30 The Sow Bet. (CHAP. I. 
irresistible and unconquerable passion, and engendered in 
him an insatiable longing for, and earnest desire to be al- 
ways among, such things. This is the only reason I can 
give for becoming a lover of nature. I know of none 
other.” 
bie living at Kettle, the child began to walk. He 
made friends with the cats and dogs about the house. He 
was soon able to toddle out-of-doors. At first he wished to 
cultivate the acquaintance of the cocks and hens and ducks, 
of which the village was full; but they always ran away 
before he could get up to them and caress them. 
There was, however, another and a much more danger- 
ous creature whose acquaintance he sought to make. This 
was a sow called Bet, with a litter of pigs. Whenever he 
was missing, he was found looking in at the pigs. He could 
not climb over the paling, but could merely look through 
the splits. 
The sow was known to be ferocious, and she was most so 
when she had a litter of pigs. Edward’s mother was afraid 
lest the sow should injure him by biting his hands or face 
through the bars of the cruive.* Therefore she warned 
him not to go near the beast; but her warnings were dis- 
regarded. When she asked, “‘ Where’s Tam?” the answer 
invariably was, “Oh, he’s awa wi’ the pigs.” 
One day the boy disappeared. Every hen-house, every 
stable, every pig-sty, and every likely corner of the village; 
was searched; but in vain. Tom was lost! He was then 
little over a year old. He could not have gone very far. 
Somebody raised the cry that he had been “stolen by the 
gypsies!” It was remembered that some tinkers had been 
selling their brooms and pans in the village that afternoon; 
and it was immediately concluded that they had kidnap- 
ed the child. It was not so very unreasonable, after all. 
Adam Smith, the author of “The Wealth of Nations,” had 
* Cruive, a pig-sty. 
