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The old man answered then anon,
"when-ere3 shee lookes thy face vpon,

her tayle shall wind the horne 5
124 Soe Lowdlye, that who shold 6 it heare
shall not be able to forbeare,

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When it grew neere vpon1o the night,
Iacke, well prepared,11 hied home full right;-
itt was his ordinance ;-

136 And as he went his pipe did blow,

the whilest his cattell on a row

about him gan to 12 dance;

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"Meateless I haue lyen all the day,

152 & kept your beasts, they did not stray;

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This greeued his stepdames hart full sore,

who lothed 12 the Ladd still more & more;

shee stared 13 him in the face:

160 with that shee let goe such a blast
that made 14 the people all agast,

itt sounded 15 through the place;

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finds his father supping, and asks for a help.

His father throws him a capon's wing.

The stepdame stares at him, fulfils the old man's promise,

and is laughed at

15 And sounded.-P.

16 did laugh & make.-P.

She stares again, with the same result.

The boy triumphs.

She tells her wrongs to a friar,

168

"Perdy," the boy sayd, "well I wott
that gun was both well charged1 & shott,
& might haue broke a stone."

ffull curstlye2 shee lookt on him tho:
that looke another cracke3 lett goe
which did a thunder1 rise.

172 Quoth the boy, "did" you euer see
a woman let her pelletts flee

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More thicke & more at ease?

ffye!" said the boy vnto his dame,
176"temper your teltale bumm, for shame!"
which made her full of sorrow.

180

"Dame," said the goodman, "goe thy way,
for why, I sweare, by night nor day 8
thy geere is not to borrow."

Now afterwards, as you shall heare,
Vnto the house there came a fryar,

& lay there all the night.

184 The wiffe this fryer loued as a Saint,9
& to him made a great complaint
of Iackes most vile despight.

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"for gods loue meet this boy1 to-morrow,

beat him well, & giue him sorrow,

& make him blind or lame."

196 The fryar swore he wold him beat, the wiffe prayd him 3 not to forgett, the boy did her much shame:

"Some wiche he is," quoth shee, "I smell." 200 "but," quoth the fryar, "Ile beat him well! of that take you noe care;

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"Now, boy," he sayd, "god giue thee shame!
what hast thou done to thy stepdame ?

and asks him

to beat the boy soundly.

The friar agrees.

Next day

the boy

goes afield as before, followed by the friar ;

who asks him to explain his conduct.

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Jack

changes the subject; offers to shoot a bird,

and give it to the friar.

Shoots it.

The friar

gone among the bushes

to pick it up, Jack pipes and makes

him dance.

The briars scratch and tear him.

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There sate a small birde in a5 bryar:

Shoot, shoot, you wagg," then sayd the fryer,
"for that I long to see."6

232 Iacke hitt the bird vpon the head

soe right that shee fell downe for dead,

noe further cold shee flee.

ffast to the bush the fryar went,

236

&

240

vp the bird in hand7 hee hent,8

much wondering at the chance.

Meane while Iacke tooke his pipe & playd
soe lowd, the fryar grew mad apaide,1o
& fell to skip & dance;

Now sooner was 12 the pipes sound heard,
but Bedlam like 13 he bou[n]cet & fared,

& leapt the bush about;

244 The sharpe bryars cacth 14 him by the face,
& by the breech & other place,

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