“The moral, however, was hardly so polite as that now attached to the story; for the monk boldly headed his tale with this inscription:
“‘Of women who not only betray secrets and lie fearfully.’”
“Pray let us hear the original Joe Miller,” said Thompson.
“Here then you have,” replied Lathom, “the original—
“Tale that will raise the question, I suppose,
What can the meaning be of three black crows?”
THE THREE BLACK CROWS.
Once upon a time, there lived two brothers, the one a cleric, the other a layman. The former was always saying that no woman could keep a secret, and as his brother was married, he bade him test the truth of this assertion on his own wife. The layman agreed; and one night, when they were alone, he said, with a sorrowful face, to his spouse:
“My dear wife, a most dreadful secret hangs over me; oh that I could divulge it to you; but no, I dare not; you never could keep it, and, if once divulged, my reputation is gone.”
“Fear not, love,” rejoined the wife; “are we not one body and one mind? Is not your advantage my benefit, and your injury my loss?”