room in my house for such a fine gentleman—I who scarce have a rag to lie upon, and miserable rags too?"
"You always were a stingy old hunks," said the youth, "and so you are still, when you won't take your own son in."
"What, you my son!" said the man.
"Don't you know me again?" said the youth. Well, after a little while he did know him again.
"But what have you been turning your hand to, that you have made yourself so great a man in such haste?" asked the man.
"Oh, I'll soon tell you," said the youth. 'You said I might take to any trade I chose, and so I bound myself apprentice to a pack of thieves and robbers, and now I've served my time out, and am become a Master Thief."
Now there lived a Squire close by to his father's cottage, and he had such a great house, and such heaps of money, he could not tell how much he had. He had a daughter too, and a smart and pretty girl she was. So the Master Thief set his heart upon having her to wife, and he told his father to go to the Squire and ask for his daughter for him.
"If he asks by what trade I get my living, you can say I'm a Master Thief."
"I think you've lost your wits," said the man, "for you can't be in your right mind when you think of such stuff."
No, he had not lost his wits; his father must and should go to the Squire and ask for his daughter.
"Nay, but I tell you, I daren't go to the Squire and be your spokesman; he who is so rich, and has so much money," said the man.
