STORIES

1'08
0::·

� EDITED Br
..._

"'

MRS. COLlt
� AN .. "'!
 JOHN'S .ADVENTURES;
OR,

· TilE LITTLE KNIGHT-ERRANT.

BY

MISS A. A. GaAJ • .
 Entered ding
accor to Act of Congress·, in the year 1846,

BY M&s. P. COLMAN,

In &be Clerk'• OJfice o( tho District Court of tbe Diatrict of Massachusetts.

�
� JOHN'S ADVENTURES; I

• - � • I OR,

THE LITTLE KNIGHT:...ERRANT.

,
"--

CHAPTER I. ·,
l.

EE those t.wo rogue� out there, worrr-

.

ing poor Kitty_ Clover,'' said John to

his brother Thomas, who was bang­
ing on the rail-fence near which he
... himself was standing;
�
 �
6 '
JOHN s ADVENTURES.

" What rogues ? where ? " said Thomas.

"Why, Milo and Pompey. Look! They have got
Kitty cooped up in a corner, amongst some pieces
of board, and some stones and bushes, so that she
cannot get out ; and there she stands, spitting fire as
hard as she can."
" Ah, I see her ! " said Thomas. " The ]poor lit­
tle pussy ! How she rounds her back np ! "
" S he wants to make t he dogs think she is a
camel," said John, " when she is not much bigger
than a gnat ; not more than a thousand million times
bigger! "
· Kitty Clover was a Maltese kitten, just verging
uwn. the ripeness of pussyhood ; Milo, a ve:ry large
p�rown- and white N�wfouhdland dog ; and I?ompey,
a middle-sized brown dog, of mongrel breed, with
upright ears and bull-dog nose. The boys called
·ttm frolicsome .creatures away from the affrighted
�iss Clover, and began playing with them,·-send-
. ing them: aft�r sti�ks, or making, them jump up to
eatl!lJ'�sotnething:frOin their hand� The boys, though
.

tft� :� wo dogs �ltnsed to their father, called them

- ,... . ..

t��- t� 'fho\Dat��laimed
- ·.. the mongrel, and John
'� .Ni
- w(� .��-��cb:
. was a very well-trained
 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES.

and trusty dog ; and John had him.;!JO· mllcli:_)tnd.4r .,. .01'" �

his control that he could often venture to rlde_ upon

his back, and could even guide him sometimes, and.
with especial ease whenever Milo's inc'linations baj>-'
pened to be journeying in the route with his rider•
But, whether the dog followed Johnny's directions
from the instinct of obedience, or fro1n so·m& ��
impulse,' wholly independent of that youngt.�geitett ...

man's command, it was all the same : Johnny af\veyi

\.

considered �iilo as his '�most obedient '' .w qen&ftr

the creature went the way he would have hirii @(h�11 •

n 0 Thomas, I will tell· y-ou�,what I mean ' tel&,"

·

e .ried John. �' I mean to dress up like a sOl�. and

make believe Milo is a great wa,r-llorse, a:ni:ltso fide
him oht into the road, witlf a f�t� � my,oap, mid
my· little wooden �word in my han.�-. · Wonlda"t that
.
be' caj)ittil ?
•

, ·1 �·� \ • '
• • �<::{?.; :. : ' '. '
.

' J' ¥es,": sa�·!th�as. •"�p,li �oati -�JaY'fW �·� • ·

knight,· going; oil to meet '\Vt th:ia4ve ftlll'fef

·· {"-jnlt�� ·
t�1()l1e btt>thttt � was.ieadia« .:����
• · Mt ...t....-hQ-�u�.?- '-t8,-.. ..<Mt� ·

.1(11. ·,-�':II•t .;f')"i

.
:

.;c(, ·WI''1 'Nft��.,

·-:- :
UJetiu:
'\
..
(
. ' ·. � ·�
.

���')'!·-... ' ' .

��-.. -�­
77> :_ < -<
' ' ' (. . -,., ·' '

� y
'

':', . � ..
.
•
,
 JOHN'S ADVENTURES.

aed jf l meet any one on my adventures who asks

my· :name, I shall say, Don John. J,ohn does no\
�nd ·very -finely, though. I wish my name wert
Q$nd�. Orlando Furioso would be a capital name.
IID.trr has a book abottt him."
,_ .. . � Ves, yes; call yourself Orlando Furioso. I
wtdd t J
'" said Thomas.
- . U:J. · o aol know but Don Giovanni would be bet-
" -tbJ that Js my own name. Don Giovanni is
�B
- .-
but Mr. John, Harry says. Giovanni is the
� for .John.''
.. � ,_,_ -_.slttan '}r()B must call yourself Siinor Giovanni."
·_
J
_
_
_ �� •• Don _sounds dnet. Yes, I will be Dob Gio-
. :: �:brave Jmight ; and I .will set
· . •. off to seek
. -.-� juS;t -.· �gbts always did,
;&mml1m . .
you know,
· · . ery .th»lg that eomes in .my'way .... giants,
mDSA $,ld all sottS' of �onsters ! " said John ;
.-.� tNfil.JifUoij� GM!�� h_� an te. tim hott:ae te get his
-bess. hims�lf.m.Jt.S . .eav.alier-
••, BS'�Jilel �, ��to -=Milq W«3 �· emark.a­
���$trtm�tu�;it'�tJI:a -was. n
 --..:-•·

'
JOHN S ADVENTURES. 9

boys - John nine, and Thomas scarcely eight years

old ) as far as the village, which was about half a
mile from the house where they lived. Several
times, 'vhen any one of the family went away in
the wagon or carryall, one of the boys had followed
after on Milo's back.
 10

CHAPTER 11.

.
'
.. I

Q.IDPPED in his cap and feather, and with

his sword by his side, 1ittle Johnny, or,
'· as he wishes to be called, Don Giovanni,
I m�unted his somewhat shaggy charger, and

was p8ssing on towards th� gateway which

led. 'into the road, ( Tl;lODlas nmning on before, beck­
oning the steed�) �hen he was imrt by his brother:
Harry, a lad: o�� &�__.i}fteeo, who halloed to him,
and lhr•w a �- · � g� ttt JQa'ke ·Milo spring after it.
"Don•t,
' .
:·.·17-.tt·
Ofiti lob� .. -"� waut Milo to
··

. ... ..
go· e�ht 1)-�:·. !£' . . ng
<h�- :·.�
...... ' '

-� � out on
:
-.·. ··: • •

my gallant · I • er.,

u I rather { . - g aut with

-
· . ·

. ,
JOtl· 1 a&aif ··��- . :�_mt.
ma. _ ·a. John Gilpin s
horse, talkei- & � ·_. trusty cluqer, and carry
you jttst the wafthltba .· ..l.·mtit his,own fancr,'' .�

said Htuty ; for Eo lmd ;del the. stict, and

·..

: · .�
· ·

'NIIkl.
ic •-!� moallf; �\ _ lf?t...s his rid• as
_ . .
..su .
IJ.Itl: a.
• ·.
..- . - ,
;
_.. •--:: �... ,

.t·.•
 .JQHN' S A.DVENTURES. Jl

" My horse '\Vill go very well, if you will let him

be," said John.
" Where are you bound, John? To Palestine ? "

"I am not bound to any place in particular.

I "

" You will go where your steed will carry you,

eh, John ? "
"I am going to meet with fine adventures, and my
name is Giovanni. I am Don Giovanni."
"Ah ! " cried Harry, " the 'young and brave ! . '

eh ? " and he sang

•..

< w
.

• tt W'b Dunois, tW YotiDI tmd ln"t

Was bound for Palestin�!
 '
12 JOHN S ADVENTURES.

''But now tell me, Sir Knight of the Wooden

Sword, do you know how to play your part ? What
does a knight have to do to prove himself gallant,
and worthy of his Dulcinea ? "
" He has to overcome giants or some ldnd of mon­
sters, or do some kind of brave deeds. But I do not
know what a Dulcinea is."
"Ha! ha! What a knight-errant ! Why, a Dulcinea
is the damsel he loves the best and thinks the pretti­
est, and who, if he proves himself brave, will accept
him for her knigb t. ''
"I do not know what a damsel is,'' said the
innocent and newly-opening germ of a knight­
errant.
''Well, you are_ a green knight,'' said Harry. "A
damsel is a young woman ; or a little girl you can
call a damsel. Now, what little girl do you like the
best?"
" I don't know, I am sure."
" Well, what one do yon think the prettiest ? "

"Not any one, that I lmo1V of."

"Well, I do not know what you are to do, Sir
Janotamu�t, without you meet with a damsel on your
 . '
JOHN S ADVENTURES. 13

way� Perhaps you maY, have such good fortune.

.
A.nd this let me tell you, Sir Knight. You must
help every damsel (that is, little girl) w�om you
see in any distress.. No matter what it is, - if
you neglect to help her out oi it, you are no ·true
· k:n�ght."
u Must I not help whomever I see in distress ? ''

asked John.
�' O, that depends some upon 'vbat their distress.�
U you see t \VO persons fighting, you. }DUSt d.We-nd the
�eaker par_ ty ; or, if you $-ee o11:e persoq_ be�1tin.g �

in any way ill-treating another, y0-u mu�t x:��ue �

·victim, even at the peril of y� Ute. Bu� �Sir>lo)n;'"
added Harry, who was rather a rogl.l i� .1&� --. . "

wanted to amuse· himself a little with the�: 10Ult!

Quixote, " you are not half equi�� . Y,�t -�Itt
to have a shield and a lanca, and) a .8fl�: · ta. illt.
low you, too ; and, of all thi11gs, you shoul� - �
a pair of spurs. Wh�evei !ward·.&{· a kni§� ��
�
-
l'iJ'I(Ct ':)' ' J
.

. l
-r-"..,
A"ft
·�<1:1·�,(.. :>. .
What shall -1 have f-or
•, eplll&i}' , ,U�;· .l� *' J'
' ·. �

�mute the oo�er oia-t kl P.atl- 4P _ -��- ����.�t

'ct Tbotim'stu, id Jlamr., � rtta . �!lh ��-
.
aucl
14

get the · c�, and- yes---:- h1�ing e pail 1ritb it,

too., ,,
. .

Thotnas sprang .Way ·into the house, saying he

"
woald get the brightest tin .cover he could :find. . .

· ''And now for spurs,'' said Harry. ''Your sword •. ·

will answer instead of a lance." ·� 4'

· "Yes; but I wish it were but· made of steol, -for I
am afraid it wiH not be strong enough to kill any
thing with, unless it is the grasshoppers," f;aid the
yonng knight, who had begun now almost to fancy
he was really bound to do some kind of exploit with
his we-apons.
H Smb the grasshoppers right through thEI heart,'
1ohnllJ, or cut their heads off ; and the dragon...fiies,
too, (if yon meet any,) for want of dragons. 0! I
know what will do for spurs ; burrs ! burrs ! 1' And
Harry went to a burdock bush, which . was g:r!>wing
close by, up against the side of the barn, and, 1making
up two lll* tmlls ·Or buuehes of the ,burrs, he stuck
one on ea�b ot the lmigm •s stoekings, just above t be
heel of his •hoe. "Now,"· said,· Harry· to himself,
u the juvenile cava.lier will find it -1atker a worse jpb
to dismount thlln be will esuUy like. Thef�! 1, ·be
 JQBN'S ADVENTUB.E-S .• 15

sa id to John , as he fastened on the burrB, '' tbese are

sp urs that will answer two purposes* -to urge on
your steed , and to help kee p yo urself- on."
" He will not fee l them through all h is lo ng hair,"
_
�id John, striking his hee lsLagainst Milo's shaggy
3

•ides till the burrs were wel l bedded in. his hair.
" They pr ick me more than they do my horse."
"You m ust pull your. feet away from the sides o f
yo ur steed , when you wan·t to sp ur hiln on, or, I
should say, burr him on ; that will pull h is .hair , aud.
hurt h im, yo u kno w. ... Ha! ba! Jla
. ! '' 1 '!cr ied� the
roguish fe l_lo w, who could .hardly swak for laughing.
" Yes ; pull h is hair .. to make liitn go ,•-. That's .ot1: te­
way for a knight to urge .h is. charger : aruJ there i�
'llo fear but you will stick to your seat ; is . th�e,.
Don? Ha! ha! a knight who ;haf.·�en st'Ui:k.to·l�t.
_
steed will be but a poor ho rseman. if�be .g�ts th�«WtP;
eh, John ? " · t.
"Here comes Tommy, with the &h�eld-/'.;· tS���
John. & r..
·
·· "-,r,

.. ,, Here, Milo," said Harry, "t�e this

. prdt � io yQur
ctnouth.�- .The obedient M·Uo t�'ftke; _.
;;..�f ,Jtftd tt�
�t
ted on to wards the gate ..
·
16 JOHN'S ADVENTURES.

" I do not want my horse carrying a tin pail, just

like a milkmaid, or a schoolboy with his dinner I''
said the affronted knight. " I want to go off in
style."
4' He! he! Excuse me, Sir John, for laughing,''
said Harry.. "It is true, that the knig�ts-errant did
riot usually set forth on exactly such a charger as
yours, -. a horse with his tail curled up. over his
baek, and a tin kettle hanging from his mouth ; but
you know horses of this breed are not apt to move
fornrard in as straight a line as one might wish, but,
on the contrary 1 to take rather a meandering course.
Come, nO'\V,. trot o� Do not lOse your spurs. It is
DO true knight who.loses his spurs, remember."
The jQvenile cavalier trotted out into the road, and
tUTil'ed his steed towards the village, not by means
ot a bridle-rein,- for the moat b of the dog is not, by
nature, suit� to the bit, like that of the horse,- but
by puUidg oae o! his ears. It was ehiefly by means
of his ears that Mi1o would be guided. If his rider
...,.W tmn him to the right, he pulled his right ear ;
if to the Wt, his l.eft ear i a:d it he wished hlm to
stop, he would pull both ,ears. at 6llee . �·>; ..
' 'i'
 '
JQBN S ADYENTURES. 17

" There goes Pompey after him," said Thomas.

" He ought to have some Uttle imp or elf on
Pompey's back, to follow as his squire,'' said
Harry.

\ ./ v

-
I'
 18 JOHN' S ADVENTURES.

CHAPTER III .
•

.• . . i

O_N -�JOVA:NNI . ,
(thanks to the tin
.".
· k.ettk1) found his gallant steed quite
�nageable for a pretty good distance,
keeping the middle of the road, and
never turning aside,. as Pornpey did,
to snuflle among the bushes, on the
side-way, for birds, mice, or squirrels.
" Is not this capital r " thought the young knight.
"I dare say Milo will carry me straight into the vil­
lage; and how all the little boys in the street 'vill
wish they had such� a dog-such a 1ine horse, I
mean ! But I want to meet with some adventures on
..
�

the way, though/)

........._

But there seemed to be nothing as yet to prove the

prowess of the knight. He met with nothing as big
a moose to overcome, nor had he seen as much as

a goose in distress. There were geese and ganders

in the road, and turkeys, too, out they were all eat­
iDs the grass or�� quietly, at leaSt till he came
 7
IOHN S AJ)VENTftRES. 19

near them, and then their .only troubl-e seemed to be

from fear of him and his dogs ; for the geese hissed�
.
at him and waddled atvay, and the turkeys gobble d
and flew up on the fence. He had met one ()f two
wagons, and several men and boys, and overtook 'One
old woman ; but none of these ap,peared to be in any
distress whatever, excepting the old woman, who
coughed very badly, and hobbled along, by help of a.·
cane· , with great difficulty. Here, in trutlt, was
double trouble ; but the knight Jtnew no remooy fM &;
cough ; at least not more remedies- than the damt!
herself, probably, could advise ; nor eoutd he reMet
her the assistance whieh a knight should render a
lame damsel,- that of giving· her a seat upon his
.
good steed. Not one little girl had hs sten.1 9or heard
one scream from female mouthSt witlt the .excepfioa
o{ one very dolorous and oflen-.ated <me tiGm a ben
which a farmer's boy· baa caught, and was �rryinB
along with lu�r head d-dWllwards. « � Gey .ftat a
right to eatcb �lie own betts,n ·said t he knight f u so I
cannot take the side of the weaker partf�. tlloU§h I
would h glad to...:.fb. r·l wou14 re i t ����t�· hen
in that way.u Hte brulmsw- go� ·

beattr -�..!¥ •
the village, when be saw, at � aiS-%'1�-�g
- sirl sitting on a stile. " Ah ! " thought � . · •
Ji-.'•
A··.
 '
20 JOHN S ADVENTURES.

is a- what did :Harry say? a damsel, yes-a danl­

sel, at last. I hope she is in some distress," (for­
give the poor adventure-lacking knight,) " so that
I may help her out of it." He could not see her face,
as she sat with her back towards the road. " Per­
haps she is crying," thought the knight, as he trotted
.

on to\vards her. " If she is, I can tell her I am

sorry, or something." But alas ! before the thought
bad well passed through his head, she broke out into
'

a merry song, and began s�vinging her bonnet, \Vhich

she held in her hand, by the string. " Well," thought
poor Johnny, ''I do not see as any body is ever
going to want any belp." The little girl turned her
head as he came up, and, on seeing him, cried out,
"Why ! a little boy, riding on a dog ! 0, ho\v pretty ! "
and she laughed tnost merrily. She \Vas such a very
sweet and kind-looking little girl, that John thought
be would stop and speak to her; so he pulled Milo's
rig�t ear ; for the little girl ·was on the right of him ;
and the obedient dog or horse earried his rider close
.. by to the stije,, .... ··� I I r-'l.ltf t; r·

''Is tbat yottr dog.? '' asked the little girl, whose
name WdS �rebe, and w:ho lives ·in the neat cottage
vo.. ��:tar. see yondEy.·; .1·
. - �OBN'S •"'=
ADVENTURES. ·• 21
..�
Q.; ."·�
 22 '
.JOHN S ADVENTURES.

"Yes-it is my-my war-horse. He is a fine

charger, better than a donkey would make, I think ;
almost as good as a pony. He is more safe than a
pony; because,· if I should fall off, I should not
have far to fall," said the gallant horseman.
" Besides," said the damsel, " he can carry your
dinner, and a pony couldn't, you know. I suppose
you are coming from school, and had your dinner in
that tin pail."
'(No, indeed. I am going to meet with adventures.
I am a knight, you see."
"A knight? 0, yes ; I have heard about knights.
What is your name?"
" 1 am Don Giovanni."
"loa Fanny? or Funny ? I think you are funny.
What do you carry the cover in your band for ? Won't
the dog earrt the pail just as well with the cover
on?"
"This is my shield; a knight carries a shield, you
know.''
" Yes- but- but knights' horses don't carry· tin
· pails in their mouths, do they ? "
" I wish Harry had not been quite so obliging,"
thousht 1obn; ubu� t know I will take the pail ottt of
•
 I

�
I JOHN' S ADVENTURES. 23

Milo's mouth, and carry it in my hand, before I get to

the village. That would not look quite so queerly as
I
for my horse to carry it. Why," said he, " this kind
�
of horse will go better with something to carry in his
mouth. He will go just the way I want him to go
with that in his mouth. He will go right straight
along, without running off into the fields, or stoppins "
to play with other hor -dogs, I mean."
"He is a nice horse, I am sure.. Will he take a
pig by the ear, and catch rats? 1 know a boy who

.
...

has one not a quartet as h\Tp:as o.,.,.bd .

a.Jat and ate hiDJ." - - _ �·.

- •••n
-- 1 - 0 icma o1
 �
JOHN S ADVENTURES.

·" O, yes, that i s, when he is a dog; but he i s a

charger now, you know. B ut tell me if you know
of any body who i s in any trouble. I cannot find
any one."
" I do not know, - let me think; - why, there i s
Mrs. Jones: she was in to see mother ye sterday, and
she said she was in a great deal of trouble; but
what-,.
·'* 'Well, what was her trouble ? "
'"'-01 a ·goo d many things. One thi ng was, that she
had been cburning a large churn full of cream, for
two whole days, and the butter would not co me ;
and a nother thing was, that one of her hens came off
'
·

without· hatching a single chicken; a:nd her baby was

teething, and so worrisome-! and the cat. knocked
down her best cream-po t,- and broke it, so she said,
illto at tea.St ,a hUndred pieees ; only think ; at .least,
· a

hundrecl; J ,, ·
• •
 JOHN's .ADVENTURES • 25

..

CHAPTER IV.

URELY, here was trouble enough ; but

the poor knight had no charm so tiLttractive
as to make butter come, or to call a
brood of chickens from a nest of' spoiled
eggs; neither was he a physician-, to cure
\vorrison1e babies, nor a m ender of broken
crockery; so he told the little girl that these \Vere
not j ust the right kind of troubles that he meant ..
"But 'vhat do you \Vant to hear about troubles
for ? " as ked the l itt le girl , " and what kind of
�
troubles r Let me think; there is old Mrs. Gibbs,
who is so old that she has got the Saint Vitus�'s dance;
(I suppose,) and shakes like an aspen.''
"Like an ass-pen? " 1• �� ..

"Why, like a poplar, you kno w ; and she bas the

paralogy, (palsy,) and t\vo grandchild1·eu to lltlaintain,
besides; and s he is a poor \vidow, who has lost her
husband and all her money. 1 am surt� I pity :
her more tha n I do 1\lrs. Jones, if any tbir1�g. But
'!':·

I
 26 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES.

what do you want to know about these things

for?"
" I want to help some one who is in di st ress ; that
'
is what th e brave knfghts used to do; but I - I
believe it is only particular kinds of trouble that
knights can help. .l ca nnot maintain this old wo­
man �s grandchildren , you know. I have no money
at all, except a counterfeit half dollar. But what is
die ' paralogy '? Perhaps I could -"
�' I meant paral ysis, I believe. I don't kno\v
exactly ; but I believe it is a complaint that old wo­
men ate apt to be troubled with; and other people
to&, 1 think very likely. "
cc
0, then I could not help her. I am not a doctor.
I a01 a knight. Doctors enre and knights kill."
"'rhat is, pretend to ; Y'ou do not mean that you
ioolly kilL''
· "Yes, I would/' said John. "1 would kill all the
�ons that I mee t if you would be my-my­
hat was it l �l though t he� "dal-·dulcimer."
" Dul(Cimer � What is tbat 1 ,
" A yoo11g w aman· o� little. girl,. th�t a. knight loves
. .. �··bts for/' .
��'t;�)J, · · . · eate how mueh vou lt>'Ve me/.! said the
 JOHN 'S ADVENTURES. 27

little girL "1 should like to have every one Io:ve

me. But I do not \Vant you to fight f�r me. I would
not have you kill a fly for my sake."
"Well,'' said the gallant knight, "brother Harry
says I must have a little girl for a dulcimer, and I do
not know but you are about as pretty-looking as any
I can think of just now: so I believe I will call you
my dulcimer. I wish you were in some trouble, s<;»
that I could help you out of it. I would do it .if I
killed myself."
"You are very kind," said the little girl; "but I
do not know of any thing that troubles me."
" Is there nothing you would like to have me kill
for you?"
"Nothing in the world.''
"What is your name? "
"Phrebe."
" That is the moon's name, and it is a �etty ou ;.
but I must call you Dulcimer ; no, Dul cian.a 1 I tJ;&ink ..

it was."
The patient steed had heW the ti8 ·pail� llntf�
he began to despair of any one relie-vina him ol·.it .

aad at last had set it down beside dle. stile, �;.;}-�

uo·"· :� .U.Out to turn to wuds home. ''atop, :�
·UiiNoW�· leAn ; and be coutrived to pt tho 401 t....
. ·
 '
28 JOHN S ADVENTURES.

around again ; and, as the knight's new-fashioned

spurs would not allow him to dismQunt without sotne
difficulty, he said to Phrebe, "Dulciana, my horse has
dropped his tin -his -the-there -do not you se e
it r won't you be so kind as to give Milo that again ?
He may carry it till we get to the village. Good by.
l shall see you when I come back, perhaps." ..

"Good �y," said Phrebe, " I hope you will not kill
tlnything ; and I hope nobody will kill you:�
''Come, Pompey," cried John, as he set off; and
Pompey jumped up over the wall of a field near by,
in which he had been rambling, and followed on.
Johnny had not ridden much farther before he
heard, proceeding from a farm-yard which he was
passing , a dolorous screaming. "No\V ,'' thought he,
" I have found some one to help," certainly. The
sueams were certainly shrill enough to have come

from the- month ··o( a little girl�; bo t Johnny's ear soon

perceived dial' they cam� from a mouth widely unlike
that of a young damsel ; and, turning his eyes towards
the spot whence' '"t hey came,, he beh�ld a poor, fat,
ljltJe pig, wfikh.had got stock between the bats of
a pte, and �s �ling witn all four of his chubby
legs. If 1 wish, I ·am sure,,." said tha phi.lanthrof>ie
bight, ·�that k �re a little gill.; but fit is better thaa
 �-
·il

'
JOHN S ADVENTURES. 29

nothing even to relieve a pig from pain ; " and he

began to try to free himself from his spurs, that he
might dismount, and run to the rescue, when he saw
�- a man approach the gate, and pull the pig out from
his trap by the little struggling hinder legs, which
he still held, one in each hand, making the pig walk
on his fore legs, thus pushing him along as one woul4,
a wheelbarrow, while the poor little animal squeaked
at the t�p of his lungs.
" You·r wheelbarrow creaks pretty loud," Johnny
·

cried out.
"Not for the want of greasing," said the man.
Johnny rode on ; and he had not gone far be­
fore his hopes were again aroused by another loud
screaming. Thes� were certainly nothing less than
human screams, for they were now and then inter­
rupted by ·words, and they came from the inside, oi a
cottage. The cottage was close beside the road, aD4
" now is the time," thought John�y, u be stopped
before the door ; but, as he looked in; some . doubta

arose; for he saw, through the open wiodo'ft«.woman

administering to a little boy a�_.remedr :IDt ..- ..lfiR•
$J beatin· g. 'rh -._.•
1iness in the shape of a sou
� own, for, " Mother I mother II wtJ t�: �pl.
f;.�· 'l.f'� -were the flrGs OJ :llbifb�:t¥1��- �

....:..�..
..
('I )I •I fr., ,
 '
3{) · JOHN S ADVENTURES.

were interrupted. " Here," said Johnny, "is one per·

'· san beating another, and Harry said I ought to re8cue
one who was being beaten." But as John knew he
had no right to assault a woman for not sparing the
rod upon her own child, he trotted on. Pretty soon
he came to another house. In the yard of this: house,
standing by the well, he saw a little girl ; and not
only that, but, what was better still, she was weep­
ing. The well was close by the road ; but the little
girl was leaning her head upon the curb, 1sobbing
aloud, and did not hear or see the knight, who stood
ready to render her what assistance he might.
"' Is any thing the matter?" asked Johnny,
The damsel looked UJ>, and, when she beheld the
Mttle knight, on his canine steed, she half stopped
C'tflng, ·but made no reply.
tc Al-
e you in any trou'ble ? " asked the little knight ;
• teoanse, if you are, I will help you out of it.. What
&19. yoa ceying for.? u
· " 1-t lm.d a......._ a nice piece of gingerbroad."
.
«Well i '• sarli tbe kn.igh t, e;xpa&ting to heBLF mere.
·

· �II was 11!1 ·so pretty;..- it 1l.ad diampnds all over

��--" ' •

!:!k�t"·
_. • .... Jt. e.;· �ea ·an ever with. diamond!; matked all
 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES. 31

crosswi$e, yon know. It was a great, large, thin slice,

and.l was biting it round ·into the shape of a little
girl . · I had eaten it round, almost into a little girl,
and I was going to prick pin-holes through the head
for eyes, because the light shining through would
make such bright eyes! but before I had got it q1:1ite
done, I - I - . " Here the distressed damsel's voic-e
was choked by sobs.
" What ? what ? '� cried the knight, quite impatient
to hear the most pathetic part of the story, f.or this
was evidently at hand.
'' Somehow, I do not know how, 1 let it tan right
down into the well.')
It could hardly be expected that Johnny's gal­
lantry should lead him ta jump down into the
well to rescue from oblivion the ynung artist's un­
finished piec� of statuary. No: the yo� lady,
carved in gingerbread and covered with diamonds,
and with eyes so
bright e:nd .cleat"·sighted that
,
like the somnambulist, she con1d see as well at
the baclt �f the head as the ·front, mUSt surely be left
to the, in this�' detrimeAtal'e�s·•t.celd water.
So the knight · mere'f toW the· soblmlg �}; ,
�lie weUld � been to � e
.
dlslless, .IJA. .
� .

,,
'W
I f "·

. . '

'�
 '
32 .JOHN S ADVENTUR'ES.

only could have done so ; and he told her he 1vas Don

Giovanni, a knight riding forth to seek ad1ventures
and to help all whom he might find in trouble, and ·
that Milo was his gallant war-horse ; and the afflicted
maiden soon stopped sobbing, and, drying her eyes,
seemed to quite forget the sweet little girl down in
the well ; and, when the knight showed her his spurs,
she was so much amused that she showed him, in
return, the nne IO\V of ivory chisels with which she
had bee!l carving the ,ptetty sliee of gingerbread.
Johnny then bade her good by, and set off again for
the villa_g·e. It happened, when he had got ·w�ithin a
very short . distance of the village, that he -w·as over·
taken by a man on horseback. The dogs se1emed to
lik'6 to haYe· some one to follo\v, and they both kept
the middle of ·the _road, trotting along very steadily
:be�md the horse. But, .before they bad gone� far, the
. man
. turne<i his horse and rode down ·a lan�e on the
\ 'R� and,. as he- turned the ·corner, down went Pom­
:a.�M"aftel: him. l·Johnny; with .Milo, was a fer'v steps
:; '�he�tlJ �it when h e. hatl!reached the turning also, he
�-ptdlaflt!ktf�-in -vain� mcr.st slo»t\f, at.his steed's1 lef� ear,
. - � ��"0o�.the main nfJd "\vith,his s����i1 lmt
�} .wollt� M\k9 aridl� hints DOt coMings" and a1 a
,� .
. <JOHN 's ADVENTURES •
..
33

...
 84

round trot £ollowed on after the horsema ail Pam­

pey.. The horseman seemed atDII6ed widl IUs Col-
> lo'Vers, an4 looking arOWJ.d at them, lte � aad
called John his tWry page.. PNsendy he set � Ill
a hard gallop,. sayiag he weuW see en fDs pa8e
�oold eep ·sea ; bat � ..
-
happeBed
to 1le vety amoogat
li9ad-tild.e Wllll£B he niiwill-
ing to q.w.i... • bmlened. bade.'
probably - maniog at speecL
(or he --- ....�..,.
. thea lrro ke down
into a�..,� mtJmeiDt more the
horseman lm!dall �- ...,
__ b the curve of the
road. Pompey, ·tted his seareb in the
·�.bushes, hastened very , though some thing
had caught his eye, through. an open bar-way into a
tit• I d. Milo sprang after him, ootwitbstlmding all
Jobnny1s persuasioos
and eOIDJilEUlds to the contrary,
attd followed on, down a eart-road hich led to·a spot
of low, marshy ground, through which ran a large and
deep brook4 Jo h n knew the place very well. He ·�d
often been there (or berries and fiowers, and to loolt
ler &urtle� in the brook, or to get the .cat-o'-nine-tails
thai r • oil ita holders. It was a very pretty marsh;
 \

:�
•

JOHN's ADV'EN'S�.

and John would have been willing �or Milo to have

carried him down there, but that he thought he
shot'lld be mQre likely to meet with some adventure
..at !he village, and he wished, besi� J to have the •·

little village boys and girls see a tine dog he what <(l
had, and wish they had such a· one. By the tin1e ..
�1ilo had got down into the swamp, and stood· among
the flags and sedge-g�ass, John discovered what it was
which had so suddenly attracted Pompey thither.
An old, half-decayed tree stood close beside the. brookJ
aud one of its lower branches stretched entirely
across the brook. The bough was almost . w.lf.olJy
bare of leaves ; but on the middle of it, and... 4 ireetly;
above the stream, was perched as queer and impiah­
l�king a creature as ever was.�n either in fairy
or fancy-laud. 1 It was no bird, for it sat .astride upon.
the bottgh ; neither did it look like a beas� exactly,
for it had a straw hat upon its head; yet it surely was

no bun1an being, for it �4 a �l- a �Ill and �·

tail. \Vhat could it have. 'been? Joh�y ..,.. wbat
it \vas.. It startled him �t· first;: but,· Oil a� �r and·
dis.tinct.-view of it, he erie� �:ut•. 41;Ab4J i( here It ..

·· not. Mr. M 'squeer, foh�ttnd ni')nby;t?·· 'rbe' :.���:

IDnnkey -was a funny-look� erMC�r_e .0¥� wJ�b·

.1- -
_;·, -�-�.-,.§..,.� -; . .r :-
'""- ·nf.,...�
. ;. ,-
,•

� -- - --- --- � -- ----

 JOHN ' S ADVENTURES •

.. .

..
.,.
_ . I)
<· I • •

.
. . . . .

• I .

' �: ( � I • ,..

OJiiit · a -h at ; bul ·he looked more so th:an ever now ;

b_(� the _laTge puffs of white fur on h is cheeks
�Q him lo-o�. as if he . had a po,vdered \vig· on under
the l �ad bat: The · dogs knew the creature, too,
and·.- b4ti· 'Often played with him, an d · l:te had · ridden
·
thetn-· hCJtb: ( bu t tb e y would oftan bark at him when "

tb\lt � htm, and they' stood naw, deep m the mud,

htwt·i�· 1:lt th:e oomiool--lookin g_ e:reature while he sat
en dtei -�� aili\ ehattered · at th:em. · But John�
'
·�-
., ·: ·. � steed· dia _ no t
stand loni· m the gm•.:
_
tAlt :· · � Jato the � btook,- wbleh wa's so ·detip
· '" _ · -� · .
l -

.,�.
��. # _,·., - . : _. • trp ·ab ove- -:
the 'SOles o t 16lt n's
•
. · -.
� •

-.. - --;_
•

·. · '·
·
·�· hum ·mntuth to .oome iftt& · &em . H i&
·
 JOHN ' S ADVENTURES. 37

feet got a little wet, however, though he held them

u p as high as his spurs would let him�
Milo crossed the brook, and, when 4e had got upon
the opposite bank, John 1:otic;ed that he pricked up his
ears as if he saw something in front of hun. J(\hn
looked to see what it might be, and espiedJ- at a short
distance, a man with a gun in his hand, and no hat on
his head. It 'vas now pretty evident where the mon­
key had obtained the hat he wore. u Now," thought
John, '' if I can make that n1onkey give me the hat, I
can help two at once; for very likely the man meana
to shoot the poor thief ;" so, by calling out and beckon�
ing to. the monkey, John soon enticed him frorn hit
seat on the bough, and then took off· h_is· cap, and
pretended to thro'v i t on the ground, thinking the
monkey would imitate him and throw down the hat ;
but the creature only took off the hat, and made a
low bow to John, and then placed. it._ o n his head
again. Several times more John took o1f his. �p .a.wl
monkey, .aot .._
held it behind his back, so that the
ing it should think he bad thro\VIl .it d�wp ; lJil'
,.

the creat\ll"e would not be ind� ' kl ". P."t ,:\tjtll �

�t, and would merely keep takiaa �l� ol\: ./b.ktl�:�
�e bow, and then replace it QJ8a , bif ,bef.4.
88

'"' You have been taught politeness if not honesty,

sir, I should think,'' said Jo.hn. '' Come, give me that
hat, or I will stab you through and through with my
sword.'' But the monkey only chattered and grinned ;
and then, in order to imitate Johnny still further, he
sprang upon Pompey',s back. Pompey for a few
moments pranced and sidled like a spirited horse,
seemingly not very much pleased with his rideT ; but
all at once he gave a. spring forward, and rushed at full
speed along the cart-road, in the direction of the lane.
Milo, dr-oppi n g the tin pail, and with a sudden bark,
bounded afier. The two dogs seemed to be giving
chase to s-otnething, and John soon saw what it was.

It was a poor little pussy. Up the cart-road, and along

�
the lane, fled the afFrighted cat, an away went the dogs
after her, brushing through the bushes, thus scratch­
ing their riders most u nmercifully ; but neither the
knight,. aor his u nexpectedly acquired page, could v-ery
easily dismount w1Iile their steeds w ere going at such a
rapid patte ; sJ the. best they could do was to cling on
with both · bands- as tightly as they could, lest they
sltoufd ·�· thrown ik\\M�n\y to the· ground'. Johnny
Jai4 pulled ·np, fro�· th� bonier of t he streatn, a long
cat.-cr'·trifHf-fails,- whiek he thought wonld, at least, look
 JOHN'S ADVENTURES.

more like a lance than his wooden sword did, though

it would not serve very well to assault and overcome
monsters with. " This," thought he, " I will carry in
a handsome and graceful way, just as the knights did
their lances ; and when I enter the village, with my
ftmny squire riding behind me, I shall make quite a
fine figure." But the poor little knight was destined
to enter the village in a much less knightly style
than he had anticipated. As to the manner in which
he held his lance, nothing could have been less
graceful and knight I y ; for, when his steed started off
in pursuit of pussy, he was obliged to grasp the
· creature's neck, fastening his fingers . into the shaggy
hair, in order to keep his seat ; and the long cat-o'-nine·
tails, held between the fingers of his right hand, lay
horizontally across Milo's neck ;'·.neither did the tin
cover sustain quite the position that a shield would
have done in the hand �f a knight, hanging-, as: it 'did,
by the ring, from the little finger of Johnny's left hand,
.
r •;. ,

while the hand was fastened to Milo's Mek!" .-

The
cat turned up from the lane intoJ the main�roadt and
,sped ort jn � the direction of the ml&ge. T.lle- doss
'

-�' up ·the chase, but, b�dened as t&.y ··we' () dicl

��n�t �· overtake her, and she 1 esca:petl. lhela llf''mnniQs'
'"'
 '
40 JOHN S ADVENTURES.

into a house at the entrance of the village, (probably

the house where she belonged,) at the door of which
she was welcomed by a woman, with " Ah ! poor
puss ! are the dogs after you ? '' And the woman
quickly shut the door, to keep the dogs out.
 JOHN ' S ADV'E N•ruRES. 41
•

CH.A.PTER V.

N what a style, alas, did the proud yotmg

knight enter the tovtn ! Instead of pacing
calmly in, with a stately s.tep, and with a
squire or pretty page riding at a respectful
distance behind, poor Johnny, sitting his
steed in. the ungraceful manner already described;
went chasing in at some distance behind his comical­
looking sq11ire ; for Pompey, being the fleeter dog
of the tv;o� though not so strong as M.ilo, was several
yards in advance�
Finding their pursuit of the cat cut short� th� do�
trotted on through the street, keeping the sidew�
and following close behind an appfi:rently young� ye�
too evidently old, lady, who, i n an ar�ay of silk� ��
satins brilliant as the rainbow, was most maje�ti�lf.
pacing forth, beneath the shado!V o(he�: p�l:-. 0'�··
8fMlowly did the lady pace al oWlf.·x fi��:�� �.'"
. . . .� -
.

�It overtook her} and; �

-
...
�.-

. �lil� lllll htr

 '
42 SOHN S ADVENTURES.

bead, which she was about to do on hearing the

shouts of the village boys, the two steeds, with their
riders, were passing by her, one on each side. It
happened that the sidewalk \Vas rather narro\v, and
somewhat elevated a_b ove the middle of the street, so
that there was quite a slope from i t into the street,
and at the bottom of the slope a gutter, not wholly
devoid of mud , and containing a tolerably large,
though by no means well-assorted, assortment of
decayed vegetables, dirty shavings, and orange-peel.
And it also happened that Pompey, not considering
the _politeness due to a lady, was so ungallant as to
take 1he inside of the walk, and thrust himself, 'vith
his impish and fantastical-looking rider, between the
lady and the wall. The lady looked do,vn, on per­
ceiving hei-. garments brushed by something, gave a
seteam loud enough to have roused u p the gallantry
of any brave knight, and started towards the outer
title of 'the walk ; ·and, as it happened that 1\lli lo was
just then passing on that side of the lady, what could
be expeete d but that she should stumble over him ?
This she certainly did do, and not only stumbled, !but
fell ; '" ana, in her nil1, nearly brought the kni�'ht and
his chark� 'to the ground also ; but Milo, springing
 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES. 43

forward, saved his rider from such disgrace, while the

'brill iantl y-arrayed lady, sliding down the slope� was
. deposited amongst the .cabbage-leaves and ol·ange-
peelings, frightenipg, at the same tune, four or five
ducks from their dinner, which waddled away, quac­
kling, in great surprise and consternation ; but their
noise was nearly dro,vned, or at least unheeded, amid
the groans and exclamations of the lady, whose pea­
green silk dress and rose-colored satin bonnet patt-Qok
now too much of the color of mother earth.
" 0 dear ! " thought the poor little knight, a& J be
turned and looked upon this undeniably distr,egs§(i
lady, "1 ean bring folks into trouble1 if 1 COOD.llt ·hel p
them out of any.. But I will be as. p.olite .as I ean
now."' And he began t'O disengage himself frqtn hia
spnrs. " It is Miss Susanna Benson, . the ·tnin ist�� s
own aunt," be said t� ' himself. ··''What shall I do ?
I shall be afrain to go to chur<ili nex� Sund3f 1' ';,
tll
Dt)ar l .d�ar ·! ·W hat shall 1 · do,. t " ctied Miss
Susanna, as she raised herself from ll® . hetizoatal
position, ttu14 begttb' ·to ;adjust lten: b� wlrieh bad
cot someWlia.t �y. '�1f!J.; my e�s ke:- all &peiled !
· -

\l&letlJ i&ined t . GV&ty fag l lbi\le OD _., - ;,', �.. _ ,.

cr.
· · y{l)u burt any, � t -t,
, ;._ '4r:. �•�te pD(Jr
.
44 JOHN'S .ADVENTURES.

lrnight, w h o had now succeeded in dismounting, . and

l1ad taken his handkerchief from his pocket, 'vith the
intention of wiping some o( the mud from the lady's
dress. " H urt ? " cried the lady ; . " I'm sure I don't
· know, nor care ; but I know I have utterly ruined
my silk dress. I would rather have brolien a limb,
much rather ; and my rose-colored · 0 dem,,
dear t I shall dream all night about it. I know I ·

shall ! ''
" Let me wipe off the mud, ma'am. I did not
tnean to do it. I riding along, and going to do
was

all. the good I could, instead of ''

· '' Take away your dirty handkerchief f Didn't

mean to ? Going to do good r A new way to · d o
good, to go riding dogs about the streets ; as if dogs
alone were uot a sufficient nuisanc·e in the. streets, or
boys either, ·without their coming upon one both
together, and monk�ys to boot ! Don't touch me ,
fot meroy'.s sake ! Where :is that monkey, or what-
ever it was, 1 'f" · " I. I :" �·
,

John looked about to see where Pompey and the

monk&y had betaken themselve s ; but he s&\V'
notbiag of thuJD.- l'Crlo was standing. near, and, as
Miss S l18alllla ·would not aeeept of hia pro1fered aid,
 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES. 45

Johnny picked u p his shield, and ag�n mounted his

steed, who now, as he stood with his tongue hanging
out of his mouth, looked as if he would be likely to
trot on very sedately. " Well," said Johnny, as he
noticed on the ground the cat-o'-nine-tail, broken i n
the middle, " I have shivered one lance - though, I
must confess, it was not in defence of a damsel, t\8
Harry says the knights did."

' .
 46 ..TORN'S ADVENTURES.

CHAPTER VI.

lLO trotted along very quietly, and

.
Miss Susanna paced after. Pres­
ently, Johnny saw Pompey coming
over from the other side of the road ;
but the monlrey he sa'v nothing
more of, and he was not sorry to be rid of such
a squire. With the except ion of overturning one
or t'vo little children, that were tottliug along the
" sidewalk, and costing their attendant tnaids a few
screams, the knight did no further damage i n the
v illage. His steed trotted along till he came to
a pump, with a tub of water under its spout, where

he stopped, of his own free-will, to drink ; and as,

_
unlike the generality of steeds, he reared up and
placed his fore feet upon the edge of the tub, (which,
being one half of a hogshead7 was rather high for his
'

�
,.

nose,) Johnny slid down the back, and then off from
the crupper of his horse. This was not a usual nor
 '
.JOBB S ADVENTURES,. 47

a graceful way for a knight to dismount, but so

ended Johnny's knightly ride. When Mil.o had done
drinking, t�oughf he attempted to mo unt again ; but
it seemed to be the dog's opinion that it 'vas no \v .
quite time for a little rest ; for, just as John wa�
throwing his right. leg over the creature's back,, down
he went flat upon the ground, and, laying his head
upon his fore pa\vs, seemed to be composing himself
for an afternoon nap ; and Pompey did the same.
They wer� I ying in . t he shadow of a t��e wbieh .
overhung the pump ; and, Johnny thinking it no
more than fair that his steed should have a little
rest, and feeling also the need of some hims1elf, he
let Milo remain where he was, and threw-· himself
down on a little grassy spot, beside him. While he
sat there, he began to think about poor Miss Susanna ;
and he felt so badly on account of t he injury which
her handsome silk dress and satin bonnet ha�d sus­
tained by his means, and the vexation he had occ,a­
sioned her, that he determin�d, lest he- sboul� bring a
like disaster upon some one else1 not to mona�t aplo
till he had got, out of the village. He resolve�!, also,
not to go on any farther, but tQ rettnn . to the :Qtarsh,
 '
48 JOHN S ADVENTURES.

an� look for the tin pail, which Milo had dropped
there. So, as soon as he thought the dogs had got
well rested, John set off again for the marsh, \vhich
he soon reached by a short cut through the fields.
He recollected the exact spot where the pail had
been dropped, and thither he made his way, through
the bushes and over the boggy ground, as straight as
he could. He found the t i n pail lying near the
broolr, and \Vas just picking it up, when he was
startled by the loud bleating of a lamb from amongst
the bushes, close beside him. He knew there were
no sheep kept i n that field, and, in great wonder­
Inent, he went s.earching in amongst the bushes,
where he presentl y discovered a fat and pretty little
lamb, looking to be about six or eight weeks old ;
there was a string hanging from its neck, and the end
nf the string had become entangled in the bushes,
so that the poor lamb could only move a few steps.
John knew this must be a pet of some one, which
bad strayed away, and now could not return to its
o�nsr ; so he disentangled the string, and led the
htmb · from out the bushes, with the intention of
taking it to the nearest house, that be might inquire
 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES.

whom it belonged to. Near by the marsh there was a

deep an4 thickly-\vooded dell, on the steep sides of
which he had often been to gather hazel-nuts. _ He
was leading the lamb -which was very quiet, and not
much afraid of him nor of the dogs -along in the
direction of this dell, and had come quite near,
when he heard, proceeding from the bottom of it,
another voice of distress. It 'vas the voice of a child,
and John thought it sounded like a little girl's voice,
and he could not help hoping it might be the mis­
tress of the lamb. � The child was not really sobbing., .. -'
apparently, b�t, in most woful tones, kept calling,
'' May·! little May ! where are you, little May ? "
The brook of the marsh went winding .d own to wards
. the dell, where at length it fell, foaming, in a pretty
cascade. John ran along the brook's border till he
found himself at the bottom of the beautiful dell,
through which the brook, singing as it went its
pleasant way, dowed along in the sh�e of over­
hanging trees and clustering underwoocJ.
• .. '
S�eiug
.t
'DO

one there, John gave a shout, and t1u1' lamb, too,

bleated, as though to call some one ; and .now, all at
ouce, a little girl appeared fsom amonpt dla buhe&,
 ' JOHN'S Al>VENTURES.
50

who, so soon as she beheld the lamb, sprang' for- ·

wards, laughing, and, as she stooped down and
threw her arms around· ! t, cried, 1' Why, May ! you
are not dead, are you ? J fJ."' he ugly creature did not
kill you, did he : "

. .
 .lOSN'S .ADVENTtJRES. 51

CHAPTER VII.

EFORE the little girl had had time to

notice who it was had brought her lit­
tl e pet back. to her, Johnny had recog­
nized in her th e l ittle girl who m� b.e
had fo und singing on the style - little
Phcebe, his o wn damsel, for wh o-m h e had promised
- kn ightly deeds.
to ao And n o w, in truth , h e had
doue her a. se rviee without k h�wing it.
'' Ah! ' ' cried Phmbe, as sh e .lifted h e r"'· kOOd ir o tn
·

the lamb's neck and looke � ti p a t .John , smiling

t hrough the tears that rested on he r,rosy chee ks, " is
it you, 1o se ph ?· Where did yo find my l ammy ? " .

" He was caught � in the b h e s1 dowu iD the

mars&,'' said lohD! 1'· 1 aM 1gtM[ �· . fouai him iot
. .r . . , ,
••
yo tt.� ·
"�'"' ' '
· · · ··· · ·
.
� . t
'' 1 llad � him close by the � brook · Md was
rt!,
holdin g him by the trmg;t'an4· • �• . u,ty
iliout�f catnb . run .. g";tllro «�en,· ad -,hen
 '
62 JOHN S ADVENTURES.

May saw him, be broke away from me and scam­

pered off as fast as .he could go ; and I have been
looking all about the dell for him. 0, I was so
frightened ! I was afraid the monkey might have
· killed him."
" That old monkey is a rogue," said John. " I
have had enough of him to-day, I know that."
' ' Have you seen him about here this afternoon r "
aslted Phrebe.
" Yes. He undertook to be my sqUire, and rode
into the village with me."
" Ah ! Now tell me about your adventures, Jo­
· seph."
" My name is not Joseph/' said John. " It is
· John Muggins."
n John Muggins ? Why, I thought you said it
was Joe - something. 7 1

'' No, 'tis not ; 'tis John Muggitts, " said Johnny,
whose heart was now so taken up with the little
girl's SOTr�w and joy on account of her f{)st and found
pet, and with delight that he had been the one to
find the pet · mr her.- that- he · had nearly forgotten t()
keep up b is. ·character of the gallaut knight, Giovanni.
" And now .tel me what brave deeds you have
 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES. 53

done," said Phrebe. '' Did you relieve any body's

distress ? "
'' Why, I-I tried to. I shoul� if I could."
" Well, whom did you meet first that wanted help? ,
" Nothing but a pig." · ...

'' Ha, ha ! Well, did you help him ? "

" Why, no. Some one else helped him 'before I
could dismount."
" That was a pity. Whom did you meet next ? ''

" Let me think. 0, it was one person beating

another. "
" And you d rove a\vay the one \Vho wa.s doing
such a naughty thing ? "
" No, I didn't ; because it was only a woman
whipping her little boy. Then next I Dle4t'- a little
girl, crying because she had dropped her i�- �nter­
bread."
" Ah ! then you have helped somebody.. You
cettainly picked up her gingerbread ? "
" Why, no. droppedt it any
I should if she bad
where else ; but I could not go down int& the we! I ,
you know. She dropped 'it rigllt intt> the WEl.lL"
" What a pity f And wha' next ? » .- -i :

« Next I went down into the· marab, elose 1by Jwte,

von know."
 64 .J.OHN'S ADVENTURES.

" I thought you were going straight to the vil­

lage."
'' I did mean to ; but - but -but Milo carried
tne --- "
" 0, what an unfortunate knight ! You · went
because your steed would go, as John Gilpin did
to his friend the draper's."
"Wel l, I found a man in distress down there.''
'' What did you do for him ? ''
" I did all I could. That old monkey had stolen
his hat, and I - I tt�ed to get it away from him."
John then gave Phoobe an account of the pussy
chase into the village. "But when I got into the
village," said he, laughing, " I did break a lanee for
one lady ; or, no - I believe she ,broke it for me ! ''
" What do you mean ? You did, 'then, help one
out of some trouble ? "
" Why, no ; bl.lt I - I threw one into it ! "
" Why, John ! what a knight ! I thought you
said knights helped people out of trouble."
" So they did, when they could ; but, somehow,
, I could- not find just the right sort of trouble, while I
•

was playing knight�rrant ; but I have, at �lt done

·

.Ofle good d�d, haVih 1· not 2 ''

 '
J.ORN S ADVENTUlitES.
•

" Yes, iQdeed. You brought me my little lammy

•

back.''
" Bnt Miss Susanna Benson ! Shall I not be afraid
to go to church next Sunday ? "
" She i.s one of the grandest ladies in the village,"
said Phrebe. " Only think, John ! But it Wa$ �ot
your fault, exactly."
"I do not care whether she is grand or not,"
said John. " I should have �een sorry to throw .
any one down into the mud. Where do you gp tq
church ? "
" I go to the church near our house ; the church
with the two square towers."
" Do you ? That is just where I go. It seems to
me I have seen you before, walking to church. Don't
you wear a white frock, and a straw hat with a blue
ribbon ? "
" Yes ; that is exactly what I wear, sometimes."
" And you live in that cottage, close by the
church.? "
" Yes.. "
John and Phrebe staid by the bfodk a while
longer, and talked, while the lamb laid himself near
them on t he gra$8; ,md the dog s W1nit rambling •
56 .JOHN'S ADVENTURES •

.- about where they chose. Whi1e they sat talking,

John saw a sparrow fly from out some bushes not far
.
off, and he went and peeped i n amongst the bushes,
to see if he could find its nest ; and there indeed it
was, with three little young ones in it, stretching
their mouths wide open. He hastened back and
told Phcebe, nnd then he took her by the hand and
led her to the place, that she might see the pretty
nest. B u t, as the sparrow was chirping near by, and
seemed disturbed, they both left the spot.
JOHN'S ADVENTURES. 57
 68 '
�OBN S ADVENTURES.

CHAPTER VIII.

'

H E dell was such a bea utiful p lace, and

John and Phrebe liked each other so
w ell, that they staid there, ra mbling
about, gathering flowers, a n d look ing
for b ird s' nest�, till nea rly sunset,
when Phrebe sa id it was time fo r her to b e u pon
her way home ; a nd Jo hn sa id h e would . go w ith
her a s fa r as the head o f the lane, for th e la ne
•

was also h is nearest way home ; and so they all

11 w ent along together -Phrebe with her la mb, a nd
John w ith his two dogs. B ut, before they had
reached the lane, Joh n had the p leasure of again
exerc ising h is gallantry an d h is kindness in the
relief o f female distress. This sufferer was no less
a personage tha n a fa vorite hen of Phrebe's, which
bad strayed away ioto the fie]ds behind the house,
and had b een pounced upon by a hawk. The
hawk had let her fall upon her bac k, and was just
 JOHN' S ADVENTURES. 59

about to pounce upon her a second time, when,

seeing John running up, flourishing his cap in his
hand, he changed his mind, and flew off.

When they parted, at the turning of the lane,

Phrebe invited John to come and see her the next
day, and to bring his brother Thomas, and they
would have a little play-supper together, on a bench
just outside the cottage door.
When John got home, he told bis adventures to
Harry and Thomas, very much to their aQluse�nt,
�special l y that of Harry, who seemed to �·: a �'

cm�l satisfaction in repeating over tbe �·! ,. Poor

&0 JOHN'S ADVENTURE�.

Miss Susanna ! If that wasn't the cream of it ! "

which he al 'vays followed by a loud laugh.
The next afternoon, John and Thon1as \vent to see
Phrebe and her pretty lamb. They found Phrebe
spreading, upon a small bench, iu a shady plaee near
the cottage door, her little tea-set. Thomas though t
she was one of the pleasantest little girls he had ever
seen, and May the fattest and cleanest lamb. When

their little table was all pre pared , the three c�hildr-en
�n� f.hemselves around it, and the lamb came nnd
la.t4 hia little nose upon it seve1·al timP-s, as if he
..
 JOH N ' S ADVENTURES . 61

wanted to make one of the supper party ; so Phrebe

went and brought sorne n1ilk in a pail and fed him
'vi t h it ; and then he went and lay down · on the
g rass. While the chil dren ate from their little dish es,
whic h Phrebe had arranged and filled so prettily,
they amused t hemselves and each other by tel J i n g
anecdotes o f their pets. The boys had many nlar­
vellous accounts to give of the sagacity and faithful­
ness of Milo and Pompey, and Phrebe had much to
tell about the gentlene�s and pretty ways of her
lamb.
 '
JOHN S ADVENTURES •

•
 1"BE l>WABP IN S.EA.l\CB OF A LODGING. "
63

rTIE DWARF IN SEARCH OF A LODGING.

A LEGEND.

NE night, during a tremendous storm o(

wind' and rait�, a dwarf �ame travetli•
through a little village, and went ·rrom
cottage to cottage, dripping with rain,
knocking in vai� at the doors for admission.
Ac the very ettd of the 'ritlage tffete dwelt two
honest, poot people, a man and his wife. Tired and
taint, the d'W'arf crept on h� staff ult r-to th-eir lronse,
and tapped t mvde�fy; tbtae· 'times at· 1iie little win·
d�w. lmlll ediately 'the old sheph erd o}re n ea tbe door
for him, and cheerfully otfered'him s-uch -cheer as the
house afforded.. W eate�� t6� dwarl ·aid,
Aftet he
" I thank you from my.lleatt (ot tnis; and God reward
yau for it ! Now that I am rested I lfill praeeed on
,

lartller." "' God forbid ! " cried the sood woman ;

" yau sutely don't think o(. going out in the night
aDd io the storm ? It were better lor you to take a
bed here, and set out in the daylight.,., But the
dwarf shook his head, and re plied, '' You little know
what business I have ia hand.. But to-1norrow yo u
shall . t6}9 Ul•t J � not ungrateful (or lhe kindness
you ' htiW · Shown " to \ne.."� �So saying� the dwarf
departed. ,.
But lbe storm and tempest . still increased. The
�� . along t:f\e� ·"d {�y, tmd torrents of
lig.htPi9 �
·_Waler_ ���,red ,do� t -�e _hil:Js ,,aud tb�gh Jhe valley.
Tbe .wav� �d -e.d- t� .cot�· p( the t wo old
P,ople, .a�. i;& t� "nd dis�"r� � stoOd before
th:eir d�� ��- ·t��d ,ypn}aching, in the
u»d(]h� of.: .�--� ��� :. � -..Jiata�
· _

' pi� �i rock,

' . j and o n i� .

jum� �11-,,.t�i �� ;�� if �· "'•-� ridin g and

steering �- �Jti. - �� �k Qf !' pi�:e�.·til� .�a brought
it bcfate �-.�,.,. � . h & ���� •-he water and
·

_
. '

lu!pt it frotri� � . -.��t '� · �h�. �·· it. a.nd the good
own"a " e�i,J ·,< ;� ;-,��ff ,t� vani-s�ed iu t.ho
�t w.JU}� . _t�,e . �: ·,... e '!taft prayi ng lo God, and
tbankittg him.., iGJ..
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