"
Well, when the darter heerd this, she fared as if she could ha' jumped
outer her skin for joy, but she di'n't say a word.
Next day, that there little thing looked soo maliceful when he come for
the flax. An' when night came, she heerd that a-knockin' agin the winder
panes. She oped the winder, an' that come right in on the ledge. That
were grinnin' from are to are, an' Oo! tha's tail were twirlin' round so
fast.
"What's my name?" that says, as that gonned her the skeins.
"Is that Solomon?" she says, pretendin' to be a-feard.
"Noo, tain't," that says, an' that come fudder inter the room.
"Well, is that Zebedee?" says she agin.
"Noo, tain't," says the impet. An' then that laughed an' twirled that's
tail till yew cou'n't hardly see it.
"Take time, woman," that says; "next guess, an' you're mine." An' that
stretched out that's black hands at her.
Well, she backed a step or two, an' she looked at it, and then she
laughed out, an' says she, a pointin' of her finger at it:
"Nimmy, nimmy not,
Yar name's Tom Tit Tot."
Well, when that hard her, that shruck awful an' awa' that flew into the
dark, an' she niver saw it noo more.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 8: An old Suffolk tale, given in the dialect of East Anglia.]
XX
THE PEASANT STORY OF NAPOLEON
[Goguelet, an old soldier who fought under Napoleon, tells the
story of his wonderful General and Emperor to a group of eager
listeners in the country doctor's barn.
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