OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1640, 28 April 1883, Page 27

OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

Jack and the Crow. (By D. L. P., in the New York Tribune.)

As Jack, old Mother Goose's bod, was going home one day he saw the Carrion Crow laughing as though he would shake his feathers off. " What's the matter?" asked Jack,

"I am laughing at the old Tailor," answered the Crow. "He called to his wife to bring him his long cross-bow so that he might shoot me, but instead of hitting me he has killed his old son, and now he is oalling for brandy in a spoon, as his old son has fallen in a swoon. '

" Serve him right," said Jack ; and from that time Jack and the Crow were firm friends. The Crow concluded to live with Jack, for he was a great admirer of the wonderful champion that had killed so many giants. That was the way Jack came to have the Carrion Crow ; and his having the Crow was the reason why several other things happened that lam going to tell about. Jack, after a while, began to mope about the house, and Mother Goose, his mother, began to feel anxious.

" I know what's the matter with Jack," said the Crow.

" Here, Jack," said Mother Goose, "run and see if you can't find another golden egg; you'll have quite a pile of them soon." After Jack had gone, Mother Goose said to the Crow : " Now, what's the matter with Jack?"

" He's in love with the beautiful daughter of Old King Cole," answered the Crow. " Nonsense," exclaimed Mother Goose, "he never saw her."

" I know that," answered the Crow ; " but then I've talked so much about her to him that he's in love with her all the same."

" Better keep your chattering tongue still," cried Mother Gpose. " Don't you see you have made the boy sick ?" " I know what will cure him," replied the bird.

"Theft tell," said Mother Goose. ' The quickest way to cure him is to have him marry Old King Cole's beautiful daughter," said the Crow.

" What sort of a man is Old King Cole ?" she asked. " Old King Cole is a jolly old soul, And a jolly old soul is he ; He calls tor his pise, and he calls for his bowl, And he calls for his fiddlers three." sang the Crow. "Then he must be the right sort of a man for a father-in-law," said Mother Goose. *' Yes," said the Crow. "Ho has Christmas three times a week, and it's Thanksgiving all the other days in his country." " Better and better," cried .Mother Goose. " But what must we do in order that Jack may marry tho old fellow's daughter ?" " 1 will manage that," replied the Crow. " Jack has some golden egga, hasn't ho?" " Yea," responded tho old lady, " and a goose that lays one every day." " Very well," said the bird. "Do you make a Setrons: bag, and sew up as many eggs in it as you can, and leave the rest of the business to me."

Mother Goose knew that the Crow was a wise old bird, and had no doubt that he could do all he promised, so she got a stout leather brg and put all the golden eggs in it she could find.

"Corno, Jack," tsaid the Crow, "we must first see tho Owl that lives near the three roada ; after that wo must pay tha Black Sheep a visit." They found the Owl fast asleep in a hollow of a big oak tree, and they woka him up,

" Why did you wake me!" cried the 0 wl ; "I was having a splendid dream." " What were you dreaming about?" asked the Crow.

" I thought I had caught a nice fat mouse and I was just going to eat him up when you woke me. So you see you have deprived me of a nice dinner."

"I am very sorry,' said the Crow; "but here ia Jack, that wants me to find out the way to Old King Cole's country ; he'B going to marry the King's daughter." " Oh, if that's so, it doesn't matter," replied the Owl; "all that he has to do is to follow his noso." " Thank you," said the Crow. " That doesn't help us niuoh," cried Jack, ruefully. " Oh, yes it does," replied the Grow ; the Owl knows what he is about ; which way was your nose pointing when he said that ? " "To the west, answered Jack. " Then go West, young man," said the Crow ; and that was undoubtedly the way people got to using that celebrated expression. "And now for the Black Sheep," continued the Crow ; so ho and Jack went to where tho Black Sheep lived, and the Crow cried : Baa, baa, Black Sheep, have you any wool ? Yes, kind master, three bags full ; One for my master, one for his dame, And one tor the little boy that runs in the lane, — sang the Sheep. " Well, I'll take them allj" the Crow said ; " here's Jack, he's got to have some new clothes to go travelling in, and his mother must weave some cloth and make him a suit of clothes out of this wool."

" What is he going to travel for ?" asked the good-natured Sheep. "Tell him, Jack," said the Crow. Then Jack began to sing : When I was a little boy I lived by myself, And all the bread anJ cheeßa I got I pui upon my ehelf ; But the rafcs and the mice, They made such a htrifo.

I have got to go to London to get me a wife.

" That's so," said the Crow, " only instead of going to London he'a going to Old King Colo's country, to marry his daughter." " Good," cried the Sheep, " maybe you will be king yourself some day, and then I'd like to be Prime Minister."

" Let us have the wool, and you shall be," said the Crow ; and he and Jack carried the bag to Mother Goose, who made a nice new suit for Jack, and in a few days he and the Crow started on their journey.