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Poor Seppy hung head downwards as far up the chimney as Molly was off the roof. To add to his misfortunes he had overturned the stool on which stood the churn, and so upset all the cream over the floor.

When Bella came home at midday, the first thing that met her eye was the cow, which being half strangled was dying outside the door. She quickly cut the rope with her scythe. Imagine her horror when on entering the cottage she found her husband hanging head downwards, dipping into the stock-pot.

SEPPY WAS DRAWN UP THE CHIMNEY, WHERE THE SOUP WAS BOILING OVER THE FIRE

Seppy never grumbled again. From henceforth Bella busied herself with her household duties. Seppy worked in the fields as before.

Seppy said to the pots, he said to the pans,

And likewise to the stools,

That men who try to do women’s work

Are all a parcel of fools.

The Death, Misery, the Old Man, and the Tree

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Her one and only possession was an apple-tree, and even this caused her more pain than pleasure. When the apples were ripe, the village urchins came and stole them off the tree.