“Little pig!  Little pig!  You are so clever, I should like to give you a fairing; so if you will come with me to the fair this afternoon you shall have one.”

“Thank you kindly,” says little piggy.  “What time shall we start?”

“At three o’clock sharp,” says the wolf, “so be sure to be ready.”

“I’ll be ready before three,” sniggered the little piggy.  And he was!  He started early in the morning and went to the fair, and rode in a swing, and enjoyed himself ever so much, and bought himself a butter-churn as a fairing, and trotted away towards home long before three o’clock.  But just as he got to the top of the hill, what should he see but the wolf coming up it, all panting and red with rage!

Well, there was no place to hide in but the butter-churn; so he crept into it, and was just pulling down the cover when the churn started to roll down the hill—­

Bumpety, bumpety, bump!

Of course piggy, inside, began to squeal, and when the wolf heard the noise, and saw the butter-churn rolling down on top of him—­

Bumpety, bumpety, bump!

—­he was so frightened that he turned tail and ran away.

But he was still determined to get the little pig for his dinner; so he went next day to the house and told the little pig how sorry he was not to have been able to keep his promise of going to the fair, because of an awful, dreadful, terrible Thing that had rushed at him, making a fearsome noise.

“Dear me!” says the little piggy, “that must have been me!  I hid inside the butter-churn when I saw you coming, and it started to roll!  I am sorry I frightened you!”

But this was too much.  The wolf danced about with rage and swore he would come down the chimney and eat up the little pig for his supper.  But while he was climbing on to the roof the little pig made up a blazing fire and put on a big pot full of water to boil.  Then, just as the wolf was coming down the chimney, the little piggy off with the lid, and plump! in fell the wolf into the scalding water.

So the little piggy put on the cover again, boiled the wolf up, and ate him for supper.

NIX NAUGHT NOTHING

Once upon a time there lived a King and a Queen who didn’t differ much from all the other kings and queens who have lived since Time began.  But they had no children, and this made them very sad indeed.  Now it so happened that the King had to go and fight battles in a far country, and he was away for many long months.  And, lo and behold! while he was away the Queen at long last bore him a little son.  As you may imagine, she was fair delighted, and thought how pleased the King would be when he came home and found that his dearest wish had been fulfilled.  And all the courtiers were fine and pleased too, and set about at once to arrange a grand festival for the naming of the little Prince.  But the Queen said, “No!  The child shall have no name till his father gives it to him.  Till then we will call him ‘Nix!  Naught!  Nothing!’ because his father knows nothing about him!”