Page:Fun upon fun, or, The comical merry tricks of Leper the taylor (1).pdf/4

 ſhe ran out and ſat down at a diſtance, looking when the houſe would fall down, till her huſband came home, to whom ſhe told the above ſtory, 'Hout daft 'Tapie, ſaid he, the houſe will ſtand theſe hundred 'years,' ſo by his perſuaſion they both went into the houſe, Leper (knowing they were both in) comes back and plays the ſame trick over again, which frighted the goodman alſo ſo much, that he cryed out, 'Run 'Maggy run, for my heart plays a' pitty patty,' and they would not lodge in the houſe any more, till the maſons convinced them of its ſufficiency.

There was another neighbour who had a ſnarling curr dog, which bit Leper's leg; Leper reſolved to be revenged on the dog, and ſo, one night he catches the dog and carries him to the kirk, where the rope of the bell hang upon the outſide, ſo with his garter he tied the dog's fore-foot to the rope, and left him hanging; the dog ſtruggling to get free, ſet the bell a ringing, which alarmed the whole village, every one cried out, Wonderful ſirs! Wonderful ſirs! the 'de'il is ringing the bell.' When they ſaw the black colley hanging at the rope, I true, it ſet the miniſter and all the people to their prayers; but Leper fearing he would be found out by his garter, came to the miniſter's ſide and aſked the reverend gentleman, what was the matter? Indeed my bairn (ſaid he) it's the de'il ringing the kirk-bell; ſays Leper, I'll go and ſee him, for I never ſaw the de'il, the miniſter cry'd, Stop that mad laddie, but Leper ran and louſed the dog, crying; It's ſuch a man's dog, which had the rope in his teeth, they all cry'd out, “The de'il is in the dog, the de'il is in the dog,' and took up ſtones and fell'd poor colley, and the de'il got the blame of making the dog ring the bell, this ſpread Leper's fame,