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〃Once upon a time；〃 began the bachelor； 〃there was a little girl called
Bertha； who was extra…ordinarily good。〃
The children's momentarily…aroused interest began at once to flicker；
all stories seemed dreadfully alike； no matter who told them。
〃She did all that she was told； she was always truthful； she kept her
clothes clean； ate milk puddings as though they were jam tarts； learned
her lessons perfectly； and was polite in her manners。〃
〃Was she pretty？〃 asked the bigger of the small girls。
〃Not as pretty as any of you；〃 said the bachelor； 〃but she was
horribly good。〃
There was a wave of reaction in favour of the story； the word
horrible in connection with goodness was a novelty that commended
itself。 It seemed to introduce a ring of truth that was absent from the
aunt's tales of infant life。
〃She was so good；〃 continued the bachelor； 〃that she won several
medals for goodness； which she always wore； pinned on to her dress。
There was a medal for obedience； another medal for punctuality； and a
third for good behaviour。 They were large metal medals and they
clicked against one another as she walked。 No other child in the town
where she lived had as many as three medals； so everybody knew that
she must be an extra good child。〃
〃Horribly good；〃 quoted Cyril。
〃Everybody talked about her goodness； and the Prince of the country
got to hear about it； and he said that as she was so very good she might
be allowed once a week to walk in his park； which was just outside the
town。 It was a beautiful park； and no children were ever allowed in it；
so it was a great honour for Bertha to be allowed to go there。〃
〃Were there any sheep in the park？〃 demanded Cyril。
〃No；〃 said the bachelor； 〃there were no sheep。〃
〃Why weren't there any sheep？〃 came the inevitable question arising
out of that answer。
The aunt permitted herself a smile； which might almost have been
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described as a grin。
〃There were no sheep in the park；〃 said the bachelor； 〃because the
Prince's mother had once had a dream that her son would either be killed
by a sheep or else by a clock falling on him。 For that reason the
Prince never kept a sheep in his park or a clock in his palace。〃
The aunt suppressed a gasp of admiration。
〃Was the Prince killed by a sheep or by a clock？〃 asked Cyril。
〃He is still alive； so we can't tell whether the dream will come true；〃
said the bachelor unconcernedly； 〃anyway； there were no sheep in the
park； but there were lots of little pigs running all over the place。〃
〃What colour were they？〃
〃Black with white faces； white with black spots； black all over； grey
with white patches； and some were white all over。〃
The storyteller paused to let a full idea of the park's treasures sink
into the children's imaginations； then he resumed：
〃Bertha was rather sorry to find that there were no flowers in the
park。 She had promised her aunts； with tears in her eyes； that she
would not pick any of the kind Prince's flowers； and she had meant to
keep her promise； so of course it made her feel silly to find that there
were no flowers to pick。〃
〃Why weren't there any flowers？〃
〃Because the pigs had eaten them all；〃 said the bachelor promptly。
〃The gardeners had told the Prince that you couldn't have pigs and
flowers； so he decided to have pigs and no flowers。〃
There was a murmur of approval at the excellence of the Prince's
decision； so many people would have decided the other way。
〃There were lots of other delightful things in the park。 There were
ponds with gold and blue and green fish in them； and trees with beautiful
parrots that said clever things at a moment's notice； and humming birds
that hummed all the popular tunes of the day。 Bertha walked up and
down and enjoyed herself immensely； and thought to herself： 'If I were
not so extraordinarily good I should not have been allowed to come into
this beautiful park and enjoy all that there is to be seen in it；' and her
three medals clinked against one another as she walked and helped to
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remind her how very good she really was。 Just then an enormous wolf
came prowling into the park to see if it could catch a fat little pig for
its supper。〃
〃What colour was it？〃 asked the children； amid an immediate
quickening of interest。
〃Mud…colour all over； with a black tongue and pale grey eyes that
gleamed with unspeakable ferocity。 The first thing that it saw in the
park was Bertha； her pinafore was so spotlessly white and clean that it
could be seen from a great distance。 Bertha saw the wolf and saw
that it was stealing towards her； and she began to wish that she had never
been allowed to come into the park。 She ran as hard as she could； and
the wolf came after her with huge leaps and bounds。 She managed to
reach a shrubbery of myrtle bushes and she hid herself in one of the
thickest of the bushes。 The wolf came sniffing among the branches； its
black tongue lolling out of its mouth and its pale grey eyes glaring with
rage。 Bertha was terribly frightened； and thought to herself： 'If I had
not been so extraordinarily good I should have been safe in the town at
this moment。' However； the scent of the myrtle was so strong that the
wolf could not sniff out where Bertha was hiding； and the bushes were
so thick that he might have hunted about in them for a long time
without catching sight of her； so he thought he might as well go off and
catch a little pig instead。 Bertha was trembling very much at having the
wolf prowling and sniffing so near her； and as she trembled the medal
for obedience clinked against the medals for good conduct and
punctuality。 The wolf was just moving away when he heard the sound
of the medals clinking and stopped to listen； they clinked again in a bush
quite near him。 He dashed into the bush； his pale grey eyes gleaming
with ferocity and triumph； and dragged Bertha out and devoured her to
the last morsel。 All that was left of her were her shoes； bits of clothing；
and the three medals for goodness。〃 〃Were any of the little pigs
killed？〃
〃No； they all escaped。〃
〃The story began badly；〃 said the smaller of the small girls； 〃but it
had a beautiful ending。〃
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〃It is the most beautiful story that I ever heard；〃 said the bigger of
the small girls； with immense decision。
〃It is the ONLY beautiful story I have ever heard；〃 said Cyril。
A dissentient opinion came from the aunt。
〃A most improper story to tell to young children！ You have
undermined the effect of years of careful teaching。〃
〃At any rate；〃 said the bachelor； collecting his belongings
preparatory to leaving the carriage； 〃I kept them quiet for ten minutes；
which was more than you were able to do。〃
〃Unhappy woman！〃 he observed to himself as he walked down the
platform of Templecombe station； 〃for the next six months or so those
children will assail her in public with demands for an improper story！〃
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