Page:Merry tales of the wise men of Gotham (8).pdf/7

7 THE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM.

and there is his due. The hare, as ſoon as ſhe gotout of their hands, ran a quite contrary way. ſone ſaid, thou muſt firſt go to Loughborough; others ſaid, let the hare alone, for ſhe can tell a nearer way than the reſt of us ; let her go.

T A L E IX.

A Man of Gotham that went mowing in the meadow found a large graſshopper. He immediately threw down his ſcythe, and ran home to his neighbours, and ſaid, that the devil was there on the field, and was hopping anongſt the graſs. Then was every man ready, with their clubs and claves, halberts and other weapons, to kill the graſshopper. When they came almoſt to the place where the graſshopper was, ſaid one to the other, let every man croſs himſelf from the devil, for we will not meddle with him, ſo they returned again, and ſaid, we were bleft this day that we went no farther. O ye cowards, ſaid he that left his ſcythe in the meadow, help me to fetch my ſcythe. No, anſwered they, it is good to ſleep in a whole ſkin. It is much better for thee to loſe thy ſcythe, than to marr us all.

T A L E X.

ON a certain time there were twelve men of Gotham that went to fiſh; and ſome waded in the water, and ſome ſtood on dry land. And in going home, one ſaid to the other, we have ventured wonderfully in wading, I pray God that none of us did come from home to be drowned. Nay, marry, ſaid one to the other, let us ſee that, for there did twelve of us come out. Then they told themſelves, and every one told eleven. Said the one to the other, there is one of us drowned.