HA A DEEAD DONKEY TOWT A LESSON. 149 



off one hinder Ipg an tak it booam. if Sim Sni^^le u(l watch nplit to see at noabJy 

 coom. L.ibon kopt his donkey in a p'.aco oth top oth long sti'pso.-t, an used to j^o raand 

 th back roAd to it ;— so oi-e dinii«r ti:ue they watc-hd Libou aijht oih yard fwbi'reh.^d 

 been staiidiii lublnii bis cen, an st.okiu bis owj favoiitc) an when hed^'eiti'ii nici-'y off 

 they venture.] to try thir Ink. Jon. L ingt' oit \wnl up «i a gurt carvin knife an lelt 

 Sam at lb bottom to whistle if he saw onybody comuiin, — an be stood tbear for a wbde, 

 but he wanted a bit o bacco, an tber wor sicb a wind ith steps woll he couldut get a 

 leet soa he went across th road into a doorhoil for shelter. He wornt away aboon a 

 miuit or two, but wh»n he coom back, what should he see but owd Labon otnmost 

 at top oth steps. He hardly knew what to do, but he managed as much wind as made 

 a whistle, an stood watchin for thnext move. Joa heard th signal ; but it wor too lat 

 for he couldnt get aght unseen, an he d just gotten th leg cut otf ready fur takkin 

 away; — soa seizin hold oth shank, he waited for old Labou'shat showin aboon th wall 

 top — when he gave it sich a cloncherwi th thick end oth leg woll it foorced th brevvards 

 reight onto his .shoulder, — thou he laupd over th wall an ran hooam wi his prize as 

 fast as his legs could hug him, — leavin Labon to find his way into dayleet agean as 

 wee] as he could. Sam met him at thhaase an they wornt long i cutting some grand 

 steaks off, an putting em ov a dish ith cubbord, an when theyd done that, th bell rang 

 an thevd to goa back to tber wark. When Labon gate his hat once moor on thtop 

 ov his heead, he went to see his owd deead friend, an when he saw it liggd wi nobbut 

 three legs, he vowd vengeuce agean them at had done it, an swore if iver he fan it 

 aght bed makem pay for it, — for it wor nowtnoa le<suorrobbin thdeead,anhe dhave 

 em tried for assaiinaiiun. 



Joas wife wor aght when they took thleg hooam an after theyd cut th steaks 

 off, theyd hid toiher pairt under th coils. They hadnt been gooan long when shoo 

 coom in, an as shoo wor getting th pots aght oth cubbord shoo saw this dish full 

 o steaks. — Aa! shoo .«ays, its just like yond chap to put theas in here an say nowt 

 abaght it, — but I can just relish one o theas to my driukin, an aw dar say Joa 11 want 

 one, an awm sure thchilderll do wi a bit; — we havnt had as micb flesh mait i awr 

 haase afoor for raony a wick.— Fotch that gridiron Polly an lets cook this; — awst ha 

 to do it oth coil, ther isnt fat enough abaght it to fry it. 



Shoo wornt long afoor shoo had it nicely cooked an th tea made, an a thowt 

 struck her, at shood ax Sams wile an th childer to ther tea, for .shoo knew at they 

 didut oft get steak at their haase ; — soa Polly went and browt Mistriss Sniggle an all 

 th childer to ther tea, an as ther wor eight on em they varry sooin put thersen oth 

 aghlside oth steak. — When theyd done, they set to work to get some cleean pots ready 

 for Joa an sent Polly to watch th miln lawso, to teil Sam to come wi him. 



All things were ready, for em when they coom, but ther minds wornt easy, for 

 therd been a policeniau axin abaght em at th miln ; — for Labon had seen Sam lukkiu 

 aght, an he thowt he knew sunimat aLa^^ht it; soa theyd agreed theyd niver own to 

 it, to a wick soul. 



As sooin as they step d in they smeld what wor up, for Joa knew ther wor noa 

 mait ith h.'jase else, an his wife had noa brass to buy ony. Me lukd at Sam, and thear 

 they stood ith middle oth floor, as white as two ghosts, but, they darntspaik, and Loath 



