ney, he was ax'd to do
nothing; but in the coorse of the evening, the dark chap brought
him into a long, frightful room, where there were three hundred and
sixty-five hooks sticking out of the wall, and on every hook but one
a man's head. When Jack saw this agreeable sight, his dinner began
to quake within him; but he felt himself still worse, when his master
pointed to the empty hook, saying, 'Now, Jack, your business to-morrow
is to clane out a stable that wasn't claned for the last seven years,
and if you don't have it finished before dusk--do you see that hook?'

"'Ye--yes,' replied Jack, hardly able to spake.

"'Well, if you don't have it finished before dusk, your head will be
hanging on that hook as soon as the sun sets.'

"'Very well, your honor,' replied Jack; scarcely knowing what he said,
or he wouldn't have said 'very well' to such a bloody-minded intention,
any how---'Very well,' says he, 'I'll do my best, and all the world
knows that the best can do no more.'

"Whilst this discoorse was passing betune them, Jack happened to look
at the upper end of the room, and there he saw one of the beautifullest
faces that ever was seen on a woman, looking at him through a little
panel that was in the wall. She had a white, snowy forehead--such
eyes, and cheeks, and teeth, that there's no coming up to them; and the
clusters of dark hair that hung about her beautiful temples!--by the
laws, I'm afeard of falling in love with her myself, so I'll say no more
about her, only that she would charm the heart of a wheel-barrow. At any
rate, in spite of all the ould fellow could say--heads and hooks, and
all, Jack couldn't help throwing an eye, now and then, to the panel; and
to tell the truth, if he had been born to riches and honor, it would be
hard to fellow him, for a good face and a good figure.

"'Now, Jack,' says his master, 'go and eat your supper, and I hope
you'll be able to perform your task--if not, off goes your head.'

"'Very well, your honor,' says Jack, again scratching it in the hoith of
perplexity, 'I must only do what I can.'

"The next morning Jack was up with the sun, if not before him, and hard
at his task; but before breakfast time he lost all heart, and little
wonder he should, poor fellow, bekase for every one shovelful he'd throw
out, there would come three more in: so that instead of making his
task less, according as he got on, it became greater. He was now in the
greatest dilemmy, and didn't k