FABLES. 



321 



THE THIEF AND THE BOY. 



Ax arch mischievous Boy, sitting by the side of 

 a well, observed a noted Thief coming towards 

 him. The little dissembler, wiping his eyes, 

 affected to be in great distress. The Thief asking 

 him what was the matter ? Ah ! says the Boy, I 

 shall be severely flogged, for in attempting to get 

 some water, I have dropped the silver tankard 

 into the well. Upon this the Thief, eager for a 

 prize, stripped off his clothes, and went down to 

 the bottom to search for it; where having groped 

 about to no purpose, he came up again, but found 

 neither the Boy nor the clothes, the little wag 

 having run off with and hidden them, and left the 

 Thief to look for the tankard at his leisure. 



VOL. IV. 2 T 



