"No, not to steal. I ain't quite so mean as that comes to. I come to let out your pigs, so that in the morning you would have a long chase after them."

"But what could put such a thing into your head, Dick?" asked Frank, in great surprise.

"I thought it would be a good joke."

"It wouldn't have been much of a joke to me," said Frank.

"No; and to tell the truth it wouldn't have been to me. The fact is, and I don't mind telling it, that I should never have thought of such a thing if somebody else hadn't put it into my head."

"Yes; I'd a little rather not tell who that somebody is, for I don't believe he would like to have you know."

"Why didn't he come himself?" asked Frank. "It seems to me he's been making a catspaw of you."

"Yes, haven't you read the story? A monkey wanted to draw some chestnuts out of the hot ashes, but, feeling a decided objection to burning his own paws in the operation, drew a cat to the fire and thrust her paw in."