rtment, gave such an insupportable wound
to his foolish pride, that he soon absconded from company, and died of
a broken heart. That his soul might afterwards occupy such a station as
would be most suitable to his character, it was sentenced to inhabit
the body of that finical, grinning, and mischievous little mimick with
four legs, which you now behold before you." As soon as the Bramin had
finished his story, poor _pug_ (who seemed to retain all the little
pride of Monsieur _Fribble_) grinned, chattered, and skipped about with
a ridiculous resentment which was mingled with evident marks of fear;
until at last, having agitated himself into a perfect passion, he made
a hasty spring at his keeper, which, to his own abashment, and the
laughter of my young companions, was as suddenly checked by a small
chain that secured him to the floor.

CHAP. VI.

_The dismal Transmigration of Master_ TOMMY FILCH _into the Body of a
Wolf._

As soon as we had lifted up the latch to enter into the next apartment,
we were immediately alarmed by a horrid howling; which upon opening the
door we discovered to be the savage musick of a lusty young wolf, who
looked as fierce as if he would have torn every one of us to pieces.
But a strong chain confined his fury to one corner of the room; so that
we could venture pretty near him without any danger of feeling the
strength of his jaws. "This plundering and voracious animal, said the
Bramin, who has been accustomed to gratify his appetite at the expense
of all the farmers in the neighbourhood, is inhabited by the soul of
the late Master _Filch_, who, as you will find by the sequel of the
story, is now placed in a station which is perfectly suitable to his
character. His very infancy was disgraced by a natural propensity to
fraud and rapine; for as soon as he could talk plain enough to be
understood, the chief employment of his tongue was to tell as many
stories as his little head was capable of inventing; and that his hands
might come in for their share of mischief, he never failed to make a
property of all the sugar, fruit, tarts, &c. which the carelessness of
the servants had left within his reach. If his parents had been wise
enough to chastise him for his little roguery, they might have nipped
it in the bud; but they were so imprudently fond, that they not only
neglected to administer the discipline of the rod, but made his
falsehood and pilferings the constant subject of their merr