e yourself.

The attack was a mere pretence, however: the moment had not come to
violate the laws of etiquette. If they could succeed, by prowling about
the house, in finding an unguarded passage, any opening whatsoever, they
could try to gain an entrance by surprise, and then, if the bearer of
the spit succeeded in placing his bird in front of the fire, that
constituted a taking possession of the hearth-stone, the comedy was at
an end, and the bridegroom was victor.

But the entrances to the house were not so numerous that they were
likely to have neglected the usual precautions, and no one would have
assumed the right to employ violence before the moment fixed for the
conflict.

When they were weary of jumping about and shouting, the hemp-beater
meditated a capitulation. He went back to his window, opened it
cautiously, and hailed the discomfited besiegers with a roar of
laughter:

"Well, my boys," he said, "you're pretty sheepish, aren't you? You
thought that nothing could be easier than to break in here, and you
have discovered that our defences are strong. But we are beginning to
have pity on you, if you choose to submit and accept our conditions."

THE GRAVE-DIGGER.

Speak, my good friends; tell us what we must do to be admitted to your
fireside.

THE HEMP-BEATER.

You must sing, my friends, but sing some song that we don't know, and
that we can't answer with a better one.

"Never you fear!" replied the grave-digger, and he sang in a powerful
voice:

"'_Tis six months since the spring-time_,"

"_When I walked upon the springing grass_," replied the hemp-beater, in
a somewhat hoarse but awe-inspiring voice. "Are you laughing at us, my
poor fellows, that you sing us such old trash? you see that we stop you
at the first word."

"_It was a prince's daughter_--"

"_And she would married be_" replied the hemp-beater. "Go on, go on to
another! we know that a little too well."

THE GRAVE-DIGGER.

What do you say to this:

"_When from Nantes I was returning_--"

THE HEMP-BEATER.

"_I was weary, do you know! oh! so weary_." That's a song of my
grandmother's day. Give us another one.

THE GRAVE-DIGGER.

"_The other day as I was walking_--"

THE HEMP-BEATER.

"_Along by yonder charming wood_!" That's a silly one! Our grandchildren
wouldn't take the trouble to answer you! What! are those all you know?

THE GRAVE-DIGGER.

Oh! we'll sing you so many of them, that you will end by s