A Son of Adam
A
man was one day working. It was very hot, and he was digging. By-and-by
he stopped to rest and wipe his face; and he was very angry to think he
had to work so hard only because of Adam's sin. So he complained
bitterly, and said some very hard words about Adam.
It happened
that his master heard him, and he asked, "Why do you blame Adam? You'd
ha' done just like Adam, if you'd a-been in his place."
"No, I shouldn't," said the man; "I should ha' know'd better."
"Well, I'll try you," says his master; "come to me at dinner-time."
So
come dinner-time, the man came, and his master took him into a room
where the table was a-set with good things of all sorts. And he said:
"Now, you can eat as much as ever you like from any of the dishes on
the table; but don't touch the covered dish in the middle till I come
back." And with that the master went out of the room and left the man
there all by himself.
So the man sat down and helped himself,
and ate some o' this dish and some o' that, and enjoyed himself finely.
But after awhile, as his master didn't come back, he began to look at
the covered dish, and to wonder whatever was in it. And he wondered
more and more, and he says to himself, "It must be something very nice.
Why shouldn't I just look at it? I won't touch it. There can't be any
harm in just peeping." So at last he could hold back no longer, and he
lifted up the cover a tiny bit; but he couldn't see anything. Then he
lifted it up a bit more, and out popped a mouse. The man tried to catch
it; but it ran away and jumped off the table and he ran after it. It
ran first into one corner, and then, just as he thought he'd got it,
into another, and under the table, and all about the room. And the man
made such a clatter, jumping and banging and running round after the
mouse, a-trying to catch it, that at last his master came in.
"Ah!" he said; "never you blame Adam again, my man!"
| All English Fairy Tales
THE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
THE PIED PIPER OF FRANCHVILLE
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
TOM TIT TOT
THE THREE SILLIES
THE ROSE-TREE
THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG
HOW JACK WENT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE
MR. VINEGAR
NIX NOUGHT NOTHING
JACK HANNAFORD
BINNORIE
MOUSE AND MOUSER
CAP O' RUSHES
TEENY-TINY
THE MASTER AND HIS PUPIL
TITTY MOUSE ND TATTY MOUSE
JACK AND HIS GOLDEN SNUFF-BOX
HENNY-PENNY
CHILDE ROWLAND
MOLLY WHUPPIE
THE RED ETTIN
MASTER OF ALL MASTERS.
THE GOLDEN ARM
THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB
MR. FOX
LAZY JACK
JOHNNY-CAKE
EARL MAR'S DAUGHTER
MR. MIACCA
WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT
THE STRANGE VISITOR
THE LAIDLY WORM OF SPINDLESTON HEUGH
THE CAT AND THE MOUSE.
THE FISH AND THE RING.
THE MAGPIE'S NEST
KATE CRACKERNUTS
THE CAULD LAD OF HILTON
THE ASS, THE TABLE, AND THE STICK
FAIRY OINTMENT
THE WELL OF THE WORLD'S END.
THE THREE HEADS OF THE WELL |
