Page:Danish fairy and folk tales.djvu/368

 and thrusting his head out of the window. "John, let's see you!"

John promptly appeared, asking what his master desired.

"Johnny," said the preacher, "don't you think you might go down to the brook and catch a pike or something for supper? I have been sitting here the whole afternoon, thinking of fish."

"It's too late," replied the boy. "Pikes don't bite in the afternoon."

"Don't they?" exclaimed Father Jonas, greatly astonished. "Why, this morning I saw a large pike hanging at the back porch of Timmy Timmylim's—house such a big, fat one, too! Now, Johnny—Johnny, my boy—don't you think—I mean go and try, and do your best, and find something for me. I know I can trust you."

Johnny left with a nod and a knowing smile, and lo! in a little while he returned with a beautiful pike, large and firm and fat.

So Father Jonas had pike, with fried potatoes and butter-gravy, for supper, in spite of the fact that pikes refuse to bite in the afternoon.

Next day he repaired punctually to Timmy Timmylim's house.

"Oh, my land!" cried Timmy, in great anguish, when the preacher entered. "What shall I do and what shall I say! The pike is gone—stolen right out of the yard, before my eyes, and yet I did not see the thief."