“Chop him into pieces,” said another. “Not so,” said another; “let us drown him.”
“Be it so,” said all. And they went to another pond, and cast the eel into the pond. “Lie there and shift for yourself, for no help thou shalt have from us”; and they left the eel to drown.
OF SENDING RENT
Once on a time the men of Gotham had forgotten to pay their landlord. One said to the other: “To-morrow is our pay-day, and whom shall we find to send our money to our landlord?”
The one said: “This day I have caught a hare, and he shall carry it, for he is light of foot.”
“Be it so,” said all; “he shall have a letter and a purse to put our money in, and we shall direct him the right way.” So when the letters were written and the money put in a purse, they tied it round the hare’s neck, saying: “First you go to Lancaster, then you must go to Loughborough, and Newarke is our landlord, and commend us to him, and there are his dues.”
The hare, as soon as he was out of their hands, ran on along the country way. Some cried: “You must go to Lancaster first.”
“Let the hare alone,” said another; “he can tell a nearer way than the best of us all. Let him go.”
Another said: “It is a subtle hare, let him alone; he will not keep the highway for fear of dogs.”