Page 156 - Fairbrass

a voice that apparently came from the

ground. 1 Goodness knows, he used to
grumble enough about his business. It

was quite a relief to us all to get rid of

him.'
Fairbrass looked down, and found that

his questioner was a fine fat Earthworm
that was wriggling along in the most

consequential manner, as if the whole place

belonged to him,
1 Fm beginning to think that there’s no

such thing as pleasure,’ said poor Fairbrass.
4Oh yes, there is,1 said the Earthworm,

* but it depends more upon others than
upon ourselves. When folks are left alone,

then they begin to enjoy themselves. Take

me, for example. Since you and your
family left this place, I and my family have

had quite a good time of it. No gardeners
to destroy us— no wretched boys to capture

us, and put us to torture on fish-hooks—no
lawn-mowers oil the turfs surface, or sharp

spade-blades underneath it, to avoid. No ;

I can tell you honestly that if we, and by