he grandmothers and the aunties couldn't put it on the table, and
they had to get one of the papas to do it. You ought to have heard the
hurrahing when the children saw him coming in from the kitchen with
it. It seemed as if they couldn't hardly talk of anything but that
turkey the whole dinner-time.

The grandfather hated to carve, and so one of the papas did it; and
whenever he gave anybody a piece, the grandfather would tell some new
story about the turkey, till pretty soon the aunties got to saying,
"Now, father, stop!" and one of them said it made it seem as if the
gobbler was walking about on the table, to hear so much about him, and
it took her appetite all away; and that made the papas begin to ask
the grandfather more and more about the turkey.

"Yes," said the little girl, thoughtfully; "I know what _papas_ are."

"Yes, they're pretty much all alike."

And the mammas began to say they acted like a lot of silly boys; and
what would the children think? But nothing could stop it; and all
through the afternoon and evening, whenever the papas saw any of the
aunties or mammas round, they would begin to ask the grandfather more
particulars about the turkey. The grandfather was pretty forgetful,
and he told the same things right over. Well, and so it went on till
it came bedtime, and then the mammas and aunties began to laugh and
whisper together, and to say they did believe they should dream about
that turkey; and when the papas kissed the grandmother good-night,
they said, Well, they must have his mate for Christmas; and then they
put their arms round the mammas and went out haw-hawing.

"I don't think they behaved very dignified," said the little girl.

"Well, you see, they were just funning, and had got going, and it was
Thanksgiving, anyway."

Well, in about half an hour everybody was fast asleep and dreaming--

"Is it going to be a dream?" asked the little girl, with some
reluctance.

"Didn't I say it was going to be a _true_ story?"

"Yes."

"How can it be a dream, then?"

"You said everybody was fast asleep and dreaming."

"Well, but I hadn't got through. Everybody _except_ one little girl."

"Now, papa!"

"What?"

"Don't you go and say her name was the same as mine, and her eyes the
same color."

"What an idea!"

_This_ was a very _good_ little girl, and very respectful to her papa,
and didn't suspect him of tricks, but just believed eve