Page:Merry tales of the wise men of Gotham (10).pdf/9

9 like lords the next year. At the be- ginning of the next lent, they imme- diately went about drawing the pond, imagining they should have the fish, but were much surprised to find no- thing but a great eel. Ah ! said they, a mischief on this eel, for he hath eat- en up our fish. What must we do with him? said one to the other. Kill him, said one; chop him in pieces, said another. Nay, not so, said ano- ther, but let us drown him. Be it ac- cordingly so, replied they all. So they immediately went to another pond, and cast the eel into the water. Lie there, said these wise men, and shift for thy- self, since you may not expect any help from us. So they left the eel to be. drowned.

TALE VIII.

On a time the men of Gotham bad forgotten to pay their rents to their landlord ; so one said to the other, to- morrow must be pay-day, by whom