Page:Comical history of Simple John and his twelve misfortunes (9).pdf/21

21 weel pay'd skins as I nae gotten, ye wad a kend what it is ; ill chance on you sir; and out he goes cursing like a madman, throwing stanes and breaking the Min- ister's windows for which he was catcht and put twa hours in the stocks, and at last his lump of corruption came and rubbed his lugs, threw his nose, got him out, and drove him home be- fore her, took a resolution never to set him about any business in time coming but keep him on his loom.

MISFORTUNE X.

Now she gave him no sleep a' that night for scolding. John got up in the morning lang or day, and left his Tormentor in bed, fell asleep upon his loom with the candle in his hand, and so set the web, heddles, reed, and trea- dle cords in a fire. By chance his old Viper looked out of the bed, or the whole house had been gone. Up she got, and with her cries alarmed the in neighbourhood who came to her relief;