EIGHTH TALE OF THE MERRY MEN OF GOTHAM
On a time, there was a man of Gotham, that went a mowing in the meadows and found a great grasshopper, bigger than any he’d ever seen. He immediately threw down his scythe and ran home to his neighbours saying that the Devil was there in the field, and was hopping amongst the grass.
Every man in the village turned out with clubs and staves, halberts, and other weapons to kill the grasshopper. As they drew close to the place in the meadow where the grasshopper was, One said to the others, ‘Let every man cross himself as protection from the Devil,’ They all stopped and did so – and found that none of them had the courage to keep going. They were all muttering under their breath and they began to back away, saying that it was best not to meddle with the devil. They turned as one and began to run out of the field.
‘You cowards,’ called the man who had found the grasshopper, ‘Is no one going to help me fetch my good scythe?’ ‘No we’re not,’ called one man. ‘It’s good to sleep in a whole skin! Better you should lose your scythe that we should all be cursed!’ After a moment’s thought, the scythe man agreed and went running from the meadow behind them.