"None of your talk!" cried the squire. "Tell them to hold her while they
dress her, and mind not to forget either wreath or crown."

The lad ran into the kitchen:

"Listen, here, lasses," he called out, "you are to go upstairs and dress
up the bay mare as a bride--I suppose master wants to play a joke on his
guests."

The women laughed and laughed, but ran upstairs and dressed the bay mare
in everything that was there. And then the lad went and told his master
that now she was all ready, with wreath and crown and all.

"Very well, bring her down. I will receive her at the door myself," said
the squire.

There was a clatter and a thumping on the stairs, for that bride, you
know, had no silken slippers on.

When the door was opened and the squire's bride entered the room, you
can imagine there was laughing and tittering and grinning enough.

And as for the squire, they say he never went courting again.




PEIK