TWELVE FEET OF NOSE.[1]
There was a poor old father, who was very poor indeed, and very old. When he came to die, he called his three sons round his bed, and said they must summon a notary to make his will. The sons looked at each other, and thought he was doating. He repeated his desire, and then one of them ventured to say:
‘But father, dear, why should we go to the expense of calling in a notary; there is not a single thing on earth you have to leave us!’
But the old man told them again to call a notary, and still they hesitated, because they thought the notary would say they were making game of him.
At last the old man began to get angry when he found they would not do as he said, and, just not to vex him in his last moments, they called the notary, and the notary brought his witnesses.
Then the father was content, and called them all to his bedside.
‘Now, pull out the old case under the bed, and take out what you find there.’
They found an old broken hat, without a brim, a ragged purse that was so worn you could not have trusted any money in its keeping, and a horn.[2]
These three things he bequeathed in due form of law, one to each of his sons; and it was only because they saw that the man was in his death agony that those who were called to act as witnesses could keep from laughing. To the notary, of course, it was all one whether it was an old hat or a new one, his part was the same, and when he had done what was needful, he went his way, and the witnesses went with him; but as they went out, they said one to another: