But in a few minutes the milk was so
burnt and smoked that no one could touch it, and even the pigs refused
the wash into which it was thrown.
"Ah, good-for-nothing hussy!" cried the Housewife, as she refilled the
pan herself, "you would ruin the richest with your carelessness.
There's a whole quart of good milk wasted at once!"
"_And that's twopence_," cried a voice which seemed to come from the
chimney, in a whining tone, like some nattering, discontented old body
going over her grievances.
The Housewife had not left the saucepan for two minutes, when the
milk boiled over, and it was all burnt and smoked as before.
"The pan must be dirty," muttered the good woman, in great vexation;
"and there are two full quarts of milk as good as thrown to the dogs."
"_And that's fourpence_," added the voice in the chimney.
After a thorough cleaning, the saucepan was once more filled and set
on the fire, but with no better success. The milk was hopelessly
spoilt, and the housewife shed tears of vexation at the waste, crying,
"Never before did such a thing befall me since I kept house! Three
quarts of new milk burnt for one meal!"
"_And that's sixpence_," cried the voice from the chimney. "_You
didn't save the tinkering after all Mother_!"
With which the Hillman himself came tumbling down the chimney, and
went off laughing through the door.
But thenceforward the saucepan was as good as any other.
THE NECK.
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