,
temperate in their diet, and kind and obliging to every body; for
whosoever pursues a contrary behaviour, is in reality a _hog_, though
he bears the name of a gentleman.

CHAP. III.

_The Transmigration of Miss_ DOROTHY CHATTERFAST _into the Body of a
Magpie._

In one corner of the room where poor _Tony Pig_ was confined, hung a
large cage, which was the prison of a pert young magpie. As soon as my
son _Jacky_ who was the youngest of the company, and remarkably fond of
birds, had saluted her by the well known appellation of _mag, poor
mag_; she wagged her tail with surprising agility, and began to chatter
in such an elevated tone, and with such a rapid pronunciation, that I
was heartily glad when the kind Bramin commanded silence. "The body of
this party coloured, loquacious bird, said he, is the involuntary
residence of the late Miss Dorothy Chatterfast; who was a most
notorious little gossip, and belonged to a family which is as numerous
as that of the _Greedyguts_. To do her justice, she was a handsome
little girl, and as brisk and notable as any young miss in her
neighbourhood. But to her own misfortune, and the unspeakable vexation
of most persons who came within the sphere of her observation, her
little tongue was as active as her hands. She learned to talk very
early, and so speedy was her improvement in the art of prattling, that,
before she was three years old, she could lisp out a tale in very
intelligible language. Her parents were so unwise as to encourage her
in this mischievous kind of ingenuity, not only from the pleasure they
took in hearing how fast she learned to speak, but because they
considered it as an infallible token that she would, in time, prove an
excellent wit and a notable manager. It is not, therefore, to be
wondered at, that she took a great deal of notice of every thing which
passed in the family, and particularly in the kitchen. If any of the
servants accidentally broke a teacup, or saucer, a glass, &c. or
received an unexpected visit from some of their acquaintance, or
relations, when her parents happened to be absent from home; she never
failed to inform them of it, the first opportunity, with many
aggravating circumstances of her own invention; for which they
generally complimented her, by way of reward, with the flattering
titles of _a good child_, _a sweet little dear_, and _a careful little
girl_. By this officious impertinence she frequently got the servants
reprima