THE COVETOUS MAN
Thinking the matter carefully over, he decided upon asking his groom if he suspected her of eating the contents of the pots and pans while she prepared the meals. The groom answered that of course it might be so; no one knew. His master asked him, further, if he had any idea how she could manage to satisfy her hunger without being caught in the act. The groom replied that the best way to watch her was to take a seat on the scraper while she was busy with the dinner. This the man decided to do, and see if his suspicion should be confirmed.
The groom was, however, a double-tongued fellow; he went straight to the man's wife and warned her against eating from the pots and pans, as her husband would be watching her from the scraper.
In the forenoon, the next day, the groom helped his master to creep into the chimney, where he seated himself on the scraper. But his wife ordered the servant-girls to heap a good deal of turf on the fire, so that he might be snug and warm in his lofty seat. Of course she affected not to know of his presence in the chimney. The fire became very bright and warm, and the man suffered fearfully from heat and smoke, without daring to sneeze or call any one. At length his faithful servant came back and helped him down. But he was obliged to keep in bed for the next fourteen days, so much had he suffered.
Some time afterwards he was struck by the idea
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