Page:Fun upon fun, or, The comical merry tricks of Leper the taylor (1).pdf/2



father lived in a village about fix miles from Glaſgow, and died when Leper was but very young, he left a widow and three children, two daughters and a ſon, and Leper being the youngeſt, was greatly idolized by his mother, who was a good ſoft-natured woman, very induſtrious, and followed the buſineſs of bleaching of cloth.

As Leper grew up, be turned a very miſchievous boy, playing tricks on the neighbourhood, ſuch as tying cars to dogs tails, breaking hens-legs, ſtopping peoples lumbs or chimney-tops; ſo that his poor mother was ſadly vex'd with complaints againſt him.

To get him kept from miſchief, the prevailed with a taylor to take him an apprentice, he ſettled and was very peaceable for ſome time, until he had got ſo much of the trade on his finger-ends, as he might paſs for a journeyman, and then he was indifferent whether he ſtayed with his maſter or not; his miſtreſs gave him but very little meat when they wrought at home, ſo he loved beſt to be in other houſes, where he got both meat and diverſion.

Leper being reſolved on revenge againſt his miſtreſs, for her thin kail, no kitchen and little bread; for tho' fleſh was boiled in the pot, none for poor Leper and his maſter, but a little bit on Sabbaths, and all the bones were kept, and put in the pot, to make the broth thro' the week. Leper perceived always when the took off the pot, ſhe turned her back to them and took out the fleſh, and ſet it on a ſhelf within her own bed; one night after work, he ſteals out a pau, cuts a piece of fleſh out of a dead horſe, then