But Elmira only answers:

"You wasn't sober when you fell into there,
Hennerey Walters. And now you can jest stay in
there till you get a better temper on you!" And all
the women says: "That's right, Elmira; spunk
up to him!"

They was considerable splashing around in the
water fur a couple of minutes. And then, all of a
sudden, a live fish come a-whirling out of that hole,
which he had ketched it with his hands. It was
a big bullhead, and its whiskers around its mouth
was stiffened into spikes, and it lands kerplump into
Mis' Rogers's lap, a-wiggling, and it kind o' horns
her on the hands, and she is that surprised she faints.
Mis' Primrose, she gets up and pushes that fish
back into the cistern with her foot from the floor
where it had fell, and she says right decided:

"Elmira Walters, that was Elmira Appleton,
if you let Hank out'n that cistern before he has
signed the pledge and promised to jine the church
you're a bigger fool 'n I take you to be. A woman
has got to make a stand!" With that she marches
out'n our house.

Then all the women sings out: