THE BREAKER OF EGGS.120Once on a time there lived alone in a lodging near St. Ives a young man. ‘Twas at the time when the debate was running high ‘twixt the monks and the ministers whether ‘twere better to say: “Blessed are they that have dined well,” or, “Blessed are they that laugh.” The young man took but scant interest in these theological discussions, and devoted his attention to the maid, who was a fine enough young thing, though somewhat green. He would talk with her coolly and discreetly, and one day said:“Thou art from the country, little friend?”“Truly, sir.”“I was assured of it and shall love thee none the less: thou art a good girl and a good housekeeper.”“I thank thee kindly, sir.”“Well, little friend, since I love thee so much, and that thou mayst serve us well, I must e’en tell thee, for thine own good profit, of a certain ill that befalleth country maids when they come to dwell in the town; ‘tis that small eggs do grow in their belliesand harden there, so that these poor maids have to show their posteriors to the doctor. I would grieve shouldst thou come to that, and it shall not be so an thou wilt hear me. I will do something for thee, and I see that ‘tis full time to begin, for, by thy colour, I can tell that the eggs are already there.”“Indeed, sir, I am greatly beholden, for truly I am not what I was.”“To-morrow morning I will give thee something for this malady.”When morning came, she went to his chamber and he gave her a spoonful of white hypocras,121telling her to go about her house-work and, anon, to break her fast on a little dry bread. This treatment was continued for two or three days, but one morning, when her mistress was out of the way, he took hold of the maid and, laughing gently, pushed her against the bed as if to look into her mouth.“Alas! sir! what wouldst do?” she cried.“I shall do thee no ill; I would break an egg which is fast hardening.”She let him do it, and he did it so well that he put live flesh in live flesh.122So he finished as soon as he had begun, and she found the business so much to her liking, although he had cooked her somewhat, that she came back again and again to have the eggs broken; in sooth, she had wished for a belly inwhich one might break eggs for an hundred years without doing aught else.One day she loitered over long at this pleasant pursuit, and her mistress fell to scolding her when she descended, saying:“Thou sly wench! Thou hast been in mischief with that man above! Idiot! Little hussy! What hast been about up there?”“Naught, madam. Be not wroth; ‘tis as I shall tell thee.”“Thou hast been after no good with that man above.”“Nay, madam, thou dost him wrong; he is the most honest man in the world. I had eggs in my belly, and he broke them for me.”“Eggs, thou slut! what eggs?”“Behold, madam, if ‘tis not so; I will lift my smock; thou canst see my front part, which is yet all damp with the white of the eggs, which came out when he broke them.”
THE BREAKER OF EGGS.120Once on a time there lived alone in a lodging near St. Ives a young man. ‘Twas at the time when the debate was running high ‘twixt the monks and the ministers whether ‘twere better to say: “Blessed are they that have dined well,” or, “Blessed are they that laugh.” The young man took but scant interest in these theological discussions, and devoted his attention to the maid, who was a fine enough young thing, though somewhat green. He would talk with her coolly and discreetly, and one day said:“Thou art from the country, little friend?”“Truly, sir.”“I was assured of it and shall love thee none the less: thou art a good girl and a good housekeeper.”“I thank thee kindly, sir.”“Well, little friend, since I love thee so much, and that thou mayst serve us well, I must e’en tell thee, for thine own good profit, of a certain ill that befalleth country maids when they come to dwell in the town; ‘tis that small eggs do grow in their belliesand harden there, so that these poor maids have to show their posteriors to the doctor. I would grieve shouldst thou come to that, and it shall not be so an thou wilt hear me. I will do something for thee, and I see that ‘tis full time to begin, for, by thy colour, I can tell that the eggs are already there.”“Indeed, sir, I am greatly beholden, for truly I am not what I was.”“To-morrow morning I will give thee something for this malady.”When morning came, she went to his chamber and he gave her a spoonful of white hypocras,121telling her to go about her house-work and, anon, to break her fast on a little dry bread. This treatment was continued for two or three days, but one morning, when her mistress was out of the way, he took hold of the maid and, laughing gently, pushed her against the bed as if to look into her mouth.“Alas! sir! what wouldst do?” she cried.“I shall do thee no ill; I would break an egg which is fast hardening.”She let him do it, and he did it so well that he put live flesh in live flesh.122So he finished as soon as he had begun, and she found the business so much to her liking, although he had cooked her somewhat, that she came back again and again to have the eggs broken; in sooth, she had wished for a belly inwhich one might break eggs for an hundred years without doing aught else.One day she loitered over long at this pleasant pursuit, and her mistress fell to scolding her when she descended, saying:“Thou sly wench! Thou hast been in mischief with that man above! Idiot! Little hussy! What hast been about up there?”“Naught, madam. Be not wroth; ‘tis as I shall tell thee.”“Thou hast been after no good with that man above.”“Nay, madam, thou dost him wrong; he is the most honest man in the world. I had eggs in my belly, and he broke them for me.”“Eggs, thou slut! what eggs?”“Behold, madam, if ‘tis not so; I will lift my smock; thou canst see my front part, which is yet all damp with the white of the eggs, which came out when he broke them.”
Once on a time there lived alone in a lodging near St. Ives a young man. ‘Twas at the time when the debate was running high ‘twixt the monks and the ministers whether ‘twere better to say: “Blessed are they that have dined well,” or, “Blessed are they that laugh.” The young man took but scant interest in these theological discussions, and devoted his attention to the maid, who was a fine enough young thing, though somewhat green. He would talk with her coolly and discreetly, and one day said:
“Thou art from the country, little friend?”
“Truly, sir.”
“I was assured of it and shall love thee none the less: thou art a good girl and a good housekeeper.”
“I thank thee kindly, sir.”
“Well, little friend, since I love thee so much, and that thou mayst serve us well, I must e’en tell thee, for thine own good profit, of a certain ill that befalleth country maids when they come to dwell in the town; ‘tis that small eggs do grow in their belliesand harden there, so that these poor maids have to show their posteriors to the doctor. I would grieve shouldst thou come to that, and it shall not be so an thou wilt hear me. I will do something for thee, and I see that ‘tis full time to begin, for, by thy colour, I can tell that the eggs are already there.”
“Indeed, sir, I am greatly beholden, for truly I am not what I was.”
“To-morrow morning I will give thee something for this malady.”
When morning came, she went to his chamber and he gave her a spoonful of white hypocras,121telling her to go about her house-work and, anon, to break her fast on a little dry bread. This treatment was continued for two or three days, but one morning, when her mistress was out of the way, he took hold of the maid and, laughing gently, pushed her against the bed as if to look into her mouth.
“Alas! sir! what wouldst do?” she cried.
“I shall do thee no ill; I would break an egg which is fast hardening.”
She let him do it, and he did it so well that he put live flesh in live flesh.122So he finished as soon as he had begun, and she found the business so much to her liking, although he had cooked her somewhat, that she came back again and again to have the eggs broken; in sooth, she had wished for a belly inwhich one might break eggs for an hundred years without doing aught else.
One day she loitered over long at this pleasant pursuit, and her mistress fell to scolding her when she descended, saying:
“Thou sly wench! Thou hast been in mischief with that man above! Idiot! Little hussy! What hast been about up there?”
“Naught, madam. Be not wroth; ‘tis as I shall tell thee.”
“Thou hast been after no good with that man above.”
“Nay, madam, thou dost him wrong; he is the most honest man in the world. I had eggs in my belly, and he broke them for me.”
“Eggs, thou slut! what eggs?”
“Behold, madam, if ‘tis not so; I will lift my smock; thou canst see my front part, which is yet all damp with the white of the eggs, which came out when he broke them.”