WOODMYTH & FABLE 





many jokes were bandied at the expense 

 of the old man and his odd occupation. 

 The strange merchant left the main street, 

 and a little child had the curiosity to fol- 

 low him. The venerable one turned aside 

 through a door into a beautiful garden in 

 the very heart of the town and yet quite 

 unknovsTi. He closed the door, but the 

 child peeped through the keyhole, and 

 saw the old man take the bag of lies and 

 give it a good shake. There was a com- 

 motion and rattling inside for a time, and 

 the mass seemed to be smaller. 



" Ah, hear them eating each other up ! " 

 chuckled the old man. 



Another shake was followed by more 

 commotion and another shrinkage. The 

 collector's face beamed. 



A few more shakes, and the bag seemed 

 actually empty; but the old man opened 



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