Part 45 (2/2)

”'This you call living well, and you say that you live best?' she said to the town-mouse. 'Heaven help me to a better mind, for with such a big house, and such a hawk for a master I could scarce get off with my life.”

SILLY MATT.

”Once on a time there was a goody who had a son called Matthew, but he was so stupid that he had no sense for anything, nor would he do much either; and the little he did was always topsy-turvy and never right, and so they never called him anything but 'Silly Matt.'

”All this the goody thought bad; and it was still worse she thought that her son idled about and never turned his hand to anything else than yawning and stretching himself between the four walls.

”Now close to where they lived ran a great river, and the stream was strong and bad to cross. So, one day, the goody said to the lad, there was no lack of timber there, for it grew almost up to the cottage-wall; he must cut some down and drag it to the bank and try to build a bridge over the river and take toll, and then he would both have something to do and something to live upon besides.

”Yes! Matt thought so too, for his mother had said it; what she begged him do, he would do. That was safe and sure he said, for what she said must be so and not otherwise. So he hewed down timber and dragged it down and built a bridge. It didn't go so awfully fast with the work, but at any rate he had his hands full while it went on.

”When the bridge was ready, the lad was to stand down at its end and take toll of those who wanted to cross, and his mother bade him be sure not to let any one over unless they paid the toll. It was all the same, she said, if it were not always in money. Goods and wares were just as good pay.

”So the first day came three chaps with each his load of hay, and wanted to cross the bridge.

”'No! no!' said the lad; 'you can't go over till I've taken the toll.'

”'We've nothing to pay it with,' they said.

”'Well, then! you can't cross; but it's all the same, if it isn't money.

Goods will do just as well.'

”So they gave him each a wisp of hay, and he had as much as would go on a little hand-sledge, and then they had leave to pa.s.s over the bridge.

”Next came a pedlar with his pack, who sold needles and thread, and such like small wares, and he wanted to cross.

”'You can't cross, till you have paid the toll,' said the lad.

”'I've nothing to pay it with,' said the pedlar.

”'You have wares, at any rate.'

”So the pedlar took out two needles and gave them him, and then he had leave to cross the bridge. As for the needles, the lad stuck them into the hay, and soon set off home.

”So when he got home, he said, 'Now, I have taken the toll, and got something to live on.'

”'What did you get?' asked the goody.

”'Oh!' said he, 'there came three chaps, each with his load of hay. They each gave me a wisp of hay, so that I got a little sledge-load; and next, I got two needles from a pedlar.'

”'What did you do with the hay?' asked the goody.

”'I tried it between my teeth; but it tasted only of gra.s.s, so I threw into the river.'

”'You ought to have spread it out on the byre-floor,' said the goody.

”'Well! I'll do that next time, mother,' he said.

<script>