Page 160 - Fairbrass

because you were a horrid nuisance in the

house ; or did you manage to make your

escape down a drain-pipc ? '
It will be seen by this that Fairbrass

had not only becomc angry, but rude.

Indeed, this boastful, pretentious little
animal irritated him beyond endurance.

But the Hedgehog was so anxious to

talk that he could not afford to take offence.
‘T il tell you about my young master,’

he said, ‘ He was the eldest son of a very

rich father ; he had done well at his schools
and his college ; everybody liked him ; he

was good-looking; in fact, his past was

satisfactory, his future brimful of hope ; and
yet he was miserable* because he was a

poet/

‘ P ooh !’ said Fairbrass, ‘ IVe no patience
with you. You don’t know what you’re

talking about. A poet is just the happiest

man on earth/
‘ If he can get people to believe in him/

said the Hedgehog, ‘ My young master

couldn’t. His precious verses were always