English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs (rom com books to read .txt) đ
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She went a little further, and she met a stick. So she said: âStick! stick! beat dog! dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the stick wouldnât.
She went a little further, and she met a fire. So she said: âFire! fire! burn stick; stick wonât beat dog; dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the fire wouldnât.
She went a little further, and she met some water. So she said: âWater, water! quench fire; fire wonât burn stick; stick wonât beat dog; dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the water wouldnât.
She went a little further, and she met an ox. So she said: âOx! ox! drink water; water wonât quench fire; fire wonât burn stick; stick wonât beat dog; dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the ox wouldnât.
She went a little further, and she met a butcher. So she said: âButcher! butcher! kill ox; ox wonât drink water; water wonât quench fire; fire wonât burn stick; stick wonât beat dog; dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the butcher wouldnât.
She went a little further, and she met a rope. So she said: âRope! rope! hang butcher; butcher wonât kill ox; ox wonât drink water; water wonât quench fire; fire wonât burn stick; stick wonât beat dog; dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the rope wouldnât.
She went a little further, and she met a rat. So she said: âRat! rat! gnaw rope; rope wonât hang butcher; butcher wonât kill ox; ox wonât drink water; water wonât quench fire; fire wonât burn stick; stick wonât beat dog; dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the rat wouldnât.
She went a little further, and she met a cat. So she said: âCat! cat! kill rat; rat wonât gnaw rope; rope wonât hang butcher; butcher wonât kill ox; ox wonât drink water; water wonât quench fire; fire wonât burn stick; stick wonât beat dog; dog wonât bite pig; piggy wonât get over the stile; and I shanât get home to-night.â But the cat said to her, âIf you will go to yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat.â So away went the old woman to the cow.
But the cow said to her: âIf you will go to yonder haystack, and fetch me a handful of hay, Iâll give you the milk.â So away went the old woman to the haystack and she brought the hay to the cow.
As soon as the cow had eaten the hay, she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat.
As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig; the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile, and so the old woman got home that night.
HOW JACK WENT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE
Once on a time there was a boy named Jack, and one morning he started to go and seek his fortune.
He hadnât gone very far before he met a cat.
âWhere are you going, Jack?â said the cat.
âI am going to seek my fortune.â
âMay I go with you?â
âYes,â said Jack, âthe more the merrier.â
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a dog.
âWhere are you going, Jack?â said the dog.
âI am going to seek my fortune.â
âMay I go with you?â
âYes,â said Jack, âthe more the merrier.â
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt. They went a little further and they met a goat.
âWhere are you going, Jack?â said the goat.
âI am going to seek my fortune.â
âMay I go with you?â
âYes,â said Jack, âthe more the merrier.â
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a bull.
âWhere are you going, Jack?â said the bull.
âI am going to seek my fortune.â
âMay I go with you?â
âYes,â said Jack, âthe more the merrier.â
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
They went a little further and they met a rooster.
âWhere are you going, Jack?â said the rooster.
âI am going to seek my fortune.â
âMay I go with you?â
âYes,â said Jack, âthe more the merrier.â
So on they went, jiggelty-jolt, jiggelty-jolt.
Well, they went on till it was about dark, and they began to think of some place where they could spend the night. About this time they came in sight of a house, and Jack told them to keep still while he went up and looked in through the window. And there were some robbers counting over their money. Then Jack went back and told them to wait till he gave the word, and then to make all the noise they could. So when they were all ready Jack gave the word, and the cat mewed, and the dog barked, and the goat bleated, and the bull bellowed, and the rooster crowed, and all together they made such a dreadful noise that it frightened the robbers all away.
And then they went in and took possession of the house. Jack was afraid the robbers would come back in the night, and so when it came time to go to bed he put the cat in the rocking-chair, and he put the dog under the table, and he put the goat upstairs, and he put the bull down cellar, and the rooster flew up on to the roof, and Jack went to bed.
By-and-by the robbers saw it was all dark and they sent one man back to the house to look after their money. Before long he came back in a great fright and told them his story.
âI went back to the house,â said he, âand went in and tried to sit down in the rocking-chair, and there was an old woman knitting, and she stuck her knitting-needles into me.â That was the cat, you know.
âI went to the table to look after the money and there was a shoemaker under the table, and he stuck his awl into me.â That was the dog, you know.
âI started to go upstairs, and there was a man up there threshing, and he knocked me down with his flail.â That was the goat, you know.
âI started to go down cellar, and there was a man down there chopping wood, and he knocked me up with his axe.â That was the bull, you know.
âBut I shouldnât have minded all that if it hadnât been for that little fellow on top of the house, who kept a-hollering, âChuck him up to me-e! Chuck him up to me-e!ââ Of course that was the cock-a-doodle-do.
MR. VINEGAR
Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar lived in a vinegar bottle. Now, one day, when Mr. Vinegar was from home, Mrs. Vinegar, who was a very good housewife, was busily sweeping her house, when an unlucky thump of the broom brought the whole house clitter-clatter, clitter-clatter, about her ears. In an agony of grief she rushed forth to meet her husband.
On seeing him she exclaimed, âOh, Mr. Vinegar, Mr. Vinegar, we are ruined, I have knocked the house down, and it is all to pieces!â Mr. Vinegar then said: âMy dear, let us see what can be done. Here is the door; I will take it on my back, and we will go forth to seek our fortune.â
They walked all that day, and at nightfall entered a thick forest. They were both very, very tired, and Mr. Vinegar said: âMy love, I will climb up into a tree, drag up the door, and you shall follow.â He accordingly did so, and they both stretched their weary limbs on the door, and fell fast asleep.
In the middle of the night Mr. Vinegar was disturbed by the sound of voices underneath, and to his horror and dismay found that it was a band of thieves met to divide their booty.
âHere, Jack,â said one, âhereâs five pounds for you; here, Bill, hereâs ten pounds for you; here, Bob, hereâs three pounds for you.â
Mr. Vinegar could listen no longer; his terror was so great that he trembled and trembled, and shook down the door on their heads. Away scampered the thieves, but Mr. Vinegar dared not quit his retreat till broad daylight.
He then scrambled out of the tree, and went to lift up the door. What did he see but a number of golden guineas. âCome down, Mrs. Vinegar,â he cried; âcome down, I say; our fortuneâs made, our fortuneâs made! Come down, I say.â
Mrs. Vinegar got down as fast as she could, and when she saw the money she jumped for joy. âNow, my dear,â said she, âIâll tell you what you shall do. There is a fair at the neighbouring town; you shall take these forty guineas and buy a cow. I can make butter and cheese, which you shall sell at market, and we shall then be able to live very comfortably.â
Mr. Vinegar joyfully agrees, takes the money, and off he goes to the fair. When he arrived, he walked up and down, and at length saw a beautiful red cow. It was an excellent milker, and perfect in every way. âOh,â thought Mr. Vinegar, âif I had but that cow, I should be the happiest, man alive.â
So he offers the forty guineas for the cow, and the owner said that, as he was a friend, heâd oblige him. So the bargain was made, and he got the cow and he drove it backwards and forwards to show it.
By-and-by he saw a man playing the bagpipesâTweedle-dum tweedle-dee. The children followed him about, and he appeared to be pocketing money on all sides. âWell,â thought Mr. Vinegar, âif I had but that beautiful instrument I should be the happiest man aliveâmy fortune would be made.â
So he went up to the man. âFriend,â says he, âwhat a beautiful instrument that is, and what a deal of money you must make.â âWhy, yes,â said the man, âI make a great deal of money, to be sure, and it is a wonderful instrument.â âOh!â cried Mr. Vinegar, âhow I should like to possess it!â âWell,â said the man, âas you are a friend, I donât much mind parting with it; you shall have it for that red cow.â âDone!â said the delighted Mr. Vinegar. So the beautiful red cow was given for the bagpipes.
He walked up and down with his purchase; but it was in vain he tried to play a tune, and instead of pocketing pence, the boys followed him hooting, laughing, and pelting.
Poor Mr. Vinegar, his fingers grew very cold, and, just as he was leaving the town, he met a man with a fine thick pair of gloves. âOh, my fingers are so very cold,â said Mr. Vinegar to himself. âNow if I had but those beautiful gloves I should be the happiest man alive.â He went up
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