Page:Comical history of Simple John and his twelve misfortunes (4).pdf/11

 water-can, and finding an empty pitcher, puts in his hand to find if there was any water in it, but finding nane, he closed his hand when it was within the pitcher, and then could not get it out, goes to the bed and tells Sleeky Willie what had happened him, who advised him to open the door, and go out to a knocking-stane that stood before the door, and break it there, to get out his hand, and not to make a noise in the house. So out he goes, and the bride's sister who had gotten the great spoonful of the haggis laid to her backside, was out before him, rubbing the nastiness (as she took it to be) off the tail of her sark, and she being in a looting posture, he took her for the knocking-stane, and comes o'er her hurdies with the pitcher, till it flew in pieces about her, then off she runs with the fright round a turf-stack, and into the house before him. John came in trembling to the bed again, wi' the fright, praying to preserve him, for sic a knocking-stane he never yet saw, for it ran clean awa when he broke the pig upon it.