a common exclamation at the sight of it. 'What a colour it has! How
fresh and healthy it looks! How invaluable it must be! Why, it must
be worth at least--' and then the speaker would go calculating away
at the number of pounds, shillings, and pence, the--hm--would fetch,
if put into the money-market, which is, I am sorry to say, a very
usual, although very degrading way of estimating worth.

"To conclude, the mild-eyed Alderney cow, who pastured in the field
during the autumn months, would chew the cud of approbation over the-
-hm--for hours together, and people said it was no wonder at all that
she gave such delicious milk and cream."

Here a shout of supposed discovery broke from No. 5. "I've guessed,
I know it!"

But a "hush" from Aunt Judy stopped him short.

"No. 5, nobody asked your opinion, keep it to yourself, if you
please."

No. 5 was silenced, but rubbed his hands nevertheless.

"Well," continued Aunt Judy, "that 'SOMETHING' ought surely to have
been the most contented thing in the world. Its merits were
acknowledged; its usefulness was undoubted; its beauty was the theme
of constant admiration; what had it left to wish for? Really
nothing; but by an unlucky accident it became dissatisfied with its
situation in a meadow field, and wished to get into a higher position
in life, which, it took for granted, would be more suited to its many
exalted qualities. The 'SOMETHING' of the field wanted to inhabit a