Page:Comical history of Simple John and his twelve misfortunes (10).pdf/18

  18       The History of Simple John

had boughs: in the country, and tied up the money in a napkin, which he carried in his hand for fear he should lose it; being very weighty as it was all in halfpence, and as he was going alongst a bridge, he meets a man run- ing after a horse, who cries to John to stop the horse, John meets him on the top of the bridge, and when he would not be stopped for him, he knocks the horse on the face wi’ the napkin and the money, so the napkin rave, and most of the halfpence flew over the bridge in the water, which made poor John go home crying very bitterly for his loss, and dread of the auld plaister, which he got very sic- kerly.

M I S F O R T U N E  VII.

On the next morning, she sent him again to the bridge, to see if he cou’d find any of it in the water, and there he found some ducks swimming, and ducking down with their heads below the water, as he thought, gathering up his money, he kills one of them, and