Page:Mad pranks of Tom Tram, son-in-law to Mother Winter (1).pdf/22

 22 MERRY TALES. ing fold the cow at the market, he lock'd in his purſe for the money, thinking to have told it to his wife; but he found not ſo much as one croſs in his purſe; whereupon he remembered the words of the gypſies and ſaid, that the gypſies had ſaid true that he ſhould not be troubled with croſſes, and that they had picked his pocket, and left not a penny in his purſe. Whereupon his wife baſted and cudgelled him ſo ſoundly, that he began to perceive that a man that had a curſed wife ſhould never be without a croſs tho' he had never a penny in his purſe; and becauſe it was winter time, he ſat a while by the fire-fide, and after went to bed ſup perlefs and pennyleſs.

TALE V. A FARMER'S wife in the weſt had three pigs, which ſhe loved exceedingly well, and fed them with good butter milk and whey; but they would come running into the houſe and befoul the rooms : whereupon the re- ſolved to ſell them at the market, becauſe they were better fed than taught, but after- wards they were ſtolen away from her; whereupon ſhe ſuppoſed they were driven up to London to learn manners; but ſaid ſhe, they were too old to learn to turn the ſpit in Barholomew fair, and therefore believed ſome butchers had ſtole them away. Her cock had a piece of cloth ſewen about