There was once a little Brownie who lived in a hollow tree stump. He
had been busy all the day playing pranks. His pranks had taken him
far away from home to the house of a very important laird. Into the
laird's cup of wine he had dropped some sour berries which he had
picked on his way. He also put thistles into his boots, so that when
the laird had drawn them on he had screamed out with pain.
The Brownie had been away all the day, so that when at last he turned
to go back to his home he felt really very tired. On his way back to
the wood he passed by a cozy-looking farmhouse. The door of the dairy
was open. The Brownie thought this would be a very nice cool place
in which to rest for a few moments. So he slipped into the dairy, and
curled himself up underneath the bench to have a nice little doze.
He was so weary that once he had fallen asleep he never woke up again
until it was quite dark, when he was disturbed by two lassies who had
come into the dairy.
One was carrying a candle in her hand, and by its light the pair
espied a big bowl of cream on the shelf. The naughty girls thought
that they would drink it for supper. They could only find one spoon
on the shelf, so they decided they would each have a spoonful in turn.
Lassie Jean took the bowl and carried it to a bench in the corner, and
Lassie Meg followed it with the candle. No sooner had the two girls
settled themselves than the Brownie, who was now wide awake, and who
was himself feeling that some supper might not be out of place, crept
up behind them and blew out the candle.
The lassies at first were very much concerned at being in the dark;
nevertheless they determined they would drink the cream, all the same.
Lassie Jean filled the spoon with the rich delicacy. She was about to
raise it to her lips when the naughty Brownie poked his head over her
shoulder, and lapped it out of the spoon before it had reached her
mouth. Lassie Meg, believing that Lassie Jean had already swallowed
some cream while she had had none, stretched out her hand to take away
the spoon from her friend. Lassie Jean was not willing to give it
up, since she said she had not yet tasted any cream. Lassie Meg was
unwilling to believe her, for she declared she had heard her lapping
the cream.
Without waiting for Lassie Jean to explain, she snatched the spoon out
of her friend's hand. She filled it with cream from the bowl, and
was about to raise it to her lips when the Brownie jumped from behind
Lassie Jean, and settling himself behind Lassie Meg's shoulders, poked
forward his head, and again lapped up the cream from out of the spoon.
Lassie Jean in her turn snatched back the spoon from Lassie Meg. Thus
they went on, for every time one or the other raised the spoonful
of cream to her lips it was lapped up by the Brownie. This continued
until the bowl was emptied. The Brownie was full of cream, but
the poor lassies had not so much as tasted one drop, although each
believed the other had drunk it all.
The lassies were still quarreling when the door of the dairy was
opened, and the farmer's wife entered, carrying a lighted candle in
her hand. The moment that she did so the Brownie hopped under the
bench and the lassies started up guiltily.
The farmer's wife caught sight of the empty basin. She was very angry
with them indeed. When they tried hastily to explain, each blaming
the other, the farmer's wife would not listen, but only grew the more
angry. She told them that, since they had supped so well, they should
have none of the scones and eggs which she had prepared for the
evening meal in the kitchen.
When the farmer's wife had entered she had left the door open, so
while she was busily scolding the lassies the Brownie slipped out
from under the bench and made his escape. As he ran chuckling down
the road, he could still hear her angry voice drowning the attempted
explanations of the bewildered lassies. When the little fellow curled
himself up some time later in the tree trunk he was still laughing.
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