But the wee bannock thought the ale was as bad as the cheese, so it up and away, with the smith after it. And when he couldn't come up with it, he just cast his hammer at it. But the hammer missed and the wee bannock was out of sight in a crack, and trundled and trundled till it came to a farm-house where the goodman and his wife were beating out flax and combing it. So it ran in to the fireside and began to toast itself again. "Janet," says the goodman, "yon is a well-toasted wee bannock. I'll have the half of it." "And I'll take t'other half," says the goodwife, and reached out a hand to grip it. But the wee bannock played dodgings again. "My certy," says the wife, "but you're spirity!" And with that she cast the flax comb at it. But it was too clever for her, so out it trundled through the door and away was it down the road, till it came to another house where the goodwife was stirring the scalding soup and the goodman was plaiting a thorn collar for the calf. So it trundled in, and sate down by the fire. "Ho, Jock!" quoth the goodwife, "you're always crying on a well-toasted bannock. Here's one! Come and eat it!" Then the wee bannock tried dodgings again, and the goodwife cried on the goodman to help her grip it. "Aye, mother!" says he, "but where's it gone?" "Over there!" cries she. "Quick! run to t'other side o' yon chair." And the chair upset, and down came the goodman among the thorns. And the goodwife she flung the soup spoon at it, and the scalding soup fell on the goodman and scalded him, so the wee bannock ran out in a crack and was away to the next house, where the folk were just sitting down to their supper and the goodwife was scraping the pot. "Look!" cries she, "here's a wee well-toasted bannock for him as catches it!" "Let's shut the door first," says the cautious goodman, "afore we try to get a grip on it." Now when the wee bannock heard this it judged it was time to be off; so away it trundled and they after it helter-skelter. But though they threw their spoons at it, and the goodman cast his best hat, the wee bannock was too clever for them, and was out of sight in a crack. Then away it trundled till it came to a house where the folk were just away to their beds. The goodwife she was raking out the fire, and the goodman had taken off his breeches. "What's yon?" says he, for it was nigh dark. "It will just be a wee bannock," says she. "I could eat the half of it," says he. "And I could eat t'other," quoth she. Then they tried to grip it; but the wee bannock tried dodging. And the goodman and the goodwife tumbled against each other in the dark and grew angry. "Cast your breeches at it, man!" cries the goodwife at last. "What's the use of standing staring like a stuck pig?"