DXCVI.
"An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. 'What,' said she, 'shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market, and buy a little pig.' As she was coming home, she came to a stile: the piggy would not go over the stile.
"She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog, 'Dog! bite pig; piggy won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home to-night.' But the dog would not.
"She went a little further, and she met a stick. So she said, 'Stick! stick! beat dog; dog won't bite pig; piggy won't get over the stile; and I shan't get home to-night.' But the stick would not.
"She went a little further, and she met a fire. So she said, 'Fire! fire! burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig,' (and so forth, always repeating the foregoing words.) But the fire would not.
"She went a little further, and she met some water. So she said, 'Water! water! quench fire; fire won't burn stick,' &c. But the water would not.
"She went a little further, and she met an ox. So she said, 'Ox! ox! drink water; water won't quench fire' &c. But the ox would not.
"She went a little further, and she met a butcher. So she said, 'Butcher! butcher! kill ox; ox won't drink water,' &c. But the butcher would not.