Page:Comical history of Simple John and his twelve misfortunes (4).pdf/18

 away to bring home a fat calf he had bought 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 half pence, and as he was going alongst a bridge, he meets a man running 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 with 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 the loss, and dread of the old plaister, which he got very sickerly.

On the next morning, she sent him again to the bridge, to see if he could 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 rips