her, for she always gave him something to
take home with him.

One day when Epaminondas went to see granny, she was baking a cake, and
she gave Epaminondas a piece to eat. As he was leaving, granny said,
"Epaminondas, you may take a slice home to your mammy."

Epaminondas took it in his little hands and squeezing it just as tight
as he could, ran all the way home. When his mammy saw him, she said,
"What's that, Epaminondas?"

"Cake, mammy. Granny sent it to you."

"Cake!" cried his mammy. "Epaminondas, don't you know that's no way to
carry cake? When your granny gives you cake, put it in your hat; then
put your hat on your head and come home. You hear me, Epaminondas?"

"Yes, mammy."

The next time Epaminondas went to see his granny, she was churning, and
she gave him a pat of fresh butter to carry to his mammy.

Epaminondas said to himself, "What was it mammy said? Oh, yes! I know.
She said, 'Put it in your hat and put the hat on your head and come
home.' I'll do just what she told me."

Epaminondas put the pat of butter in his hat, put his hat on his head,
and went home.

It was a hot day, and soon the butter began to melt. Drip, drip, drip,
it went into his ears. Drip, drip, drip, it went into his eyes. Drip,
drip, drip, it went down his back. When Epaminondas reached home, he had
no butter in his hat. It was all on him.

Looking at him hard, his mammy said, "Epaminondas, what in the world is
that dripping from your hat?"

"Butter, mammy. Granny sent it to you."

"Butter!" cried his mammy. "Oh, Epaminondas! Don't you know how to carry
butter? You must wrap it in a cabbage leaf, and take it to the spring.
Then you must cool it in the water, and cool it in the water, and cool
it in the water. When you have done this, take the butter in your hands
and come home. You hear me, Epaminondas?"

"Yes, mammy."

The next time Epaminondas went to see his granny, she wasn't baking cake
and she wasn't churning. She was sitting in a chair knitting.

She said, "Epaminondas, look in the woodshed, and you'll see something
you like."

Epaminondas looked in the woodshed, and there he found four little
puppies. He played with them all the afternoon, and when he started
home, his granny gave him one.

Epaminondas remembered what his mammy had told him. He wrapped the puppy
in a big cabbage leaf, and took it to the spring. He cooled it in the
water, and cooled it in the water, and cooled it in the water. Then he
took