Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-05-15

would find plenty of grassby our pal
ings, and in the winterwe could keep
him in the room with us. Perhaps
it would be more practical to have a
sheep instead of a COW. Shall we ex-
change ?"
The man with the sheep was quite
ready, and the bargain was struck.
So the peasant went on in the high
road with his sheep.
Soon he overlook another man,
who came into the road from a field,
carrying great goose under his arm.
"That's heavy thing you have
there. 1t has plenty of feathers and
plenty offat, andwould look well tied
to string, and padding in the water
at our place. That would be some
thing for my old woman; she could
make all kinds Of profit out Of it.
How often she has said, if we only
had goose? Now, perhaps, she can
have one; and, if possible, it shall be
hers. Shall we exchange? I'll give
you my sheep for your goose, and
thank you in the bargain"
The other man had not the least
objection, and accordingly they eX-
changed, and our peasant became
proprietor of the goose.
BY this time he was very near the
town. The crowd on the high-road
became greater and greater; there
was quite crush of men and cattle.
They walked in the road, and close
by the palings, and at the barrier they
even walked into the toll-man's po-
tato field, where his own fowl was
strutting about, with a string to its
leg, lest it should take fright at the
crowd, and stray away, and so be
lost. This fowl had short tail feath-
ers, and winked with both its eyes,
and looked very cunning. "Cluck,
cluck !" said the fowl. What it
thought when it said this / cannot
tell you; but directly our good man
saw it, he thought, "That's the finest
fowl I've ever seen in my life! Why,
it's finer than our parsons brood hen.
On my word, / should like to have
that fowl. A fowl can always find a
grain or two, and can always keep it.
self. / think it would be a good eX-
change if could get that for my
goose"
"Shall we exchange? he asked the
toll-keeper.
"EXchangew repeated the man;
"well, that wouldnot be bad thing"
And so they exchanged; the toll
keeper at the barrier kept the goose,
and the peasant carried away the
fowl.
Now, he had done good deal of
business on his way to the fair, and
he was hot and tired. He wanted
something to eat, and glass of BRAN
dy to drink ; and soon hew in front
Of the inn. He was just about to step
in, when the hostler came out, so
they met at the door. The hostler
was carrying a sack.
"What have you in that sack p"
asked the peasant.
"Rottenapples," answered the host
Ter; ia wholesackful ofthem-enough
to feed the pigs with"
"Why, that's terrible waste! l
should like to take them to my old
woman at home. Last year the old
tree by the turf-hole only bore sin
gle apple, and we kept it on the cup
board till it was quite rotton and
: spoilt. 1T was always property my
old woman said; but here she could
t see a quantity of property-a whole
sackful. Yes, l shall beglad to show
them to her."
"What will you give me for the
t sackful ?" asked the hostler.
r "What will l give? | will give
my fowl in exchange"
And he gave the fowl accordingly,
| and received the apples, which he
carried into the guest-room. He
: leaned the sack carefully by the stove
r and then went to the table. But the
: stove was hottie had not thought Of
: that. Many guests were present
horse-dealers, ox-herds, and two Eng
: lishmen--and the two Englishmer
e were so rich that their pockets bulgeC
: out with gold coins, andalmost burst
and they could bet, too, as you shall
> hear.
a Hiss-s-s! hiss-s-s! What was thai
e by the stove? The apples were be
ginning to roast!
y "Nhat is that?"
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