human
His ferule was sharp as a knife,
gpt
Truly, cried William Bartholomew,
human
Keep thy tongue in thy head, Billy Mew; none ever said that was not sharp enough,
gpt
I do not believe he is a witch,
human
Oh, doesn't thee?
gpt
Thou art but a Quaker thyself, and a Quaker's as bad as a witch any day,
human
There, muddle thy stockings in yon mud puddle for that speech, thou water-loving Baptist,
gpt
Hurrah for the witch, and a long play-day!
human
Peace! peace! ye noisy urchins! said Magistrate Sewall, as he stepped suddenly from a doorway.
gpt
The master has imps of the earth as well as the air, I see. Get ye home less noisily, or we must needs put ye in yonder prison with the master.
human
Jonathan, doest thou believe the master dotted his i's and crossed his t's when he signed his name in the Black Man's book in the forest yonder?
gpt
Nay, I know not,
human
Verily, I hope the Black Man cracked him across his knuckles, if he did not,
gpt
Chris, thou art too wise to believe the poor master's a witch,
human
Nay, how could I be, when the magistrates themselves, and all the wise men of the town, believe it?
gpt
Thou doest not believe the master stuck pins in Job Swinnerton's stomach?
human
Nay, laughed Chris;
gpt
But, Chris, I'm afraid it will go hard with the master, for all the boys but thou and I seem bent on making him a witch.
human
Well, trouble not thyself about it. As Billy Mew says, if the master's a witch, we will have the longer play-day. To-morrow I go to my grandfather's, in Salem, and thou come over with thy father some day; it will be rare fun to see the witch children act.
gpt
Peradventure I may. It will be dull without thee, Chris; and with the rest of the boys making the master out a witch, they'll have no time for play.
human
Well, take care of thyself, good fellow, and beware thou doest not provoke Dame Betty too far; she has a rare relish for calling people witches.
gpt
Ay, that she has. There's a pail of water now at her door, and she's talking with our Debby, I doubt not: let's turn the bottom up to dry;