The Lad Of The Gad

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And marbles from marbles,

As a wild winter wind,

Sightly and swiftly singing

Right proudly,

Through glens and high tops

And made no stops

Until he reached the town

Of John, the South Earl.

He struck the latch. Said John, the South Earl, “Who’s that in the door?”

“I am Dust, son of Dust,” said the Champion.

“Let in Dust of Dust,” said John, the South Earl. “No one must be in my door without entering.”

They let him in.

“What can you do, Dust of Dust?” said the South Earl.

“There was a time when I could play a juggle,” said the Champion.

“What is the trick you can do, Dust of Dust?” said the South Earl.

“Well,” said the Champion, “There was a time when I could put three straws on the back of my fist and blow them off.”

And he put three straws on the back of his fist, and blew them off.

“Well,” said the Earl’s big son, “if that is a juggle, then I can do no worse than you.”

“Do so,” said the Champion.

And the big son of the South Earl put three straws on his fist, and the Champion blew them off, and the fist with them.

“You are sore, and you will be sore,” said the Earl. “My blessing on the hand that hurt you. And what is the next trick you can do, Dust of Dust?”

“I will do other juggles for you,” said the Champion. And he took hold of his own ear, and lifted it from his cheek, bobbed it on the ground and back again.

“I could do that,” said the middle son of the Earl.

“I shall do it for you,” said the Champion. And he gave a pull at the son’s ear, and the head came away with it.

“I see that the juggling of this night is with you,” said John, the South Earl.

Then the Champion went and set a great ladder against the moon, and in one part of it he put a hound and a hare, and in another part of it he put a man and a woman. And they are alive there till now.

“That is a great trick,” said the Earl.

“And I can not do that trick,” said the Earl’s little son.

“It is a great trick and a juggle,” said the Champion, “and it is not you that can do it.”

“Then what will you do now?” said the Earl.

“I am going away,” said the Champion.

“You will not leave my set of sons,” said the Earl.

But the Champion leapt on the point of his pins, and he went over turret and top of court and town, till he met a man threshing in a barn.

“I will make you a free man for your life,” said the Champion. “There are two of your master’s sons, one with his fist off, one with his head off. Go there and put them on again.”