THE DEVIL'S POOL
"That 's not hard to do," answered the grave-digger, and he thundered in a powerful voice:
"'Six months ago, 'twas in the spring . . .'"
"'I wandered through the sprouting grass, '"
answered the hemp-dresser in a slightly hoarse but terrible voice. You must be jesting, my poor friends, singing us such time-worn songs. You see very well that we can stop you at the first word."
"'She was a prince's daughter . . . '"
"'Right gladly would she wed,'"
answered the hemp-dresser. "Come, move on to the next; we know that a little too well."
The Grave-digger: "How do you like this one?—
"'As I was journeying home from Nantes.'"
The Hemp-dresser:
"'Weary, oh, weary, was I, was I.'"
"That dates from my grandmother's time. Let 's have another."
The Grave-digger:
"'One day I went a- walking . . .'"
The Hemp-dresser:
"'Along a lovely wood!'"
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