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me! Take me! 9 from all quarters. However she 

 was punctual in her obedience ; and although the 

 conversable eggs were remarkably fine and large, 

 she searched about till at length she had collected 

 three little dirty-looking eggs, that had not a word 

 to say for themselves. The old woman now dis- 

 missed her guest, bidding her to return home with- 

 out fear ; but not to forget to break one of the 

 eggs under each of the three trees near which she 

 had seen an old woman that morning. The first 

 egg produced a water-jug exactly similar to that 

 which she had broken ; out of the second came a 

 whole large sugar estate ; and out of the third a 

 splendid equipage, in which she returned to her 

 aunt, delivered up the jug, related that an old 

 woman in a red docker (i. e. petticoat) had made 

 her a great lady, and then departed in triumph to 

 her sugar estate. Stung by envy, the aunt lost no 

 time in sending her own daughter to search for the 

 same good fortune which had befallen her cousin. 

 She found the cotton-tree and the headless old wo- 

 man, and had the same question addressed to her; 

 but instead of returning the same answer — >' What 

 me see ?' said she ; ' me see one old woman without 

 him head !' Now this reply was doubly offensive ; 

 it was rude, because it reminded the old lady of 

 what might certainly be considered as a personal 

 defect ; and it was dangerous, as, if such a cir- 

 cumstance were to come to the ears of the buckras, 

 it might bring her into trouble, women being 



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