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

4 on her, ſo one day he came to the back-ſide of her houſe, (no body being within but herſelf) and took up a big ſtone, and runs it along the rough Wall with all his force, which roared like thunder in the inſide of the houſe, and frighted the wife ſo, that ſhe thought the houſe was tumbling down about her ears, upon which the 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 Taupie, 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 be ſo much, that he cried 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 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 be) it's the de'il ringing the kirk-bells lays Leper, I'll go and ſee him, for I never ſaw the de'il; the miniſter cry'd, Stop that mad laddie, but the Leper ran and louſed the dog, crying, It's ſuch a