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The maid was an angry maid. She picked up a pitchfork and threw it at the cow, and the poor beast fell down dead!

Then Johnny began to cry again, and I don't wonder at it.

'Never no luck,' says he. 'They gave me a sheaf, and a chicken ate it; they gave me a chicken, and a cow crushed it; they gave me a cow, and the maid killed it. Boo-hoo!'

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'Oh bother! take the maid and don't blubber,' said the farmer. He didn't like to keep a girl in the house who threw pitchforks about when she lost her temper.

Johnny did not wait to be asked twice. He took the maid, tied her hands and feet, put her in a sack, heaved her on to his back, and away went Johnny.

'When I do get to Hergnies,' said he to himself, 'I'll marry the maid, and we'll have roast goose at the wedding supper,' for his intentions were strictly honourable.

But the further he went the more Johnny didn't find the way; and at last, as the maid was pretty heavy, he set her down by a tavern door and went in and asked for a pot of beer.

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CHAPTER V.

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OW, in the tavern were Tuné, the tailor, with a coat he had made for a customer, and Nanasse, and Polydore, and Rumble his dog, four of the wildest wags in that country-side.

Tuné went out of the tavern to see what kind of night it was, and there was the sack and something in it that moved. So he opened the sack, and what should he find but a pretty tall maid, trussed like a fowl.

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Well, he let her out and she told him all about it, and, as she was not dying to marry our Johnny, off she ran to her own village as hard as she could go.

'What am I to fill the sack with?' thought Tuné. 'By George, I'll put in Polydore's yellow dog, Rumble.'

So he whistled to Rumble and put him in the sack.

By this time Johnny had finished his ale, and he came out, hoisted the sack on his shoulder, and marched away without asking questions. Tune followed at a little distance, and, as Rumble knew a friend was there, why, he entered into the fun and said never a bark.

At last Johnny reached Hergnies, and where should he go to but to the parson's, of course, to get married! Then it occurred to him that he had never asked