Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][subsumed]

THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG.

So the old woman took a rope out of her pocket, and said:

"Good rope, hang butcher; butcher will not kill ox; ox will not drink water, water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite pig, pig will not get over the stile, and I shall not get home to-night.

But the

rope would not.

So the old woman was in despair; but just then a large brown mouse ran across the meadow, and she said:

"Good mouse, gnaw rope; rope will not hang butcher, butcher will not kill ox, ox will not drink water, water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite pig, pig will not get over the stile, and I shall not get home to-night."

[graphic]

THE CLD WOMAN AND HER PIG.

"Yes," said the mouse, "I will, if you will give me some cheese.”

So the old woman put her hand in her pocket and brought out a nice piece of cheese; and when the mouse had eaten it:

The mouse 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 pig he rushed right through the stile.

And so the old woman got home in time to boil her apple-dumplings.

[graphic][ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »