Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-01-28
MISCELLANY.
WELL DONE AND I'LL PAID.
From Dasent's Tales from the Morse.


Once on time there was man, who had to
drive his sedye to the wood for fuel. So bear
met him.
"Out with your horse" said the Bear, cor
I'll strike all your sheep dead by summer"
"Oh heaven help me them" said the man;
"there's not a stick of frewood in the house; you
must let me drive home a load of fuel, else we
shall be frozen to death. I'll bring the horse
to YOU tomorrow morning.
Yes on these terms he might drive the wood
home, that was bargain; but Bruin said. sit
he didn't come back he should lose all his sheep
by summer"
So the man got the wood on the sedge and
ratified homewards, but he wasn't over pleased
at the bargain you may fancy. So just then a
fox met him.
ooh, if you want to know" said the man,
~ met bear up yonder in the wood, and had
to give my word to him to bring Dobbin back
tomorrow, at this very hour; Tor if he didn't
get him. he said he would tetr all my sheep to
death by summer"
"Stuff. nothing worse than that" said the
Fox; "if you'll give me your latest wether,
I'll soon set you free; see it don't"
Yes the man gave his word, and swore he
would keep it too.
"Well, when you come with Dobbin to-mor-
row for the bear" said the Fox "I'll make
clatter up in that heap of stones yonder, and so
when the bear asks what that noise is, you must
say It's Peter the Marksman, who is the best
shot in the world; and after that you must help
yourself"
Next day off set the man, and when he met
the Bear, something began to make CHATTER up
in the heap Of stones
"lIist what's thatP" said the Bear.
"Oh that's Peter the Marksman, to he sure"
said the man; shes the best shot in the world,
know him by his voice"
"Have you seen any bears about here, Eric?"
shouted out voice in the wood.
"Say, no !" said the Bear.
"No, haven't seen any" said Eric.
"Whats that then, that stands alongside your
sedge?" bawled out the voice in the wood.
Say it's an old fir-stump," said the Bear
"Oh, it's only an old fir-stunip,' said the man.
"Such fir-stumps We take in our country and
roll them on our sledges," bawled out the voice;
"if you can't do it yourself, I'll come and help
YOU"
"Say YOU can help yourself, and roll me up
on the sledge," said the Bear.
"No, thank We, l can help myself well enough"
said the man, and rolled the Bear on TO the
sledge.
'Such fr-stumps we always bind fast on oul
sledges in our part of the world bawled out
the voice; "shall come and help you?"
"Say you can help yourself, and bind me fast,
do" said the Bear.
''No, thanks, can help myself well enough"
said the man, who set to binding Bruin fast with
all the ropes he had, so that at last the Beal
couldn't stir paw.
"Such fir-stumps we always drive our axes
into, in our part of the world" bawled out the
voice; "for then we guide them better going
down the steep hill"
"Pretend to drive your axe into me, do now, -
sail the Bear.
Then the man took up his axe, and at one
blow split the bears skull, so that Bruin lay
dend in tiice, and so the man and the Fox
were great friends, and ON the hest TERMS Bur
when they came near the farm, the Fox said:-
"Tve no mind to go rig.t home with you. foi
can't say like yuur tlkes; so I'll just wal
here, and you can bring the wather to me- bu,
mind and pick out one nice and tat"
Yes the man would he sure to do that, ant
thanked the fox much for his help. So whel
he had put up Dobbin, he went across to tn,
sheep-stall.
"WhiIher away nowP" asked his old dame
"Oh!" said the man, "Im only going to tn,
sheep-stall to fetch fat wether for that CUNNING
Fox who set our Dobbn Tree. | give him NJ
word would"
"Wether, indeed" said the old dame; "peve
one shall that thief of Fox get. Haven't
we got Dobbin safe and the bear into the bar
gam anu as ior the FOX, ii ne pound ne sto
len more of our geese than the weher is worth
and even if he hasn't stolen them, he will. No
no; take brace of your swiftest hounds in t
sack, and slip them loose after him; and then
perhaps, we shall be rid of this roLbing Rey
nard."
Well, the man thought that good advice; S,
he took two fleet red hounds, put them into ;
SACK and set off with them"
"Have you brought the wether!" said tn,
Fox.
"Yes come and take it," said the man, as h,
united the sack and let slip the hounds.
"HUF." said the Fox, and gave grea
spring; "true it is what the old saw says, 'Wel
done is often ill paid;' and now, too, | see thu
truth of another saying, The worst foes arr
those of ones own house," That was wha
the Fox said as he ran off, and saw the red fox,
hounds at his heels