“There were two lasses, daughters of one mother, and as they came home from t’ fair, they saw a right bonny young man stand i’ t’ house-door before them. He had gold on t’ cap, gold on t’ finger, gold on t’ neck, a red gold watch-chain--eh! but he had brass. He had a golden ball in each hand.[24] He gave a ball to each lass, and she was to keep it, and if she lost it, she was to be hanged. One o’ t’ lasses, ’twas t’ youngest, lost her ball. She was by a park-paling, and she tossed the ball, and it went up, up, and up, till it went over t’ paling, and when she climbed to look, t’ ball ran along green grass, and it went raite forward to t’ door of t’ house, and t’ ball went in, and she saw ’t no more. “So she was taken away to be hanged by t’ neck till she were dead, acause she’d lost her ball. [“But she had a sweetheart, and he said he would get the ball. So he went to t’ park-gate, but ’twas shut; so he climbed hedge, and when he got to t’ top of hedge, an old woman rose up out o’ t’ dyke afore him, and said, if he would get ball, he must sleep three nights i’ t’ house. He said he would. “Then he went into t’ house, and looked for t’ ball, but couldna find it. Night came on, and he heard spirits move i’ t’ courtyard; so he looked out o’ t’ window, and t’ yard was full of them, like maggots i’ rotten meat. “Presently he heard steps coming upstairs. He hid behind t’ door, and was still as a mouse. Then in came a big giant five times as tall as he, and t’ giant looked round, but did not see t’ lad, so he went to t’ window and bowed to look out; and as he bowed on his elbows to see spirits i’ t’ yard, t’ lad stepped behind him, and wi’ one blow of his sword he cut him in twain, so that the top part of him fell in t’ yard, and t’ bottom part stood looking out o’ t’ window. “There was a great cry from t’ spirits when they saw half t’ giant tumbling down to them, and they called out, ‘There comes half our master, give us t’ other half.’ “So the lad said, ‘It’s no use of thee, thou pair o’ legs, standing aloan at window, so go join thy brother’; and he cast the bottom part of t’ giant after top part. Now when t’ spirits had gotten all t’ giant they was quiet. “Next night t’ lad was at the house again, and saw a second giant come in at door, and as he came in, t’ lad cut him in twain; but the legs walked on to t’ chimney and went up it. ‘Go, get thee after thy legs,’ said t’ lad to t’ head, and he cast t’ head up chimney too. “The third night t’ lad got into bed, and he heard spirits stirring under t’ bed; and they had t’ ball there, and they was casting it to and fro.