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 | HALLOWEEN
[OCTOBER 31] Good stories for great holidays : arranged for story-telling and
reading aloud and for the children's own reading |  |
THE STRANGE VISITOR
AN ENGLISH FOLK-TALE
BY JOSEPH JACOBS
A WOMAN was sitting at her reel one night; and still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of broad, broad soles, and sat down
at the fireside!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of small, small legs, and sat down on the broad, broad soles!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of thick, thick knees, and sat down on the small, small legs!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of thin, thin thighs, and sat down on the thick, thick knees!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of huge, huge hips, and sat down on the thin, thin thighs!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of small, small legs, and sat down on the broad, broad soles!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of thick, thick knees, and sat down on the small, small legs!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of thin, thin thighs, and sat down on the thick, thick knees!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of huge, huge hips, and sat down on the thin, thin thighs!
259
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she
wished for company.
In came a wee, wee waist, and sat down on the huge, huge hips!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of broad, broad shoulders, and sat down on the wee, wee waist!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of small, small arms, and sat down on the broad, broad shoulders!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of huge, huge hands, and sat down on the small, small arms!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a small, small neck, and sat down on the broad, broad shoulders!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a huge, huge head, and sat down on the small, small neck! .........
“How did you get such broad, broad feet?” quoth the Woman.
“Much tramping, much tramping!” [gruffly.]
In came a wee, wee waist, and sat down on the huge, huge hips!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of broad, broad shoulders, and sat down on the wee, wee waist!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of small, small arms, and sat down on the broad, broad shoulders!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a pair of huge, huge hands, and sat down on the small, small arms!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a small, small neck, and sat down on the broad, broad shoulders!
And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company.
In came a huge, huge head, and sat down on the small, small neck! .........
“How did you get such broad, broad feet?” quoth the Woman.
“Much tramping, much tramping!” [gruffly.]
260
“How did you get such small, small legs?”
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“How did you get such thick, thick knees?”
“Much praying, much praying!” [piously.]
“Much praying, much praying!” [piously.]
“How did you get such thin, thin thighs?”
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“How did you get such big, big hips?”
“Much sitting, much sitting!” [gruffly.]
“Much sitting, much sitting!” [gruffly.]
“How did you get such a wee, wee waist?”
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“How did you get such broad, broad shoulders?”
“With carrying broom, with carrying broom!” [gruffly.]
“With carrying broom, with carrying broom!” [gruffly.]
“How did you get such small arms?”
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [whiningly.]
“How did you get such huge, huge hands?”
“Threshing with an iron flail! Threshing with an iron flail!” [gruffly.]
“Threshing with an iron flail! Threshing with an iron flail!” [gruffly.]
261
“How did you get such a small, small neck?”
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [pitifully.]
“Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul!” [pitifully.]
“How did you get such a huge, huge head?”
“Much knowledge, much knowledge!” [keenly.]
“Much knowledge, much knowledge!” [keenly.]
“What do you come for?”
“FOR YOU! ! !” [at the top of the voice, with a wave of the arms and a stamp of the feet.]
“FOR YOU! ! !” [at the top of the voice, with a wave of the arms and a stamp of the feet.]
| HALLOWEEN
[OCTOBER 31] Good stories for great holidays : arranged for story-telling and
reading aloud and for the children's own reading | |