SAUCY JESPER
in and was caught like the rest. There all three stood.
Early in the morning, before any one was up, Jesper took his sledge into the court-yard, the girls, of course, following. Appearing not to see or hear them, he took his seat, saying "Pip, little bird!" and the sledge immediately began to move on as the day before. The girls, who were not prepared for such an event, ran as fast as they could, and you may be sure that they had a most excellent exercise at this early hour of the day.
After a while they passed a church. It so happened that the minister and the sexton were about to walk in; but when they became aware of the singular procession, they stopped and gazed at it in great astonishment. The minister became angry and called to the girls to stop. As they did not obey him, he ran after them and tried to hold them back. "Pip!" said the bird. "Hold on!" added Jesper, and the minister was obliged to follow, running at the top of his speed. The sexton, who saw this, and considered it his duty to assist the minister, ran after them and caught hold of the reverend gentleman's coat-tails. "Pip!" "Hold on!" said Jesper again, and the poor sexton was forced to dance along with the rest.
They soon reached a blacksmith-shop, the owner of which was standing near the road with a pair of tongs in one hand, and in the other one some hay he was reaching to a horse which he had just been
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