GAMMER. Go, hie thee soon, and grope behind the old brass pan, Which thing when thou hast done, There shalt thou find an old shoe, wherein, if thou look well, Thou shalt find lying an inch of white tallow candle; Light it, and bring it tite away. COCK. That shall be done anon. GAMMER. Nay, tarry, Hodge, till thou hast light, and then we'll seek each one. HODGE. Come away, ye whoreson boy, are ye asleep? ye must have a crier. COCK. Ich cannot get the candle light: here is almost no fire. HODGE. Chill hold thee a penny, chill make thee come, if that ich may catch thine ears. Art deaf, thou whoreson boy? Cock, I say; why, canst not hear? GAMMER. Beat him not, Hodge, but help the boy, and come you two together. THE FIRST ACT. THE FIFTH SCENE. GAMMER, TIB, COCK, HODGE. GAMMER. How now, Tib! quick, let's hear what news thou hast brought hither? TIB. Chave tost and tumbled yonder heap over and over again, And winnowed it through my fingers, as men would winnow grain; Not so much as a hen's turd, but in pieces I tare it. Or whatsoever clod or clay I found, I did not spare it. Looking within and eke without, to find your nee'le (alas) But all in vain and without help your nee'le is where it was. GAMMER. Alas, my nee'le, we shall never meet! adieu, adieu, for aye. TIB. Not so, Gammer, we might it find, if we knew where it lay. COCK. Gog's cross, Gammer, if ye will laugh, look in but at the door, And see how Hodge lieth trembling and tossing amids the flour. Raking there some fire to find among the ashes dead, Where there is not one spark so big as a pin's head: At last in a dark corner two sparks he thought he sees, Which were indeed nought else but Gib our cat's two eyes. Puff, quod Hodge, thinking thereby to have fire without doubt; With that Gib shut her two eyes, and so the fire was out; And by and by them opened, even as they were before, With that the sparks appeared even as they had done of yore; And even as Hodge blew the fire (as he did think), Gib, as she felt the blast, straightway began to wink; Till Hodge fell of swearing, as came best to his turn, The fire was sure bewitch'd, and therefore would not burn: At last Gib up the stairs, among the old posts and pins, And Hodge he hied him after, till broke were both his shins: Cursing and swearing oaths were never of his making, That Gib would fire the house, if that she were not taken. GAMMER. See, here is all the thought that the foolish urchin taketh! And Tib, me-think, at his elbow almost as merry maketh. This is all the wit ye have, when others make their moan: Come down, Hodge, where art thou? and let the cat alone.