News!

MR. G. Ha! Steward, how are you, my old boy? How do things go on at home?

STEWARD. Bad enough, your honour; the magpie's dead!

MR. G. Poor mag! so he's gone. How came he to die?

STEWARD. Over-ate himself, Sir.

MR. G. Did he indeed? a greedy dog. Why, what did he get that he liked so well?

STEWARD. Horseflesh; he died of eating horseflesh.

MR. G. How came he to get so much horseflesh?

STEWARD. All your father's horses, Sir.

MR. G. What! are they dead too?

STEWARD. Ay, Sir; they died of over-work.

MR. G. And why were they over-worked?

STEWARD. To carry water, Sir.

MR. G. To carry water, and what were they carrying water for?

STEWARD. Sure, Sir, to put out the fire.

MR. G. Fire! what fire?

STEWARD. Your father's house is burned down to the ground.

MR. G. My father's house burnt down! and how came it to be on fire?

STEWARD. I think, Sir, it must have been the torches.

MR G. Torches! what torches?

STEWARD. At your mother's funeral.

MR. G. My mother dead?

STEWARD. Ay, poor lady, she never looked up after it.

MR. G. After what?

STEWARD. The loss of your father.

MR. G. My father gone too?

STEWARD. Yes, poor gentleman, he took to his bed as soon as he heard of it.

MR. G. Heard of what?

STEWARD. The bad news, an' it please your honour.

MR. G. What? more miseries, more bad news!

STEWARD. Yes, Sir, your bank has failed, your credit is lost and you're not worth a shilling in the world. I make bold, Sir, to come and wait on you about it; for I thought you would like to hear the news.

There lived a Puddock in a well,

And a merry Mousie in a mill.

Puddock he would a-wooing rid

Sword and pistol by his side.

Puddock came to the Mousie's inn,

"Mistress Mousie, are you within?"

MOUSIE.

"Yes, kind Sir, I am within,

Softly do I sit and spin."

PUDDOCK.

"Madam, I am come to woo,

Marriage I must have of you."

MOUSIE.

"Marriage I will grant you none

Till Uncle Ratton he comes home."

PUDDOCK.

"See, Uncle Ratton's now come in

Then go and bask the bride within."

Who is it that sits next the wall

But Lady Mousie both slim and small?

Who is it that sits next the bride

But Lord Puddock with yellow side?

But soon came Duckie and with her Sir Drake;

Duckie takes Puddock and makes him squeak.

Then came in the old carl cat

With a fiddle on his back:

"Do ye any music lack?"

Puddock he swam down the brook,

Sir Drake he catched him in his fluke.

The cat he pulled Lord Ratton down,

The kittens they did claw his crown.

But Lady Mousie, so slim and small,

Crept into a hole beneath the wall;

"Squeak," quoth she, "I'm out of it all."