“How should we not weep, little father,” answered they, “when thou thyself hast ordered the labourer to make mock of us?”
“To make mock of ye?”
“Didst not order us to yield it to him?”
“And why not? I ordered ye to give him a shovel.”
“A shovel? He hath dishonoured us! He hath taken our virginity!”
When the priest heard this, he fell into a mighty rage, seized a stake, and ran headlong to the kitchen garden. The labourer perceived the priest approaching with a stake. Wretched mischance! He hurled the shovel from him and took to his heels. The priest sped after him, but the labourer was the more agile, and vanished from the sight of the priest.
Then went the priest in search of his labourer, and in his search he encountered a peasant.
“Good day, friend,” said the priest.
“Good day, little father,” answered the peasant.
“Hast encountered my labourer?”