s he, and away
he goes.

Well, every day the flax and the food were brought, and every day that
there little black impet used to come mornings and evenings. And all the
day the girl sat trying to think of names to say to it when it came at
night. But she never hit on the right one. And as it got towards the end
of the month, the impet began to look so maliceful, and that twirled
that's tail faster and faster each time she gave a guess.

At last it came to the last day but one. The impet came at night along
with the five skeins, and that said, "What, ain't you got my name yet?"
"Is that Nicodemus?" says she. "Noo, 't ain't," that says. "Is that
Sammle?" says she. "Noo, 't ain't," that says. "A-well, is that
Methusalem?" says she. "Noo, 't ain't that neither," that says.

Then that looks at her with that's eyes like a coal o' fire, and that
says, "Woman, there's only to-morrow night, and then you'll be mine!"
And away it flew.

Well, she felt that horrid. However she heard the king coming along the
passage. In he came, and when he sees the five skeins, says he, "Well,
my dear, I don't see but what you'll have your skeins ready to-morrow
night as well and as I reckon I shan't have to kill you, I'll have
supper in here to-night." So they brought supper and another stool for
him, and down the two sat.

Well, he hadn't eaten but a mouthful or so, when he stops and begins to
laugh.

"What is it?" says she.

"A-why," says he, "I was out a-hunting to-day, and I got away to a place
in the wood I'd never seen before. And there was an old chalk-pit. And I
heard a kind of a sort of humming. So I got off my hobby, and I went
right quiet to the pit, and I looked down. Well, what should there be
but the funniest little black thing you ever set eyes on. And what was
that doing, but that had a little spinning-wheel, and that was spinning
wonderful fast, and twirling that's tail. And as that span that sang:

"Nimmy nimmy not
My name's Tom Tit Tot."

Well, when the girl heard this, she felt as if she could have jumped out
of her skin for joy, but she didn't say a word.

Next day that there little thing looked so maliceful when he came for
the flax. And when night came she heard that knocking against the window
panes. She oped the window, and that come right in on the ledge. That
was grinning from ear to ear, and Oo! that's tail was twirling round so
fast.

"What's my name?" that says, as that gave her the ske