THE ELEVENTH TALE
There was a young man of Gotham, who went a wooing a fair maid. He was invited to have a meal at her home and he was very nervous about how he should behave, because he'd never courted a girl before. He asked his mother for advice. His mother was not at all keen on the young woman his son fancied - though no girl would be good enough as the mother didn't want to lose her son. So this was her advice:
'Sheep's eyes are a great love token. Cast sheep's eyes onto the table in front of the girl and she'll find you irresistible.'
So on his way to the girl's house, the young man called at the butchers and bought 7 or 8 sheep's eyes - the more the merrier. The meal went splendidly and after the meal, the girl turned towards him and smiled prettily. This was his moment. He took out the sheep's eyes and with a flourish he threw them on the table, where they rolled towards her.
The girl jumped up with a scream. 'What are you doing, casting sheep's eyes at me? What a horrible trick. Get out - and take your sheep's eyes with you!!' and she beat him about the head with a frying pan as she chased him out the door.
The heartbroken young man went home and told his mother what had happened. 'Well she was clearly a very odd girl. You're better off without her - you've had a narrow escape.' said the wicked old woman.
The heartbroken young man never summoned up the courage to go wooing again and stayed at home and cared for her mother until she died.