l a snake?"

The Muley Cow turned her calm face upon Spot.

"If you're jealous----" she began.

"Jealous!" Spot barked. "Of course I'm not jealous. But I must say that
this Snowball Lamb is very displeasing to me."

"Then why don't you----" the Muley Cow began again.

"I would," Spot interrupted, "I would--only I'm not a sheep-killer. And
I don't intend to become one."

"This boy," said the Muley Cow, "he'll grow tired of that lamb. The
other boys will begin to tease him because the lamb follows him about.
And that will be too much for Johnnie. . . . I know boys," the Muley
Cow declared.

Old dog Spot sighed. "I hope you're not mistaken," he remarked. "Time
will tell. Just now anybody can see that Johnnie Green is simply crazy
about that silly new pet of his."

It was only a few days later that something happened to cause old dog
Spot to lose all hope.

Johnnie Green and his father hitched up the old horse Ebenezer and
started for the village. Of course Spot would have followed them, under
the wagon, if he had been at the barn when they left. But he wasn't. He
was up in the pasture, chasing woodchucks.

Just as old Ebenezer turned the corner at the foot of the hill Johnnie
Green happened to look back. And there was Snowball, following a little
way behind them!

Of course it would never do to let him run all the way to the village
and back. And Farmer Green didn't want to turn around and take Snowball
home. So Johnnie Green jumped down and lifted Snowball into the wagon.

So he rode to the village; and then rode home again.

Johnnie Green was greatly pleased by the whole affair. And Snowball was
pleased, too. As soon as he reached the farmyard he began talking about
his trip to the village.

Everybody listened to Snowball with wonder. That is, everybody wondered
except Henrietta Hen. She began talking in a shrill voice about her
visit to the county fair. And she said spitefully to Snowball, "You'd
better get out of the way before old dog Spot comes back from the
pasture!"

III

MRS. HEN TELLS TALES

Old dog Spot came home from the pasture feeling quite pleased with
himself. He had caught a fat woodchuck. And that was enough to make him
happy.

Spot hadn't crossed the barnyard when Henrietta Hen came fluttering up
to him. She was a busybody, always trying to get somebody into trouble.
"Snowball went to the village with Johnnie Green and his father!"
Henrietta shrieked.

"That's good news