"No!" he said, half to himself. "No! I can't do it."
"Why not?" Mr. Mouse wanted to know.
"I've never been invited," Grunty told him, with something like a frown.
Moses Mouse surprised him with a merry laugh.
"Ho!" he exclaimed. "Neither have I. If I had waited for an invitation Iwouldn't be living in the farmhouse. I'd have shivered my days out inthe barn."
Grunty Pig looked at his caller with growing interest. He would havesaid that so tiny a gentleman would be too timid to crowd in where hewasn't asked.
"Don't wait any longer for an invitation," Moses Mouse urged him. "Go tothe farmhouse and walk right in."
"Oughtn't I to rap?" Grunty inquired.
"Certainly not!" said Moses Mouse. "Make yourself right at home. Act asif the farmhouse belonged to you. That's the way I do. And nobody everbothers me, except Miss Kitty Cat--or Miss Snooper, as we Mice call her.Even she can't drive me away from the farmhouse. I lived there beforeshe ever came to Pleasant Valley."
"She certainly couldn't drive me away," Grunty Pig muttered. "Besides,didn't you say she was away herself?"
"Yes!" said Moses Mouse. "And I hope she has gone for good."
"Then," said Grunty Pig, "it ought to be quite safe for me to go to thefarmhouse. And as soon as I have a chance to get out of this pen I'll doas you suggest."
"Good!" cried Moses Mouse. And he said that he hoped to have many a chatwith Grunty, at the farmhouse.
"Umph!" said Grunty Pig. And Mr. Mouse was much pleased, for he tookthat to mean "Yes!"
XXIV
A PIG IN THE PARLOR
Grunty Pig had got out of his pen and out of the piggery, too. Eversince his talk with Moses Mouse the day before he had been hoping for achance to escape. And shuffling across the farmyard somewhatheavily--for he was growing longer and taller and fatter everyday--Grunty went straight to the woodshed door. It was open. And hewalked through it. Then he clattered over the woodshed floor and peeredinto the kitchen. There was no one there.
For a few moments Grunty stood sniffing in the doorway. A deliciousodor greeted him. He wasn't sure what it was. A pan sat near the edgeof the table. And Grunty Pig had no trouble upsetting it with his nose.
Doughnuts rolled in every direction--crisp, brown, freshly frieddoughnuts. And Grunty Pig showed that he was thoughtful. He went to thetrouble of picking them all up off the floor. But he forgot to drop themback into the pan. Instead, he put every one of them into his own mouth.
"That Moses Mouse was all wrong," he murmured. "He complained of thefood here. When I see him I'll have to tell him that he was mistaken.Why, I never ate anything that tasted better than these rings!"
After making sure that there was nothing else for him to devour in thekitchen Grunty Pig pushed through a door that stood ajar. He foundhimself in a long, dimly lighted hall. There were doors on both sides ofit. Grunty nosed around each one in turn. Not till he came to the lastof all, at the further end of the hall, did he find one that wasn't shuttight. This door yielded to a little gentle pushing. And Grunty thenfound himself--though he did not know it--in the parlor of thefarmhouse.
As he stood still and gazed about him, who should come stealing into theroom but Moses Mouse.
"Ah!" said Moses in a whisper. "So you've arrived at last?"
"Yes!" said Grunty Pig. "Isn't this a fine pen? Now that I've come tothe farmhouse to live I believe I'll make this pen my headquarters."
"That's a good idea," Moses Mouse told him. "Farmer Green's family don'tuse it often. They seldom come here unless they have company."
While he listened, Grunty Pig sidled up to a table in the center of theroom and began, in an absent-minded fashion, to rub his back against it.To his surprise, the table tipped over and a lamp that had stood upon itcrashed into a hundred pieces on the floor. Then a door slammedsomewhere. And steps sounded in the hall.
Moses Mouse tried not to look startled.
"I must be going now," he said abruptly. "I'll see you later." Then hedashed into the fireplace and ran up the chimney.
"The accident was really your fault," Grunty called to him. "If youhadn't talked so much I'd have noticed what I was doing."
Moses Mouse, however, did not reply. And a moment later Farmer Green'swife appeared in the doorway. When she saw Grunty Pig she gave a scream.Mrs. Green couldn't help being surprised at first. But soon she began tolaugh as if she would never stop.
"A pig in our parlor!" she cried. "Who ever would have thought it?"
Grunty Pig tried to explain that the broken lamp was really MosesMouse's fault. But Mrs. Green wouldn't listen. She ran out of the roomand came back at once with a broom in her hand. Then, opening the frontdoor, she drove Grunty Pig into the yard.
"Now, I wonder why Mrs. Green put me out of the farmhouse," he muttered.
Suddenly an idea popped into his head. "It must be," he cried, "becauseI told tales. I tattled on Moses Mouse; and Mrs. Green didn't like it.Next time I'll be careful about what I say to her."
There never was a next time. Perhaps Farmer Green took pains to keep thedoor of Grunty's pen shut. Perhaps Farmer Green made the fence outsidethe piggery "hog tight," as he would say. Or perhaps Grunty Pig grew sofat that he couldn't squeeze through any ordinary opening.
Anyhow, Grunty never set foot inside the farmhouse again. After a whilehe didn't care. The bigger he was, the less he liked to roam about. Andat last Farmer Green began calling him his "prize hog."
So you can see how very fat he must have been.
THE END
Little Jack Rabbit Books
(Trademark Registered)
By DAVID CORY
Author of "Little Journeys to Happyland"
=Colored Wrappers With Text Illustrations.=
A new and unique series about the furred and feathered little people ofthe wood and meadow.
Children will eagerly follow the doings of little Jack Rabbit, and theclever way in which he escapes from his three enemies, Danny Fox, Mr.Wicked Wolf and Hungry Hawk will delight the youngsters.
LITTLE JACK RABBIT'S ADVENTURESLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND DANNY FOXLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE SQUIRREL BROTHERSLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND CHIPPY CHIPMUNKLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE BIG BROWN BEARLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE JOHN HARELITTLE JACK RABBIT AND PROFESSOR CROWLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND OLD MAN WEASELLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND MR. WICKED WOLFLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND HUNGRY HAWKLITTLE-JACK RABBIT AND THE POLICEMAN DOGLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND MISS MOUSIELITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE LUCKYLITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE YELLOW DOG TRAMP
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
THE PUSS-IN-BOOTS, Jr. SERIES
By DAVID CORY
Author of "The Little Jack Rabbit Stories" and "Little Journeys toHappyland"
=Handsomely Bound. Colored Wrappers. Illustrated. Each Volume Complete inItself.=
To know Puss Junior once is to love him forever. That's the way all thelittle people feel about this young, adventurous cat, son of a veryfamous father.
THE ADVENTURES OF PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR.
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR.
PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR. IN FAIRYLAND
TRAVELS OF PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR.
PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR., AND OLD MOTHER GOOSE
PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR., IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND
PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR., AND THE GOOD GRAY HORSE
PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR., AND TOM THUMB
PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR., AND ROBINSON CRUSOE
PUSS-IN-BOOTS, JR., AND THE MAN IN THE MOON
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
HAPPY HOME SERIES
By HOWARD R. GARIS
=Individual Colored Wrappers and Colored Illustrations by=LANG CAMPBELL
Mr. Garis has written many stories for boys and girls, among them hisUncle Wiggly volumes, but these books are something distinctly new,surprising and entertaining.
ADVENTURES OF THE GALLOPING GAS STOVE
A tale of how Gassy mysteriously disappeared, and how he came riding
home on the back of an elephant. It is also related how he broke hisleg, and fed a hungry family in a cottage near a lake.
ADVENTURES of the RUNAWAY ROCKING CHAIR
Racky creaked and groaned when fat Grandma sat on him too hard. He felthimself ill-treated, so he vanished. He did not intend to take Grandma'sglasses with him, but he did. And he rocked a bunny to sleep.
ADVENTURES OF THE TRAVELING TABLE
Tippy, the table, always wanted to travel and see the world, but he didnot know how to start. Until, all of a sudden, a diamond ring was hiddenin his leg and a balloon carried him off through the air.
ADVENTURES OF THE SLIDING FOOT STOOL
Just because he did not want to be used as a milking stool by the MaidenAll Forlorn, Skiddy slid away Christmas eve. With him went Jack theJumper, and they had a wonderful time in the top shop.
ADVENTURES OF THE SAILING SOFA
Skippy always wanted to be a sailor. When the high water came in thespring, the sofa went sailing. He had a Rooster for a crew, whileTatter, the rag doll with one shoe button eye, was Captain.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
CAROLYN WELLS BOOKS
=Attractively Bound. Illustrated. Colored Wrappers.=
THE MARJORIE BOOKS
Marjorie is a happy little girl of twelve, up to mischief, but full ofgoodness and sincerity. In her and her friends every girl reader willsee much of her own love of fun, play and adventure.
MARJORIE'S VACATION
MARJORIE'S BUSY DAYS
MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND
MARJORIE IN COMMAND
MARJORIE'S MAYTIME
MARJORIE AT SEACOTE
THE TWO LITTLE WOMEN SERIES
Introducing Dorinda Fayre--a pretty blonde, sweet, serious, timid and alittle slow, and Dorothy Rose--a sparkling brunette, quick, elf-like,high tempered, full of mischief and always getting into scrapes.
TWO LITTLE WOMEN
TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE
TWO LITTLE WOMEN ON A HOLIDAY
THE DICK AND DOLLY BOOKS
Dick and Dolly are brother and sister, and their games, their pranks,their joys and sorrows, are told in a manner which makes the stories"really true" to young readers.
DICK AND DOLLY
DICK AND DOLLY'S ADVENTURES
GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
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