“I charge you all to meet me near the market-place,” cried he; and when the fellow came to the market to meet his cheeses, he stayed there till the market was nearly done.  Then he went about to inquire of his friends and neighbours, and other men, if they did see his cheeses come to the market.

“Who should bring them?” said one of the market men.

“Marry, themselves,” said the fellow; “they know the way well enough.”

He said, “A vengeance on them all.  I did fear, to see them run so fast, that they would run beyond the market.  I am now fully persuaded that they must be now almost at York.”  Whereupon he forthwith hired a horse to ride to York, to seek his cheeses where they were not; but to this day no man can tell him of his cheeses.

[Illustration:  And they left the eel to drown]

OF DROWNING EELS

When Good Friday came, the men of Gotham cast their heads together what to do with their white herrings, their red herrings, their sprats, and other salt fish.  One consulted with the other, and agreed that such fish should be cast into their pond (which was in the middle of the town), that they might breed against the next year, and every man that had salt fish left cast them into the pool.

“I have many white herrings,” said one.

“I have many sprats,” said another.

“I have many red herrings,” said the other.

“I have much salt fish.  Let all go into the pond or pool, and we shall fare like lords next year.”

At the beginning of next year following the men drew near the pond to have their fish, and there was nothing but a great eel.  “Ah,” said they all, “a mischief on this eel, for he has eaten up all our fish.”

“What shall we do to him?” said one to the other.

“Kill him,” said one.

“Chop him into pieces,” said another.

“Not so,” said another; “let us drown him.”

“Be it so,” said all.  And they went to another pond, and cast the eel into the pond.  “Lie there and shift for yourself, for no help thou shalt have from us”; and they left the eel to drown.

[Illustration:  The hare ran on along the country way]

OF SENDING RENT

Once on a time the men of Gotham had forgotten to pay their landlord.  One said to the other, “To-morrow is our pay-day, and what shall we find to send our money to our landlord?”

The one said, “This day I have caught a hare, and he shall carry it, for he is light of foot.”

“Be it so,” said all; “he shall have a letter and a purse to put our money in, and we shall direct him the right way.”  So when the letters were written and the money put in a purse, they tied it round the hare’s neck, saying, “First you go to Lancaster, then thou must go to Loughborough, and Newarke is our landlord, and commend us to him, and there is his dues.”