gode'en to thee," and she carried the pot away with her into the back
place.

So off went the fool to his mother, and told her what the wise woman
said.

"And I reckon I'll have to kill that pig," says he, "for I like fat
bacon better than anything."

"Then do it, my lad," said his mother, "for certain 't will be a strange
and good thing fur thee, if thou canst buy a pottle o' brains, and be
able to look after thy own self."

So he killed his pig, and next day off he went to the wise woman's
cottage, and there she sat, reading in a great book.

"Gode'en, missis," says he, "I've brought thee the heart o' the thing I
like the best of all; and I put it hapt in paper on the table."

"Aye so?" says she, and looked at him through her spectacles. "Tell me
this then, what runs without feet?"

He scratched his head, and thought, and thought, but he couldn't tell.

"Go thy ways," says she, "thou 'st not fetched me the right thing yet.
I've no brains for thee to-day." And she clapt the book together, and
turned her back.

So off the fool went to tell his mother. But as he got nigh the house,
out came folk running to tell him that his mother was dying.