THE THIRD TALE OF THE MERRY MEN OF GOTHAM
There was a man of Gotham, who went to the market in Bexhill to sell his cheeses, carrying them on bags slung across his shoulders. As he was going down the hill by the Downs, one of the cheeses fell out of his bag and quickly rolled down the hill and out of his sight ‘Blast it,’ said the man, ‘That cheese seems to know the way to market and is hurrying to get there. If the cheeses can travel there on their own, why on earth am I carrying them?’ So he took the heavy bags from his back and taking out the cheeses, he tumbled them down the hill one after the other. Down they rolled, gathering speed as they went and the man called after them, ‘Now I charge you to meet me in the market-place’ as they disappeared out of sight. One rolled under one bush and one rolled under another and so the man walked to the market with never another sight of his cheeses. He soon arrived at the market to meet his cheeses but, though he hunted high and low, he couldn’t find them anywhere.
He asked everyone if they’d seen his cheeses arrive at the market. People said no and asked him who was bringing them. ‘Why, they brought themselves – they knew the way well enough. You should have seen how they tore down that hill eager to get here’ replied the man. ‘In fact, I was so worried at the speed they were going I thought they might run beyond the market. The more I think of it, I’m sure that’s what they’ve done. By now they’re probably as far as Hastings. I must go after them.’ So he immediately hired a horse, and rode after them to Hastings, but was very much disappointed. To this day neither the man nor anyone else has ever heard what became of the cheeses.
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