Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/96

76 The other said when he got out, "What have you done?" "Done," says he, "the devil knocked me about, when he'd done one of his imps set on. A thing wi' glowering eyen said, 'Fetch him here,' etc., and when I got to the door a blacksmith took me by the snout with his tongs, and flapped me by the lugs with his leather appron."

(2) Canny Jack. There was a shoemaker who had a very sharp apprentice. The parson had a savage dog, and laid a wager that Jack could not get the dog into the cobbler's shop. Jack went to the kennel, held the mouth of a poke to the door, and kicked on the end, so the dog ran into the poke, and Jack took him to the shop. The parson next wagered that Jack could not get the sheet off his bed at night without his knowing. Jack looked through the keyhole, saw some frumety in the kitchen, went at night, put some into the bed, and crept under. The parson woke, pulled off the sheet, and Jack ran away with it. The parson next wagered that Jack could not get him into the cobbler's shop without his knowing it. Jack wrapped himself in a sheet, took three pokes, two with a hole in the end, went at night to the church tower, and began to toll the bell. Up comes the clerk, and says, "Who are you?" Jack says, "I'm an angel from heaven come to forgive you your sins." The clerk says, "Will you forgive mine?" Jack says, "Creep into this poke," which he did, and ran away. After, the saxton comes [and the same thing happens]. Next comes the parson, and says, "Who are you?" Jack answers as before, the parson creeps into the poke. Jack ties up the mouth, goes downstairs with him. As he knocks him about on the way, the parson says, "Where are we?" Jack says, "First step to heaven, second step," and so on. Then he takes him to the shop, and says, "We're in t' cobbler's shop."

1.Tit tat to, Three jolly butchers all in a row.

2. Bonny lass, canny lass, wilt thou be mine Thou shall neither wesh dishes nor sarra the swine; Thou shalt sit on a cushion, and sew up a seam. And eat strawberries, sugar, and cream.