Stories from Famous Ballads, by Grace Greenwood (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1872 edition. Excerpt: ...canst tell me, to a penny, what I am worth to-day, here on my throne, with my crown and jewels on, and my nobles about me?' Hodge, not a whit dazzled, replied briefly, 'Just twenty-nine pence, sire.' 'You are very exact, ' said John, with a little sneer. 'But, Sir Abbot, may I ask what are your reasons for naming that small sum?' 'Our glorious Lord, ' said Hodge, 'was sold for thirty pence, and you, sire, though doubtless the greatest living monarch, are surely worth one penny less than he.' 'Well, ' said John, laughing, ' I can't object, though I never thought myself so dog-cheap as that. Now for the second question. Your Grace will have to look sharp before answering this: --How long to a second, --to a second, mind --every hour and minute being counted, and never a minute too much, will it take me to make a journey round the world on horseback?' After putting this question, the King leaned eagerly forward for the reply, and everybody leaned forward, and there was utter silence, and a court lady dropped her fan, but nobody attended to it, for just at that instant Hodge replied coolly: --'Well, Sir King, I'll bet you crosiers and cap, against your sceptre and crown, that you'll make that same journey in just twentyfour hours, --if you will rise with the sun, and ride with it, keeping exact pace with it as it goes its round.' The King laughed again at this answer, and acknowledged that it was very ingenious, and that he could not get over it; especially that 'if, ' he said, which was ' a sharp turn, worthy of a priest.' Then he knitted his royal brows and continued: 'Now for the third and last question If you fail to crack this hardest nut of all, I still doom you to death. What is it I am thinking now? and why is it that the thought is not...