"'That'll do the thing, Huldy,' said the Parson.
"'I don't know about it,' says Huldy.
"'Oh, yes, it will, child; I understand,' says he.
"Just as he spoke, the basket riz up and stood, and they could see old Tom's long legs.
"'I'll make him stay down, confound him,' says the Parson, for you see, parsons is men, like the rest on us, and the Doctor had got his spunk up.
"'You jist hold him a minute, and I'll get something that'll make him stay, I guess; and out he went to the fence and brought in a long, thin, flat stone, and laid it on old Tom's back.
"'Oh, my eggs!' says Huldy. 'I'm afraid he's smashed 'em!'
"And sure enough, there they was, smashed flat enough under the stone.
"'I'll have him killed,' said the Parson. 'We won't have such a critter 'round.'
"Wall next week, Huldy, she jist borrowed the minister's horse and side-saddle and rode over to South Parish to her Aunt Bascome's— Widder Bascome's, you know, that lives there by the trout-brook—and got a lot o' turkey eggs o' her, and come back and set a hen on 'em, and said nothin'; and in good time there was as nice a lot o' turkey- chicks as ever ye see.