think it necessary he should waddle over to hear what might be said.

[Illustration: Mr. Donkey comes trotting up to give advice.]

"They'll spend a good half hour talking matters over," Mrs. Goose said
as if displeased because of what she evidently believed was a waste of
time. "If you want to hear the verses about Mr. Towser, I may as well
read them to you now," and she drew out from beneath her wing a much
soiled piece of paper, on which was printed the following lines:

He was just a common dog, you see,
With no particular line
Of ancestry to mark him out
As a well-bred creature fine.

[Illustration: Mr. Towser Dog.]

He bayed at the moon as dogs do,
And vented his gruff bow-wows,
As he tagged my heels in the good old times
When we went after the cows.

He'd roll in the grass with the babies,
Or carry them on his back;
He'd catch the ball the youngsters tossed,
And follow the rabbit's track.
A boy's own dog, and a friendly
Companion in peace or rows,
As he tagged my heels in the good old times
When we went after the cows.