Speaker 1: The devoted friend. One morning, the old water rat put
Speaker 1: his head out of his hole. He had bright, beady
Speaker 1: eyes and stiff gray whiskers, and his tail was like
Speaker 1: a long bit of black India rubber. The little ducks
Speaker 1: were swimming about in the pond, looking just like a
Speaker 1: lot of yellow canaries, and their mother, who was pure
Speaker 1: white with real red legs, was trying to teach them
Speaker 1: how to stand on their heads in the water. You
Speaker 1: will never be in the best society unless you can
Speaker 1: stand on your heads, she kept saying to them, and
Speaker 1: every now and then she showed them how it was done.
Speaker 1: But the little ducks paid no attention to her. They
Speaker 1: were so young that they did not know what an
Speaker 1: advantage it is to be in society at all. What
Speaker 1: disobedient children, cried the old water rat. They really deserve
Speaker 1: to be drowned. Nothing of the kind, answered the duck.
Speaker 1: Every One must make a beginning, and parents cannot be
Speaker 1: too patient. Ah, I know nothing about the feelings of parents,
Speaker 1: said the water at. I am not a family man.
Speaker 1: In fact, I have never been married, and I never
Speaker 1: intend to be. Love is all very well in its way,
Speaker 1: but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing
Speaker 1: in the world that is either nobler or rarer than
Speaker 1: a devoted friendship. And what, pray, is your idea of
Speaker 1: the duties of a devoted friend, asked a green linnet,
Speaker 1: who was sitting in a willow tree hard by and
Speaker 1: had overheard the conversation. Yes, that is just what I
Speaker 1: want to know, said the duck, and she swam away
Speaker 1: to the end of the pond and stood up on
Speaker 1: her head, in order to give her children a good example.
Speaker 1: What a silly question, cried the water at. I should
Speaker 1: expect my devoted friend to be devoted to me, of course,
Speaker 1: And what would you do in return, said the little bird,
Speaker 1: swinging upon a silver and flapping his tiny wings. I
Speaker 1: don't understand you, answered the water at. Let me tell
Speaker 1: you a story on the subject, said the linet. Is
Speaker 1: the story about me, asked the water at. If so,
Speaker 1: I will listen to it, for I am extremely fond
Speaker 1: of fiction. It is applicable to you, answered the linet,
Speaker 1: and he flew down, and, alighting upon the bank, he
Speaker 1: told the story of the devoted friend. Once upon a time,
Speaker 1: said the linette, there was an honest little fellow named Hans.
Speaker 1: Was he very distinguished? Asked the water at no answered
Speaker 1: the linette. I don't think he was distinguished at all,
Speaker 1: except for his kind heart and his funny, round, good
Speaker 1: humored face. He lived in a tiny cottage all by himself,
Speaker 1: and every day he worked in his garden. In all
Speaker 1: the countryside, there was no garden so lovely as his
Speaker 1: sweet William grew there, and gilly flowers and shepherds purses
Speaker 1: and fair maids of France. There were damask roses and
Speaker 1: yellow roses, lilac crocuses, and gold purple violets, and white
Speaker 1: columbine and ladysmock marjoram, and wild basil. The cowslip and
Speaker 1: the flower de luke, the daffodil, and the clove pink
Speaker 1: bloomed or blossomed in their proper order. As the months
Speaker 1: went by, one flower taking another flower's place, so that
Speaker 1: there was always beautiful things to look at and pleasant
Speaker 1: odors to smell. Little Hans had a great many friends,
Speaker 1: but the most devoted friend of all was Big Hugh
Speaker 1: the Miller. Indeed, so devoted was the rich miller to
Speaker 1: Little Hans that he would never go by his garden
Speaker 1: without leaning over the wall and plucking a large nosegay,
Speaker 1: or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets
Speaker 1: with plums and cherries if it was the fruit season.
Speaker 1: Real friends should have everything in common, the miller used
Speaker 1: to say, and Little Hans nodded and smiled, and felt
Speaker 1: very proud of having a friend with such noble ideas. Sometimes, indeed,
Speaker 1: the neighbors thought it strange that the rich miller never
Speaker 1: gave Little Hans anything in return, though he had a
Speaker 1: hundred sacks of flowers stored away in his mill, and
Speaker 1: six milch cows and a large flock of wooly sheep.
Speaker 1: But Hans never troubled his head about these things, and
Speaker 1: nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all
Speaker 1: the wonderful things the miller used to say about the
Speaker 1: unselfishness of true friendship. So Little Hans worked away in
Speaker 1: his garden during the spring, the summer, and the autumn.
Speaker 1: He was very happy. But when the winter came and
Speaker 1: he had no fruit or flowers to bring to the market,
Speaker 1: he suffered a good deal from cold and hunger, and
Speaker 1: often had to go to bed without any supper. But
Speaker 1: a few dried pears or some hard nuts in the
Speaker 1: winter also he was extremely lonely, as the miller never
Speaker 1: came to see him. Then there is no good in
Speaker 1: my going to see little Hans as long as the
Speaker 1: snow lasts, the miller used to say to his wife,
Speaker 1: For when people are in trouble, they should be left
Speaker 1: alone and not be bothered by visitors. That at least
Speaker 1: is my idea about friendship. And I am sure I
Speaker 1: am right. So I shall wait till the spring comes,
Speaker 1: and then I shall pay him a visit, and he
Speaker 1: will be able to give me a large basket of primroses,
Speaker 1: and that will make him so happy. You are certainly
Speaker 1: very thoughtful about others, answered the wife, as she sat
Speaker 1: in her comfortable arm chair. But the big pinewood fire
Speaker 1: very thoughtful. Indeed, it is quite a treat to hear
Speaker 1: you talk about friendship. I'm sure the clergyman himself could
Speaker 1: not say such beautiful things as you do, though he
Speaker 1: does live in a three storied house and wear a
Speaker 1: gold ring on his little finger. But could we not
Speaker 1: ask little Hans up here? Said the miller's youngest son.
Speaker 1: If poor Hans is in trouble, I will give him
Speaker 1: half my porridge and show him my white rabbits. What
Speaker 1: a silly boy you are, cried the miller. I really
Speaker 1: don't know. What is the use of sending you to school.
Speaker 1: You seem not to learn anything. Why if little Hans
Speaker 1: came up here and saw our warm fire, and our
Speaker 1: good supper and our great cask of red wine, he
Speaker 1: might get envious, And envy is a most terrible thing
Speaker 1: and would spoil anybody's nature. I certainly will not allow
Speaker 1: hans nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend,
Speaker 1: and I will always watch over him and see that
Speaker 1: he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if Hans
Speaker 1: came here, he might ask me to let him have
Speaker 1: some flower on credit, and that I could not do.
Speaker 1: Flower is one thing, and friendship is another. And they
Speaker 1: shall not be confused. Why the words are spelt differently
Speaker 1: and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that. How
Speaker 1: will you talk, said the miller's wife, pouring herself out
Speaker 1: a large glass of warm ale. Really I feel quite drowsy.
Speaker 1: It is just like being in church. Lots of people
Speaker 1: act well, answered the miller, but very few people talk will,
Speaker 1: which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing
Speaker 1: of the two, and much the finer thing also, and
Speaker 1: he looked sternly across the table at his little son,
Speaker 1: who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his
Speaker 1: head down and grew quiet scarlet, and began to cry
Speaker 1: into his tea. However, he was so young that you
Speaker 1: must excuse him. Is that the end of the story,
Speaker 1: asked the water rat. Certainly not, answered the linen. That
Speaker 1: is the beginning. Then you are quite behind the age,
Speaker 1: said the water at. Every good story teller nowadays starts
Speaker 1: with the end, and then goes on to the beginning
Speaker 1: and concludes with the middle. That is the new method.
Speaker 1: I heard all about it the other day from her critic,
Speaker 1: who was walking around the pond with a young man.
Speaker 1: He spoke of the matter at great length. And I
Speaker 1: am sure he must have been right, for he had
Speaker 1: blue spectacles and a bald head. And whenever the young
Speaker 1: man made any remark, he always answered, pooh, but pray,
Speaker 1: go on with your story. I like the miller immensely.
Speaker 1: I have all kinds of beautiful sentiments myself. So there
Speaker 1: is a great sympathy between us, well, said Linette, hopping
Speaker 1: now on one leg and now on the other. As
Speaker 1: soon as the winter was over and the primroses began
Speaker 1: to open their pale yellow stars. The miller said to
Speaker 1: his wife that he would go down and see little Hans.
Speaker 1: Why what a good heart you have, cried his wife.
Speaker 1: You are always thinking of others, And mind you take
Speaker 1: the big basket with you for the flowers. So the
Speaker 1: miller tied the sails of the wind altogether with a
Speaker 1: strong iron chain and went down the hill with the
Speaker 1: basket on his arm. Good morning, little Hans, said the miller.
Speaker 1: Good morning, said Hans, leaning on his spade and smiling
Speaker 1: from ear to ear. And how have you been all
Speaker 1: the winter, said the miller. Well, really, cried Hans. It
Speaker 1: is very good of you to ask, very good indeed,
Speaker 1: I am afraid I had rather a hard time of it.
Speaker 1: But now the spring has come and I am quite happy,
Speaker 1: and all my flowers are doing well. We often talked
Speaker 1: of you during the winter, Hans, said the miller, and
Speaker 1: wondered how you were getting on. That was kind of you,
Speaker 1: said Hans. I was half afraid you had forgotten me. Hans.
Speaker 1: I'm surprised at you, said the miller. Friendship never forgets,
Speaker 1: that is the wonderful thing about it. But I'm afraid
Speaker 1: you don't understand the poetry of life. How lovely your
Speaker 1: primroses are looking by the bye. They are certainly very low,
Speaker 1: said Hans, And it is a most lucky thing for
Speaker 1: me that I have so many. I am going to
Speaker 1: bring them into the market and sell them to Burgomaster's
Speaker 1: daughter and buy back my wheelbarrow with the money. Buy
Speaker 1: back your wheelbarrow. You don't mean to say you sold it.
Speaker 1: What a very stupid thing to do. Well, the fact is,
Speaker 1: said Hans, that I was obliged to you. See, the
Speaker 1: winter was a very bad time for me, and I
Speaker 1: really had no money at all to buy bread with.
Speaker 1: So I first sold the silver buttons off my Sunday coat,
Speaker 1: and then I sold my silver chain, and then I
Speaker 1: sold my big pipe, and at last I sold my wheelbarrow.
Speaker 1: But I'm going to buy them all back again now, Hans,
Speaker 1: said the miller. I will give you my wheelbarrow. It
Speaker 1: is not in very good repair. Indeed one side is gone,
Speaker 1: and there is something wrong with the wheel spokes. But
Speaker 1: in spite of that, I will give it to you.
Speaker 1: I know it is very generous of me, and a
Speaker 1: great many people would think me extremely foolish for parting
Speaker 1: with it. But I am not like the rest of
Speaker 1: the world. I think that generosity is the essence of friendship.
Speaker 1: And besides, I have got a new wheelbarrow for myself. Yes,
Speaker 1: you may set your mind at ease, and I will
Speaker 1: give you my wheelbarrow. Well, really, that is generous of you,
Speaker 1: said little Hans, and his funny round face glowed all
Speaker 1: over with pleasure. I can easily put it in repair,
Speaker 1: as I have a plank of wood in the house.
Speaker 1: A plank of wood, said the miller. Why that is
Speaker 1: just what I want for the roof of my barn.
Speaker 1: There is a very large hole in it, and the
Speaker 1: corn will all get damp if I don't stop it up.
Speaker 1: How lucky you mentioned it. It is quite remarkable how
Speaker 1: one good action always breeds another. I have given you
Speaker 1: my wheelbarrow, and now you are going to give me
Speaker 1: your plank. Of course, the wheelbarrow is worth far more
Speaker 1: than the plank. But true friendship never notices things like that. Pray,
Speaker 1: get it at once, and I will set at work
Speaker 1: at my barn this very day. Certainly, creedl Hans, and
Speaker 1: he ran into the shed and dragged the plank out.
Speaker 1: It's not a very big plank, said the miller, looking
Speaker 1: at it. And I'm afraid that after I have mended
Speaker 1: my barn roof, there won't be any left for you
Speaker 1: to mend the wheelbarrow with. But of course that's not
Speaker 1: my fault. And now, as I have given you my wheelbarrow,
Speaker 1: I am sure you would like to give me some
Speaker 1: flowers in return. Here is the basket, and mind you
Speaker 1: full it quite full, Quite full, said little Hans, rather sorrowfully,
Speaker 1: for it was really a very big basket, and he
Speaker 1: knew that if he filled it he would have no
Speaker 1: flowers left for the market, and he was very anxious
Speaker 1: to get his silver buttons back. Well, really, answered the miller,
Speaker 1: as I have given you my wheelbarrow, I don't think
Speaker 1: that as much to ask you for a few flowers.
Speaker 1: I may be wrong, but I should have thought that friendship,
Speaker 1: true friendship, was quite free from selfishness of any kind.
Speaker 1: My dear friend, my best friend, cried little Hans. You
Speaker 1: are welcome to all the flo in my garden. I
Speaker 1: would much sooner have your good opinion than my silver
Speaker 1: buttons any day. And he ran and plucked all his
Speaker 1: pretty primroses and filled the miller's basket. Goodbye, Little Hans,
Speaker 1: said the miller, as he went up the hill with
Speaker 1: the plank on his shoulder and the big basket in
Speaker 1: his hand. Good Bye, said little Hans, and he began
Speaker 1: to dig away quite merrily. He was so pleased about
Speaker 1: the wheelbarrow. The next day, he was nailing up some
Speaker 1: honeysuckle against the porch when he heard the miller's voice
Speaker 1: calling to him from the road. So he jumped off
Speaker 1: the ladder and ran down the garden and looked over
Speaker 1: the wall. There was the miller with a large sack
Speaker 1: of flower on his back. Dear Little Hans, said the miller.
Speaker 1: Would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me
Speaker 1: to market? Oh? I'm so sorry, said Hans, but I'm
Speaker 1: really very busy to day. I have got all my
Speaker 1: creepers to nail up, and all my flowers to water,
Speaker 1: and all my grass to roll. Well, really, said the miller,
Speaker 1: I think that, considering that I am going to give
Speaker 1: you my wheelbarrow, it is rather unfriendly of you to refuse.
Speaker 1: Oh don't say that, cried little Hans. I wouldn't be
Speaker 1: unfriendly for the whole world. And he ran in for
Speaker 1: his cap and trudged off with the big sack on
Speaker 1: his shoulders. It was a very hot day, and the
Speaker 1: road was terribly dusty, and before Hans had reached the
Speaker 1: sixth milestone he was so tired that he had to
Speaker 1: sit down and rest. However, he went on bravely, and
Speaker 1: at last he reached the market. After he had waited
Speaker 1: there some time, he sold a sack of flour for
Speaker 1: a very good price, and then he returned home at once,
Speaker 1: for he was afraid that if he stopped too late,
Speaker 1: he might meet some robbers on the way. It has
Speaker 1: certainly been a hard day, said Little Hans to himself,
Speaker 1: as he was going to bed. But I am glad
Speaker 1: I did not refuse the miller, for he is my
Speaker 1: best friend, and besides, he's going to give me his wheelbarrow.
Speaker 1: Early the next morning, the miller came down to get
Speaker 1: the money for his sack of flower, but Little Hans
Speaker 1: was so tired that he was still in bed. Upon
Speaker 1: my word, said the miller, you are very lazy, really,
Speaker 1: considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow,
Speaker 1: I think you might work harder. Idleness is a great sin,
Speaker 1: and I certainly don't like any of my friends to
Speaker 1: be idle or sluggish. You must not mind my speaking
Speaker 1: quite plainly to you. Of course, I should not dream
Speaker 1: of doing so if I are not your friend. But
Speaker 1: what is the good of friendship if one cannot say
Speaker 1: exactly what one means. Anybody can say charming things and
Speaker 1: try to please and to flatter, But a true friend
Speaker 1: always says unpleasant things and does not mind giving pain. Indeed,
Speaker 1: if he is a really true friend, he prefers it,
Speaker 1: for he knows that then he is doing good. I
Speaker 1: am very sorry, said little Hans, rubbing his eyes and
Speaker 1: pulling off his night cap. But I was so tired
Speaker 1: that I thought I would lie in bed for a
Speaker 1: little time and listen to the birds singing. Do you
Speaker 1: know that I always work better after hearing the birds sing. Well,
Speaker 1: I'm glad of that, said the miller, clapping Little Hans
Speaker 1: on his back, for I want you to come up
Speaker 1: to the mill as soon as you are dressed and
Speaker 1: mend my barn roof for me. Poor little Hans was
Speaker 1: very anxious to go and work in his garden, for
Speaker 1: his flowers had not been watered for two days. But
Speaker 1: he did not like to refuse the miller, as he
Speaker 1: was such a good friend to him. Do you think
Speaker 1: it would be unfriendly of me if I said I
Speaker 1: was busy, he inquired, in a shy and timid voice. Well, really,
Speaker 1: answered the miller, I do not think it is much
Speaker 1: to ask of you, considering that I am going to
Speaker 1: give you my wheelbarrow. But of course if you refuse,
Speaker 1: I'll go and do it myself. Oh, on no account,
Speaker 1: cried little Hans, and he jumped out of bed and
Speaker 1: dressed himself and went up to the barn. He worked
Speaker 1: there all day long till sunset, and at sunset the
Speaker 1: miller came to see how he was getting on. Have
Speaker 1: you mended the hole in the roof, little Hans, cried
Speaker 1: the miller in a cheery voice. It is quite mended,
Speaker 1: answered little Hans, coming down the ladder. Ah, said the miller.
Speaker 1: There is no work so delightful as the work one
Speaker 1: does for others. It is certainly a great privilege to
Speaker 1: hear you talk, answered little Hans, sitting down and wiping
Speaker 1: his forehead. A very great privilege. But I am afraid
Speaker 1: I shall never have such beautiful ideas as you have. Oh,
Speaker 1: they will come to you, said the miller, But you
Speaker 1: must take more pains At present you have only the
Speaker 1: practice of friendship. Some day you will have the theory also,
Speaker 1: do you really think I shall, said little Hans. I
Speaker 1: have no doubt of it, answered the miller. But now
Speaker 1: that you have mended the roof, you had better go
Speaker 1: home and rest, for I want you to drive my
Speaker 1: sheep to the mountain tomorrow. Poor little Hans was afraid
Speaker 1: to say anything to this, and early the next morning
Speaker 1: the miller brought his sheep round to the cottage, and
Speaker 1: Hans started off with them to the mountain. It took
Speaker 1: him the whole day to get there and back, and
Speaker 1: when he returned he was so tired that he went
Speaker 1: off to sleep in his chair and did not wake
Speaker 1: up till it was broad daylight. What a delightful time
Speaker 1: I shall have in my garden, he said, and he
Speaker 1: went to work at once. But somehow he was never
Speaker 1: able to look after his flowers at all, for his friend,
Speaker 1: the miller, was always coming round and sending him off
Speaker 1: on long errands or getting him to help at the mill.
Speaker 1: Little Hans was very much distressed at times, as he
Speaker 1: was afraid his flowers would think he had forgotten them,
Speaker 1: But he consoled himself by the reflection that the miller
Speaker 1: was his best friend. Besides, he used to say, he
Speaker 1: is going to give me his wheelbarrow, and that is
Speaker 1: an act of pure generosity. So little Hans worked away
Speaker 1: for the miller, and the miller said all kinds of
Speaker 1: beautiful things about friendship, which Hans took down in a
Speaker 1: note book and used to read over it at night,
Speaker 1: for he was a very good scholar. Now it happened
Speaker 1: that one evening Little Hans was sitting by his fireside
Speaker 1: when a loud rap came at the door. It was
Speaker 1: a very wild night, and the wind was blowing and
Speaker 1: roaring round the house so terribly that at first he
Speaker 1: thought it was merely the storm. But a second rap came,
Speaker 1: and then a third, louder than any of the others.
Speaker 1: It is some poor traveler, said little Hans to himself,
Speaker 1: and he ran to the door. There stood the miller,
Speaker 1: with a lantern in one hand and a big stick
Speaker 1: in the other. Dear little Hans, cried the miller. I
Speaker 1: am in great trouble. My little boy has fallen off
Speaker 1: a ladder and hurt himself, and I am going for
Speaker 1: the doctor. But he lives so far away, and it
Speaker 1: is such a bad night that it has just occurred
Speaker 1: to me that it would be much better if you
Speaker 1: went instead of me. You know, I'm going to give
Speaker 1: you my wheelbarrow, and so it is only fair that
Speaker 1: you should do something for me in return, certainly, cried
Speaker 1: little Hans. I take it quiet as a compliment you
Speaker 1: coming to me, and I will start off at once,
Speaker 1: But you must lend me your lantern, as the night
Speaker 1: is so dark and I am afraid I might fall
Speaker 1: into the ditch. I am very sorry, answered the miller,
Speaker 1: but it is my new lantern and it would be
Speaker 1: a great loss to me if anything happened to it. Well,
Speaker 1: never mind, I will do without it, cried Little Hans,
Speaker 1: and he took down his great fur coat and his
Speaker 1: warm scarlet cap, and tied a muffler round his throat
Speaker 1: and started off. What a dreadful storm it was. The
Speaker 1: night was so black that Little Hans could hardly see,
Speaker 1: and the wind was so strong that he could hardly stand. However,
Speaker 1: he was very courageous, and after he had been walking
Speaker 1: about three hours, he arrived at the doctor's house and
Speaker 1: knocked at the door. Who's there, cried the doctor, putting
Speaker 1: his hat out of his bedroom window, little Hans, Doctor,
Speaker 1: what do you want, little Hans? The miller's sound has
Speaker 1: fallen from a ladder and has hurt himself, and the
Speaker 1: miller wants you to come at once. All right, said
Speaker 1: the doctor, and he ordered his horse and his big
Speaker 1: boots and his lantern, and came downstairs and rode off
Speaker 1: in the direction of the miller's house, little Hans trudging
Speaker 1: behind him. But the storm grew worse and worse, and
Speaker 1: the rain fell in torrents, and little Hans could not
Speaker 1: see where he was going or keep up with the horse.
Speaker 1: At last he lost his way and wandered off on
Speaker 1: the moor, which was a very dangerous place, as it
Speaker 1: was full of deep holes, and there poor little Hans
Speaker 1: was drowned. His body was found the next day by
Speaker 1: some goatherds floating in a great pool of water, and
Speaker 1: was brought back by them to the cottage. Everybody went
Speaker 1: to little Hans's funeral, as he was so popular, and
Speaker 1: the miller was the chief mourner. As I was his
Speaker 1: best friend, said the miller, it was only fair that
Speaker 1: I should have the best place. So he walked at
Speaker 1: the head of the procession in a long black cloak
Speaker 1: and every now and then he wiped his eyes with
Speaker 1: a big pocket handkerchief. Little Hans is certainly a great
Speaker 1: loss to every one, said the blacksmith, when the funeral
Speaker 1: was over and they were all seated comfortably in the inn,
Speaker 1: drinking spiced wine and eating sweet cakes. A great loss
Speaker 1: to me at any rate, answered the miller. Why I
Speaker 1: had as good as given him my wheelbarrow, and now
Speaker 1: I really don't know what to do with it. It
Speaker 1: is very much in my way at home, and it
Speaker 1: is in such bad repair that I could not get
Speaker 1: anything for it if I sold it. I'll certainly take
Speaker 1: care not to give away anything again. One always suffers
Speaker 1: for being generous, well, said the water At, after a
Speaker 1: long pause. Well that is the end, said the linete.
Speaker 1: But what became of the miller, asked the water At.
Speaker 1: Oh I really don't know, replied the linet. And I'm
Speaker 1: sure that I don't care. It is quite evident then
Speaker 1: that you have no sympathy in your nature, said the
Speaker 1: water At. I'm afraid you don't quite see the moral
Speaker 1: of the story, remarked the linet. The wat screamed the
Speaker 1: water At the moral do you mean to say that
Speaker 1: the story has a moral, certainly, said the linete. Well, really,
Speaker 1: said the water At in a very angry manner. I
Speaker 1: think you should have told me that before you began.
Speaker 1: If you had done so, I certainly would not have
Speaker 1: listened to you. In fact, I should have said pooh
Speaker 1: like the critic. However, I can say it now. So
Speaker 1: he shouted out pooh at the top of his voice,
Speaker 1: gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into
Speaker 1: his hole. And how do you like the water At,
Speaker 1: asked the duck, who came paddling up some minutes afterwards.
Speaker 1: He has a great many good points. But for my
Speaker 1: own part, I have a mother's feelings, and I can
Speaker 1: never look at a confirmed bachelor without the tears coming
Speaker 1: into my eyes. I'm rather afraid that I have annoyed him,
Speaker 1: answered the linette, the fact that I told him a
Speaker 1: story with a moral. Ah, that is always a very
Speaker 1: dangerous thing to do, said the duck, And I quite
Speaker 1: agree with her. And of the Devoted Friend from the
Speaker 1: Happy Prince and other tales by Oscar Wilde,