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The History of

the end of the stone, I being at the other, there she began to make off her water with full force, which I bore with very modestly, till near an end; then she made the wind follow with such force, as made (as I thought) the very stone I leaned upon to move, which made me burst out into laughter; then up gets the wife, and runs for it; I followed hard after into the house, and as I entered the door, I heard the goodman, saying, Ay, ay, goodwife, what's the haste, you run so?

No more passed, until I addressed myself to the goodman for quarters; which he answered, "Indeed lad, we hae nae beds but three, my wife and I, oursells twa, and the twa bits o' little anes, Willie and Jenny, lie in ane; the twa lads our twa servant men, Willie Black and Tom lie in anither, and auld Maggs my mither and the lass Jean Tirram lie the gither, and that fills them a." O, but, says I, Goodman, there is some of them fuller than others, you may let me lie with your mither and the lass; I shall lie heads and thraws wi' them, and keep on my breeks. A good keep me, quo' the lass, frae a' temptations to sin, although thou be but a callen heth I'll rather lie wi' Sannock Garner. Hute awa, quo' the auld wife, the poor lad may lie on a buttle of strae, beyond the fire. No, no, cries the goodwife, he's no be here the night, or I'se no be here. Dear goodwife, said I, what ails you at me? if you will not let me stay you'll not hinder me to go where I please. Ay, ay, said she gae where you like. Then I got in beyond the fire, beside the goodman. Now, said I, goodwife, I like to be here. A deevil be here, an ye be here the night, said she. Ho, ho, said I, but I'm here first, and first com’d, first serv'd, goodwife but, an the ill thief be a friend of yours, you'll get room for him too. Ye thief-like widdifu', said she are ye evening me to be sib to the foul thief; 'tis