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part of the country on a visit, and being acquainted
with the oddity of the ’squire’s whim, resolved to
accept of the place, and, on application, was admitted
into the family.
Thomas was greatly surprised, after living there
for two months, that nothing was allowed him for
breakfast, dinner, or supper, but bread and cheese
and small beer. Being heartly tired of this kind
of fare, he applied to the cook: ‘ Cookee,’ says
Thomas, 'is it the standing rule of this family to
keep their servants on nothing hut bread and
cheese ?’ ‘ What! ’ says the cook, ‘ do you grumble ?’
'No, no, by no means, cookee,’ replied Thomas,
being fearful of forfeiting the money. But recollecting
his master’s park was stocked with fine deer,
he took a musket and shot a fawn, skinned it, and
brought it to the cook. ‘ Here cookee,’ said
Thomas, ‘take and roast this fawn for me immediately ;
for I have an acquaintance or two coming
down from London, to pay me a visit.’ The cook
seemed to object to it, having some meat to dress
directly for her master; ‘ What,’ says Thomas,
‘ cookee, do you grumble ?’ ‘No,’ replied the cook ;
so down to roast went the fawn.
The appointed time arrived that the master
ordered dinner, and no sign of any coming to his
table occasioned him to ring the bell, to know the
reason of it; the cook acquainted the ’squire with
all Thomas’s proceedings, who in a great hurry
bolted down stairs into the kitchen, where he found
Thomas very busy in basting the fawn. ‘ How
got you that fawn?’ says the ’squire. ‘Shot it,’
replied Thomas. ‘ Where ?’ says the ’squire. ' In
your park,’ replied Thomas. ‘ By whose orders ?’
quoth the ’squire. ‘ Do you grumble ? says
Thomas. ‘ No, Thomas,’ says the squire; and
