Chapter I: Front Matter

A PICTURE-BOOK OF
MERRY TALES.

A
Picture-Book
OF
Merry Tales.

_London: Bosworth and Harrison, 215, Regent Street._

CONTENTS.

Page
I.
The Birth of Owlglass, and how he was thrice baptized 1

II.
How all the People of the Village, both Men and Women, made
complaints of young Owlglass; and how, whilst on horseback
with his Father, without his knowledge, he made game of
them all 5

III.
How Owlglass crept into a Beehive; and how, when two Thieves
came in the night to steal it, he managed to set them
quarrelling, so that they came to blows and left the Hive
behind them 10

IV.
How Owlglass ate a roasted Fowl off the spit, and did only
half Work 15

V.
How Owlglass was forbidden the Duchy of Luneburgh, and bought
himself Land of his own 19

VI.
Of the manner in which Owlglass paints a Picture for the
Count of Hessen, and how he persuades him that those of
base birth could not see the Painting 23

VII.
How, at Erfurt, Owlglass taught a Donkey to read 29

VIII.
How Owlglass brought it about that the Watch of Nurenberg
fell into the Water 33

IX.
How Owlglass appears as Dentist and Doctor 37

X.
How Owlglass sells his Horse to a Jew, and on what Terms 41

XI.
How Owlglass sells an Old Hat for more than its Weight in
Gold 45

XII.
How Owlglass, by means of a false Confession, cheated the
Priest of Riesenburgh out of his Horse; and how he steals
another Priest's Snuff-box 48

XIII.
How a Bootmaker of Brunswick larded Owlglass's Boots; and how
he was paid for doing so 56

XIV.
How Owlglass hires himself to a Tailor; and how well he
executes his Master's Orders 60

XV.
How Owlglass caused Three Tailors to fall from their
Work-board, and persuaded the People that the Wind had
blown them down 63

XVI.
How Owlglass tells a Truth to a Smith, to his Wife, his
Assistant, and his Maidservant, for which he gets his Horse
shod 66

XVII.
How Owlglass hired himself to a Merchant as Cook and Coachman 70

XVIII.
How Owlglass cheated a Horse-dealer at Wismar, and afterwards
cheated the Public 78

XIX.
How Owlglass sowed Rogues 82

XX.
How Owlglass hired himself to a Barber, and entered his House
through the Window 85

XXI.
How Owlglass frightened an Innkeeper at Eisleben with a dead
Wolf 90

XXII.
The Grateful Animals 95

XXIII.
Tim Jarvis 106

XXIV.
The Shoemaker and the Dwarfs 115

XXV.
The Countryman and the Jew 121

XXVI.
My Watch 130

XXVII.
Fittletetot 140

XXVIII.
The wee Bannock 148

XXIX.
Jock and his Mother 154

XXX.
The Irish Highwayman 161

XXXI.
Fiddling Jackey 169

XXXII.
Teeny-Tiny 199

XXXIII.
The Cannibal Cow 203

XXXIV.
The Three Men of Gotham on Nottingham Bridge 224

XXXV.
The Man of Gotham and his Cheeses 231

XXXVI.
Twelve Men of Gotham go out Fishing together 236

XXXVII.
The Cobbler's Wager 243

XXXVIII.
The Miller and his Donkey 256

XXXIX.
Dr. Dobbs, and his Horse Nobbs 263

XL.
The Brownie 268

[Decoration]