Purday, and jump into a stall full of parliament gingerbread (whereat
Annie fell into convulsions of laughing), and Hal should be the first
to stop it, and jump on its back, and ride out of the fair holding it
by the ears; and then they should pop it into the sty unknown to
Hannah Higgins, and all lie in wait to hear what would happen; and
when it squealed, she would think it the baby crying; but there Susan
burst out at the notion of any one thinking a child could scream like
a pig, taking it as an affront to all babyhood; and Miss Fosbrook
took the opportunity of saying,

"Hadn't you better hatch your chickens before you count them, Henry?
If you prevent everyone from learning the Collect, I fear there will
be the less hope of Mr. Piggy."

"Oh! we don't have fines on Sundays," said Henry.

"Mamma says that on Sundays naughtiness is not such a trifle that we
can be fined for it," said Susan.

"It is not naughtiness we are ever fined for," added Elizabeth:
"THAT we are punished and talked to for: but the fines are only for
bad habits."

"Oh! I hope I sha'n't have any this week," sighed Susan.

"You may hope," said Sam. "You're sure of them for everything
possible except crying."

"Yes, Bessie gets all the crying fines," said Hal; "and I hope she'll
have lots, because she won't help the pig."