Deulin Charles
Johnny Nut and the Golden Goose
CHAPTER V
NOW, in the tavern were Tuné, the tailor, with a coat he had made for a customer, and Nanasse, and Polydore, and Rumble his dog, four of the wildest wags in that country-side.
Tuné went out of the tavern to see what kind of night it was, and there was the sack and something in it that moved. So he opened the sack, and what should he find but a pretty tall maid, trussed like a fowl.
Well, he let her out and she told him all about it, and, as she was not dying to marry our Johnny, off she ran to her own village as hard as she could go.
'What am I to fill the sack with?' thought Tuné. 'By George, I'll put in Polydore's yellow dog, Rumble.'
So he whistled to Rumble and put him in the sack.
By this time Johnny had finished his ale, and he came out, hoisted the sack on his shoulder, and marched away without asking questions. Tune followed at a little distance, and, as Rumble knew a friend was there, why, he entered into the fun and said never a bark.
At last Johnny reached Hergnies, and where should he go to but to the parson's, of course, to get married! Then it occurred to him that he had never asked the maid if she would have him! He put down the sack and opened it.
'I say, maid,' quoth he, 'shall us get married, us two?'
'G-r-r-r-r-r-r!' says the maid.
Johnny, in a fright, let go his hold of the cord, the sack fell open, out jumped Rumble, and flew at his throat.
Johnny sprang into a willow-tree and climbed up it, but, lo and behold! the tree was rotten, and down came tree and Johnny and all on the back of Rumble! Now, Rumble was expecting nothing of that sort, and, with one wild yowl, he flew away like the wind, and never stopped till the town gates of Condé were closed behind him!
CHAPTER VI
WHEN once the voice of Rumble was lost in the distance, Johnny climbed out of the tree and found that none of his bones were broken.
All of a sudden in the hollow of the tree trunk he saw something shining like a will o' the wisp.
He put in his hands and pulled out A Goose with Golden Feathers!
'Here's luck at last,' says Johnny, 'I've lost a maid and found a golden goose! I'll have it roasted this very night,' and off he went to the best inn in the village.
Now the inn was full of people going to the fair on St. Calixtus's day, which was a great festival.
However, Johnny, being but a village idiot, had never heard anything about all that.
Up he comes and goes to the landlord, who didn't know where to turn, he had so many customers, all going to the fair.
'Cook my goose!' says Johnny, as bold as brass.
'Oh, you go to – Jerusalem,' says the landlord, 'we don't cook gold geese here, not to-day, we don't.'
'Well, if you won't be obliging and cook my goose,' says Johnny Nut, 'why, I'll give it to Saint Calixtus. A pretty poor saint he'll be if he does not give me a goose fit to put on the spit in exchange for my goose of gold!'
So he got supper somehow, and went with his goose to sleep in the stable.