“Yes, now lots of children know who Snoutie is, and they write him letters,” said Daddy. “Snoutie sometimes drops in for a visit, and I let him sit in my chair at the table and read those letters.”

“He’s an Incredible Snoutie!” cried Michelle.

“I have no doubt about it,” said Daddy.

And Daddy began telling Michelle about Snoutie again.

“As you will remember, Snoutie and Michelle once did some traveling in the Big Forest,” said Daddy. “I would even say they did quite a bit of traveling for such little travelers.”

“Of course I remember,” nodded Michelle. “That was where they met so many friends. Tell me what happened next, Daddy.”

“I’ll try,” said Daddy.

And he did.

CHAPTER TWO,

IN WHICH SNOUTIE VISITS FRIENDS, GOOSE BECOMES A CEREMONIAL GIFT, AND MICHELLE HOSTS A CELEBRATION

One day, late in the morning (for some reason our hero’s mornings always started late) and after a filling breakfast, Snoutie was walking around his room trying to catch spots of sunlight. Then he grabbed his wicker basket for collecting grapes and happily set out for the garden. He was in a wonderful mood, and it was at such times that he did a very good job writing short, simple songs, which he loved to hum under his breath. At that moment he was whistling one of those tunes:

I love to water the ground,

I love to write a round,

I love to store up goods,

I love to walk in the woods,

But what I love most of all

Is a breakfast that is not too small!

Before Snoutie could finish his song, he heard someone ring the bell at the gate.

“Who could that be?” thought Snoutie, heading to the fence. “It is Tuesday, and people don’t usually come calling on Tuesday mornings.”

“Tele-ga-ga-ga-gram!” honked a voice from the other side of the fence.

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