Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-08-19

After while came by a fine coach with
SIX horses, servants and outriders. and
within sat noble lord who lived not a great
way off. When his lordship saw the beauti-
ful fruit, he sent one Of his servants to the
woman to ask what was the price of her
goods. The man went and asked, "What
IS the price of this fruit p" No answer
lie asked again. No answer; and when
this had happened three times he became
angry and thinking she was asleep. rave
her blow and down she fell backwards into
the pond that was behind the seat Then
up ran Pee-wit, and cried and sorrowed be-
cause they had drowned his poor wife, and
threatened to have the lord and his servants
tried for what they had done. His lordship
begged him to be easy, and offered to give
him the coach and horses, servants and all
SO the countryman after long time let him
self be appeased a little, took what thew
gave, got into the coach and set off towards
his own home again.
AS ne came near, the neighbours wonder
ed much at the beautiful coach and horses.
and still more when they stopped, and Pee
VIII got out at his own door. Then he told
them the whole story which only vexed
them still more; so they took him and fast
ened him up in tub, and were going to
throw him into the lake which was hard bv.
Whilst they were rolling the tub on before
them towards the water, they stopped at an
ale house to refresh themselves little be-
fore they put an end to Pee-wit meantime
they tied the tub to a tree and there thew
lett it, while they were enjoying themselves
within doors.
| Pee-Wit no sooner found himself alone
than he began to turn over in his mind how
he should get free. He listened, and soon
heard Ba, Ba from flock of sheep and
lambs that were coming by. Then he lifted
up his voice and shouted out, 81 will not be
made burgomaster; will not be mad. bur-
gomaster, I say" The shepherd hearing
this, went up and said, "what is all this
noise about?' 49," said Pee-wit, "mv
neighbours will make me burgomaster
against my will; and when I told them I
would not agree, they put me into the cask
and are going to throw me into the lake, -
| should like very well to be burgomaster,
I if / were you," said the shepherd. "Open
the cask them" said the other, "and let me
out, and get in yourself, and they will make
you burgomaster instead ofme." No sooner
said than done ; the shepherd was in, Pee
wit was out, and as there. was nobody to
take care Of the shepherds flock, he drove
it off merrily towards his own house.
When the neighbours came out of the
alehouse, they rolled the cask on, and the
shepherd began to cry ont 81 aoiU be bur-
gomaster now aOiH be burgomaster now"
81 dare say you will, but you shall take a
swim first" said a neighbour, who gave the
oask the last push over the lake. This done,
away they went home merrily, leaving the
shepherd to get out as well as he could.
But as they came in at one side of the
village, who should they meet coming in the
other way but Pee-wit, driving a fine flock
of sheep and lambs before him. Chow
came you here ?" said all with one voice.
sob, the lake is enchanted" said he !:
l"When you threw me in, sunk deep and
deep into the water, till at last I came to
the bottom; there I knocked out the bot
tom of the cask and found myself in beau
tiful meadow with fine focks grazing upon
it, so chose few for myself, and here
am" "Cannot we have some too" said
they. "Why not /? there are hundreds and
thousands left. You have nothing to do but
Jump in and fetch them out"
! So all agreed they would dive for sheep
the justice first, then the clerk, then the
constables, and then the rest of the parish,
one after the other. When they came to
the side of the lake, the blue sky was COW
cred with little white clouds like flock of
sheep, and all were reflected in the clear
water; so that they called out, "There
they are, there they are already" and fear
ing lest the justice should get every thing,
they jumped in all at once; and Pee-wit
logged home, and made himself happy with
what he had got, leaving them to find their
Aocks by themselves, as we'll as they could.
A RAWDON BEAR.