, the Can
settled himself back very comfortably, and smiled.

“But / can’t float,” said the poor Grasshopper,
‘‘and what will become of me?”