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THE YOUTH WHO COULD NOT |
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ing tall and strong, you must learn very soon to earn your own living. See how your brother works, while you do nothing but run and jump about all day,"
Well, father," he replied, " I am quite ready to earn my own living when you like, if I may only learn to shiver and shake, for I don't know how to do that at alL"
His brother laughed at this speech, and said to himself " What a simpleton my brother is, he will have to sweep the streets by and by or else starve."
His father sighed andsaid," You will never get your living by that, boy, but you will soon learn to shiver and shake, no doubt"
Just at this moment the sexton of the church came in, and the father related the trouble he was in about frs youngest son who was so silly and unable to learn. "What do you think he said to me when I told him he must learn to earn his own living? "asked the father.
"Something silly, I suppose," answered the sexton. "Silly, indeed! he said he wished he could learn to shiver and shake."
"Oh!" cried the sexton, "let him come to me, I'll soon manage that for him ; he won't be long learning to shiver and shake if I have him with me."
The father was delighted with this proposal, it was really a good beginning for his stupid son. So the sexton took the youth in hand at once, led him to the church-tower, and made him help to ring the bells. For the first two days he liked it very well, but on the third at midnight the sexton roused him out of his sleep to toll the passing bell, so he had to mount to the highest part of the church-tower and toll the bell.
" You will soon learn what it is to shiver and shake now, young man," thought the sexton, but he did not go home, as we shall hear by-and-by. The youth walked through the churchyard and mounted the steps to the belfry without feeling the least fear, but just as he reached the bell-ropr\ he saw a figure in white standing on the steps.
" Who's there ?" he cried. But the figure neither moved nor spoke. " Answer me " h$ said, " or take yourself off; you have no business here." |
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