George one day said to his little chickens, come into the parlor¹ and enjoy yourselves, and pick up the bread-crumbs on the table. Your mistress has gone out to pay some visits. Then the chickens said, no, no, we will not go. If the mistress gets to know it, she will beat us. George said, she will know nothing about it. So come. After all, she never gives you anything good. Then the chickens again said, nay², nay, we must let it alone. We must not go. But George let them have no peace until at last they went, and got on the table, and ate up the bread-crumbs with all their might. But at that very moment the mistress came, and seized the stick in great haste, and beat them and treated them very harshly. And when they were outside the house, the chickens said to George, do, do, do, do, do, you see. Then george laughed and said, didn't, didn't, didn't, I expect it. So they just had to run away.