THE ANIMALS AND THE MIRROR

I

Aunt Susan sent an old-fashioned looking-glass to the barn to be stored in the loft, with other old furniture. The farm boy stood it on the floor of the barn until he should have time to put it away. The mirror was broad and long, and it was set in a dark wooden frame.

An old duck wandered into the barn and caught sight of herself in the mirror. "There is another duck," she said. "I wonder who she is."

And she walked toward the reflection. "She is rather friendly," the duck went on. "She is walking toward me. What large feet she has, but her feathers are very handsome."

Just then she bumped into the mirror. "Goodness!" she cried; "if that duck isn't in a glass case! Why are you in there?"

"Well, you needn't answer if you don't want to," she said, walking away. "A glass case is a good place for you."

Just then a pig came along, and nosing around, he came in front of the mirror.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, thinking he saw another pig. His nose hit the glass, and he stepped back.

"So you are in a glass pen," he said. "You are not very handsome, and your nose is not so long as mine; I cannot see why you should have a glass pen."

And away he trotted to tell the other pigs about the very plain-looking pig.

Kitty came along next and walked in front of the mirror, turning her head and swinging her tail. She had seen a mirror before and knew what it was. The cat wished to look in the mirror, but she saw the dog coming in the door, and she did not want him to think her vain.

The dog walked over to the mirror and gazed in it. Then he looked foolish, although he had seen a mirror before, too, but not so often as puss.

"Thought it was another dog, didn't you?" she laughed. "Here comes the donkey. Let us hide behind those barrels and see what he does."

II

The donkey went up to the mirror.

"If they haven't another donkey!" he said. "I suppose I should speak first, as I have lived here so long. Why, he is coming to meet me. That is friendly, indeed."

Bump! his nose hit the glass.

"Well, I had better give up!" he said. "You are in a glass case, but I don't know why you should be. You are a homely creature, and your ears are not so long as mine." And he walked off with a disgusted air.

The cat rolled over and over, and the dog buried his head in his paws. "Did you ever see anything so funny?" he said to puss.

"Hush!" she replied, "Here is the rooster."

The rooster stopped quite still when he saw himself in the mirror.

"Well, where did you come from?" he asked, ruffling up his feathers. He walked straight to the mirror and flew at the other rooster. Bang! He went against the glass.

"In a glass case, are you?" he said. He stretched out his neck and looked very fierce. "You should be; you are a sight—your feathers are ruffled, and you are not half so handsome as I am."

And off he walked, satisfied that he was handsomer than the other rooster.

"Oh, dear!" laughed the cat. "I certainly shall scream. They all think they are handsomer than their reflections. Here comes the turkey gobbler. Let us see what he does."

The gobbler walked slowly over to the mirror and looked at his reflection.

"Now," he asked, "where in the world did they get you? You are an old, bald-headed creature, and your feathers need oiling. You look like a last year's turkey." And off he strutted.

The cat and the dog leaned against the barrels and laughed until the tears ran down their faces.

"Keep still," said the dog. "Here comes speckled hen and her chickens."

Speckled hen walked around, picking up bits of corn. Suddenly she looked up and saw the mirror.

"There is a hen with a brood of chicks, but they are not so handsome as mine," she said, walking toward the looking-glass. "Where do you live? I know you do not belong here." And she looked closer at the other hen.

Click! Her bill hit the glass.

"Well, if she isn't in a glass coop!" the hen said, stepping back. "If master has bought her and those chicks, there will be trouble. Mercy! One of the chicks is bow-legged, and they are a skinny looking lot."

Then she clucked to her chicks and walked out of the barn.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" laughed the dog; "they all think the same. They certainly are a conceited lot. Here comes the goose."

III

The goose waddled over to the mirror.

"Well, well! If there isn't a new goose!" she said, "and she is walking toward me. I must be friendly."

Snap! Her bill struck the mirror.

"Oh, you are in a glass box!" she said. "Have you come to stay?" And she stretched out her neck.

"My, but you have a long neck!" she went on, "and your feathers are nice and smooth. I suppose you cannot hear in that box."

Then she walked away, nodding good-by. The other goose, of course, nodded also, and goosey went away satisfied.

"She is not so much of a goose as the others," the cat remarked.

"The peacock is coming," said the dog. "Keep quiet."

In walked the peacock. Seeing another bird, as he supposed, he spread his beautiful tail to its full width. He walked about, but never a word did he say.

"Now, what do you make out of that?" asked the dog. "Did he know that he was looking in a looking-glass, or wouldn't he speak to another bird?"

"I do not know," said the cat, "but here comes the goat. Hide, quick!"

Billy was clattering over the boards, when suddenly he saw the other goat. He looked at him a minute. "I'll show him," he said, running at the mirror with head down.

Bang! Smash! Crash! and Billy jumped back, a very much astonished goat.

"Now you have done it," said the horse, who had been watching all the time from his stall. "All the animals will get out and run away."

"What are you talking about?" said the dog, who was laughing so hard he could scarcely talk. "There are no animals in there. That is a looking-glass; you see yourself when you are in front of it."

"Do you mean to tell me that those animals have all been looking at themselves and finding fault with their own looks?" asked the horse, with his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Of course," said the cat. "Can't you see that Billy has smashed the looking-glass?"

"Well, that is the best I ever heard," said the horse, laughing, "but I wish I had known that was a looking-glass before Billy broke it. I should very much like to know how I look."

"You might not have recognized yourself; the others didn't," said the dog.

—F.A. WALKER.