A farmer’s Son, who had been some time at the university, coming home to visit his father and mother; and being one night with the old folks at supper, on a couple of fowls, he told them, that by the rules of logic and arithmetic, he could prove these two fowls to be three.--“Well, let us hear,” said the old man; “Why this,” said the scholar, “is one, and this,” continued he, “is two, two and one, you know make three.”--“Since ye hae made it out sae weel,” answered the old man, “your mother shall hae the first fowl, I’ll hae the second, and the third you may keep to yoursell.” FINIS. THE COMICAL HISTORY OF THE KING AND THE COBBLER; CONTAINING The Entertaining and Merry Tricks, and Droll Frolics, played by the Cobbler.--How he got acquainted with the King, became a great man, and lived at Court ever after. [Illustration] GLASGOW: PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS. THE COMICAL HISTORY OF THE KING AND THE COBBLER. How King Henry VIII, used to visit the watches in the city, and how he became acquainted with a merry jovial Cobbler. It was the custom of King Henry the Eight, to walk late in the night into the city disguised, to observe and take notice how the constables and watch performed their duty, not only in guarding the city gates, but also in diligently watching the inner parts of the city, that so they might, in a great measure, prevent those disturbances and casualties which too often happen in great and populous cities in the night; and this he did oftentimes, without the least discovery who he was, returning home to Whitehall early in the morning. Now, on his return home through the Strand, he took notice of a certain cobbler who was constantly up at work, whistling and singing every morning. The king was resolved to see him, and be acquainted with him, in order to which he immediately knocks the heel of his shoe by hitting it against a stone, and having so done, he bounced at the cobbler’s stall. Who’s there? cries the cobbler. Here’s one, cries the king. With that the cobbler opened the stall door, and the king asked him if he could put the heel on his shoe. Yes, that I can, says the cobbler: come in, honest fellow, and sit thee down by me, and I will do it for thee straight, the cobbler scraping his awls and old shoes to one side to make room for the king to sit down. The king being hardly able to forbear laughing at the kindness of the cobbler, asked him if there was not a house hard by that sold a cup of ale, and the people up? Yes said the cobbler, there is an inn over the way, where I believe the folks are up, for the carriers go from thence very early in the morning.