`"Little Hans is certainly a great loss to every one," said the Blacksmith, when the funeral was over, and they were all seated comfortably in the inn, drinking spiced wine and eating sweet cakes.

`"A great loss to me at any rate," answered the Miller; "why, I had as good as given him my wheelbarrow, and now I really don't know what to do with it. It is very much in my way at home, and it is in such bad repair that I could not get anything for it if I sold it. I will certainly take care not to give away anything again. One always suffers for being generous."'

`Well?' said the Water-rat, after a long pause.

`Well, that is the end,' said the Linnet.

`But what became of the Miller?' asked the Water-rat.

`Oh! I really don't know,' replied the Linnet; `and I am sure that I don't care.'

`It is quite evident then that you have no sympathy in your nature,' said the Water-rat.

`I am afraid you don't quite see the moral of the story,' remarked the Linnet.

`The what?' screamed the Water-rat.

`The moral.'

`Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?'

`Certainly,' said the Linnet.

`Well, really,' said the Water-rat, in a very angry manner, `I think you should have told me that before you began. If you had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you; in fact, I should have said "Pooh," like the critic. However, I can say it now; so he shouted out `Pooh' at the top of his voice, gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into his hole.

`And how do you like the Water-rat?' asked the Duck, who came paddling up some minutes afterwards. `He has a great many good points, but for my own part I have a mother's feelings, and I can never look at a confirmed bachelor without the tears coming into my eyes.'

`I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him,' answered the Linnet. `The fact is, that I told him a story with a moral.'

`Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do,' said the Duck.

And I quite agree with her.