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OW, in the tavern were TunÉ, the tailor, with a coat he had made for a customer, and Nanasse, and Polydore, and Rumble his dog, four of the wildest wags in that country-side.

TunÉ went out of the tavern to see what kind of night it was, and there was the sack and something in it that moved. So he opened the sack, and what should he find but a pretty tall maid, trussed like a fowl.

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Well, he let her out and she told him all about it, and, as she was not dying to marry our Johnny, off she ran to her own village as hard as she could go.

‘What am I to fill the sack with?’ thought TunÉ. ‘By George, I’ll put in Polydore’s yellow dog, Rumble.’

So he whistled to Rumble and put him in the sack.

By this time Johnny had finished his ale, and he came out, hoisted the sack on his shoulder, and marched away without asking questions. Tune followed at a little distance, and, as Rumble knew a friend was there, why, he entered into the fun and said never a bark.

At last Johnny reached Hergnies, and where should he go to but to the parson’s, of course, to get married! Then it occurred to him that he had never asked the maid if she would have him! He put down the sack and opened it.

‘I say, maid,’ quoth he, ‘shall us get married, us two?’

‘G-r-r-r-r-r-r!’ says the maid.

Johnny, in a fright, let go his hold of the cord, the sack fell open, out jumped Rumble, and flew at his throat.

Johnny sprang into a willow-tree and climbed up it, but, lo and behold! the tree was rotten, and down came tree and Johnny and all on the back of Rumble! Now, Rumble was expecting nothing of that sort, and, with one wild yowl, he flew away like the wind, and never stopped till the town gates of CondÉ were closed behind him!

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