Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
squabby Neptunes the less I liked ‘em; and Arion was a pure catch mice. She must sail the seas, Master Dawe. She’ll be
flaming shame atop of the unbalanced dolphins.
hired to merchants for the trade. She’ll be out in all shapes o’
‘“I doubt it will be fresh expense to draft it again,” he says. weathers. Does that make any odds?” ‘“Why, then,” says I,
‘“Bob never paid me for the first draft. I lay he’ll never pay “the first heavy sea she sticks her nose into’ll claw off half that
me for the second. ‘Twill cost the King nothing if I re-draw scroll-work, and the next will finish it. If she’s meant for a
it,” I says.
pleasure-ship give me my draft again, and I’ll porture you a
‘“There’s a woman wishes it to be done quickly,” he says. pretty, light piece of scroll-work, good cheap. If she’s meant
“We’ll stick to your first drawing, Master Dawe. But thirty for the open-sea, pitch the draft into the fire. She can never
pounds is thirty pounds. You must make it less.’
carry that weight on her bows.
‘And all the while the faults in my draft fair leaped out and ‘He looks at me squintlings and plucks his under-lip.
hit me between the eyes. At any cost, I thinks to myself, I ‘“Is this your honest, unswayed opinion?” he says.
must get it back and re-draft it. He grunts at me impatiently, ‘“Body o’ me! Ask about!” I says. “Any seaman could tell
and a splendid thought comes to me, which shall save me. By you ’tis true. I’m advising you against my own profit, but
the same token, It was quite honest.’
why I do so is my own concern.
‘They ain’t always,’ says Mr Springett. ‘How did you get ‘“Not altogether “, he says. “It’s some of mine. You’ve saved
out of it?’
me thirty pounds, Master Dawe, and you’ve given me good
‘By the truth. I says to Master Fur Cap, as I might to you arguments to use against a willful woman that wants my fine
here, I says, “I’ll tell you something, since you seem a knowl- new ship for her own toy. We’ll not have any scroll-work.”
edgeable man. Is the Sovereign to lie in Thames river all her His face shined with pure joy.
days, or will she take the high seas?”
‘“Then see that the thirty pounds you’ve saved on it are
‘“Oh,” he says quickly, “the King keeps no cats that don’t honestly paid the King,” I says, “and keep clear o’ women-
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