The Strange Visitor
:
HALLOWEEN
:
Good Stories For Great Holidays
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, sm
ll 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 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.)
"How did you get such small, small legs?" "AIH-H-H!--late--and
WEE-E-E-moul!" (WHININGLY.)
"How did you get such thick, thick knees?" "Much praying, much praying!"
(PIOUSLY.)
"How did you get such thin, thin thighs?" "Aih-h-h!--late--and
wee-e-e-moul!" (WHININGLY.)
"How did you get such big, big hips?" "Much sitting, much sitting!"
(GRUFFLY.)
"How did you get such a wee, wee waist?" "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.)
"How did you get such small arms?" "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.)
"How did you get such a small, small neck?" "Aih-h-h!--late--and
wee-e-e-moul!" (PITIFULLY.)
"How did you get such a huge, huge head?" "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.)