irlin' round so
fast.

"What's my name?" that says, as that gonned her the skeins.

"Is that Solomon?" she says, pretendin' to be a-feard.

"Noo, tain't," that says, an' that come fudder inter the room.

"Well, is that Zebedee?" says she agin.

"Noo, tain't," says the impet. An' then that laughed an' twirled that's
tail till yew cou'n't hardly see it.

"Take time, woman," that says; "next guess, an' you're mine." An' that
stretched out that's black hands at her.

Well, she backed a step or two, an' she looked at it, and then she
laughed out, an' says she, a pointin' of her finger at it:

"Nimmy, nimmy not,
Yar name's Tom Tit Tot."

Well, when that hard her, that shruck awful an' awa' that flew into the
dark, an' she niver saw it noo more.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 8: An old Suffolk tale, given in the dialect of East Anglia.]

XX

THE PEASANT STORY OF NAPOLEON

[Goguelet, an old soldier who fought under Napoleon, tells the
story of his wonderful General and Emperor to a group of eager
listeners in the country doctor's barn.]

You see, my friends, Napoleon was born in Corsica, a French island,
warmed by the sun of Italy, where it is like a furnace, and where the
people kill each other, from father to son, all about nothing: that's a
way they have. To begin with the marvel of the thing--his mother, who
was the handsomest woman of her time, and a knowing one, bethought
herself of dedicating him to God, so that he might escape the dangers of
his childhood and future life; for she had dreamed that the world was
set on fire the day he was born. And, indeed, it was a prophecy! So she
asked God to protect him, on condition that Napoleon should restore His
holy religion, which was then cast to the ground. Well, that was agreed
upon, and we shall see what came of it.

"Follow me closely, and tell me if what you hear is in the nature or
man.

"Sure and certain it is that none but a man who conceived the idea of
making a compact with God could have passed unhurt through the enemy's
lines, through cannon-balls, and discharges of grape-shot that swept the
rest of us off like flies, and always respected his head. I had proof of
that--I myself--at Eylau. I see him now, as he rode up a height, took
his field-glass, looked at the battle, and said, 'All goes well.' One of
those plumed busybodies, who plagued him considerably and followed him
everywhere, even to his meals, so they said, th