what a great love of roast goose brought Silly Billy to, that's what we are going to tell you!

So Johnny Nut followed his nose, and asked his way, and at nightfall he reached the village of Escau-bridge.

'You can't show me the way to Hergnies, mother?' cried Johnny to the farmer's wife, who was just sitting down to supper.

'That I can, my son, but you are out late.

'Are you in such a hurry?'

'Oh, mother, who is in a hurry if not me? These ten years I've been dying to taste roast goose, so don't you see there's no time to waste.'

The farmer's wife stared at him with all her eyes.

'What do they call you?' says she.

'Silly Billy,'says he.

'Oh, don't I see. Yes, I see,'said the woman, laughing to his very face. 'Listen, my lad! You are big, and strong, and you seem honest. Now Jim, our man, is off on the King's wars. Will you take his place?'

'Will you let me taste roast goose?'

Original

'On Sunday, as sure as sure, you shall have your fill of goose; I have to send some one to Hergnies, to my cousin's, to-morrow. You shall start, at peep of day, and bring me a good fat goose. We'll dine off him when we come back from the fair at the next town. Does that suit you, my son?'

'Mother, it's just the thing for me.'

'Then come to supper.'

And to supper went Johnny Nut, with such an appetite that he scarcely had time to say grace.

CHAPTER II.

Original

EXT day was a Saturday, and the farmer's wife went to waken Johnny in the stable-loft.

'Come, come, up with you!' says she, shaking him. 'Don't you hear the cock crowing?' So she gave him a big bowl of coffee, and such a chunk of bread; and showed him the way, and sent him off, saying, 'Mind you ask for my cousin's mill, and bring me the goose, and seven bushels of flour, and a pint of seed corn.'

Original

'Seven bushels, and one pint,' 'Seven bushels, and one pint'—for, not being very clever, he was afraid he might forget.

As he went on saying this, he met a farmer, who was counting up how much his field should bring him in.

'Seven bushels, indeed!' said the farmer. 'Let a hundred come!'

Now this puzzled Johnny Silly Billy, for he had never room in his head for more than one idea at a time; so he went on his way, repeating,

'Let a hundred come! let a hundred come!'

Original

Well, as Johnny crossed a wood, there sat a shepherd, as red as scarlet, and as proud as a peacock that has laid an egg; and all because his dog had just killed a wolf that was after the lambs.

'Let a hundred of them come! let a hundred of them come!' sang out Johnny Nut.

'What do you mean, you fool?' says the shepherd, 'with your Let a hundred them come! A hundred, indeed!