if talking the matter over.

"Does Mr. Donkey often interfere when the animals of the farm get into
trouble?" your Aunt Amy asked, and Mrs. Goose replied:

[Illustration: Waiting to Hear from Mr. Donkey.]

"Yes indeed; he's a very good friend to us all, but doesn't often have
time to look after such matters, because Mr. Man seems to delight in
finding work for him to do. He once actually killed a Mr. Weasel who was
sneaking up to murder some of the chickens, and that proves him to be a
very able fellow, for even Mr. Man himself believes it's a big thing to
get the best of a weasel.

"Mr. Towser Dog is another good friend to all of us. He thinks very much
of Mr. Man and his boy Teddy; but at the same time he looks after all
the animals and birds on the farm. I've got a piece of poetry about him
that perhaps you'd like to hear?"

"Who wrote it, Mrs. Goose?" your Aunt Amy asked, and Mr. Gander spoke up
quickly:

"That's what none of us know; but Mr. Crow said he had nothing whatever
to do with it. He don't like Mr. Towser Dog, on account of some trouble
the two of them had about Mr. Crow's digging up the corn just after Mr.
Man had planted it. Hello! there comes Mr. Donkey, and now you may be
sure Teddy Boy won't worry Mrs. Cow's baby for quite a while."

As Mr. Gander spoke a small, friendly looking donkey trotted up to where
the dog and the calf were talking together, and old Mr. Gander seemed to