Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rudyard Kipling
‘No, no. That time he kept his oath to Torrigiano. But I made much o’ me, and asked me to draft him out a drawing, a
pitied him. Eh, well! Now I come to my own follies. I had piece of carved and gilt scroll-work for the bows of one of the
never thought too little of myself; but after Torrisany had King’s Ships—the Sovereign was her name.’
put his arm round my neck, I—I’ —Hal broke into a laugh— ‘Was she a man-of-war?’asked Dan.
‘I lay there was not much odds ‘twixt me and a cock-sparrow ‘She was a warship, and a woman called Catherine of Castile
in his pride.’
desired the King to give her the ship for a pleasure-ship of her
‘I was pretty middlin’ young once on a time,’ said Mr own. I did not know at the time, but she’d been at Bob to get
Springett.
this scroll-work done and fitted that the King might see it. I
‘Then ye know that a man can’t drink and dice and dress made him the picture, in an hour, all of a heat after supper—
fine, and keep company above his station, but his work suf- one great heaving play of dolphins and a Neptune or so reinfers
for it, Mus’ Springett.’
ing in webby-footed sea-horses, and Arion with his harp high
‘I never held much with dressin’ up, but—you’re right! The atop of them. It was twenty-three foot long, and maybe nine
worst mistakes I ever made they was made of a Monday foot deep—painted and gilt.’
morning,’ Mr Springett answered. ‘We’ve all been one sort of It must ha’ justabout looked fine,’ said Mr Springett.
fool or t’other. Mus’ Dan, Mus’ Dan, take the smallest gouge, ‘That’s the curiosity of it. ’Twas bad—rank bad. In my con-
or you’ll be spluttin’ her stem works clean out. Can’t ye see ceit I must needs show it to Torrigiano, in the chapel. He
the grain of the wood don’t favour a chisel?’
straddles his legs, hunches his knife behind him, and whistles
‘I’ll spare you some of my follies. But there was a man called like a storm-cock through a sleet-shower. Benedetto was be-
Brygandyne—Bob Brygandyne—Clerk of the King’s Ships, a hind him. We were never far apart, I’ve told you.
little, smooth, bustling atomy, as clever as a woman to get work ‘“That is pig’s work,” says our Master. “Swine’s work. You
done for nothin’ —a won’erful smooth-tongued pleader. He make any more such things, even after your fine Court sup-
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