Good evening, children. It's Granny McDuff, ready with a story. So make yourselves comfy,

and I'll begin. Once upon a time, in a child's nursery, toys lay scattered about the floor.

A money box sat above them all on the top of a very tall wardrobe.

It was in the shape of a pig.

Made of clay, the pig had a slit on its back big enough so that silver dollars, pounds or pence could fit.

The pig was quite full up.

In fact, if shaken, it would no longer rattle,

for there was no room for the coins to move.

To the pig, this was the highest state of perfection.

He stood proudly on the wardrobe, looking down upon everything else in the room.

He knew quite well that there was enough money inside him

to buy up every other toy in the nursery.

And so he had a very high opinion of himself.

The toys also thought him of a higher standard,

perhaps a lord or a duke who foresaw the room and all things in it.

A doll, beautiful, but quite old, with a mended neck, for the porcelain had cracked a long time ago, rested safely inside a drawer, which was left half open.

Let us have a tea party, she said.

All the toys agreed.

What a wonderful idea, said the wooden horse.

We should dress as ladies and gentlemen do with the most proper manners, said the ballerina.

Even the drawings on the wall tilted to and fro in excitement.

By now, all the candles had gone out.

...