Pepper Salt

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Pepper & Salt

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pepper & Salt, by Howard Pyle This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Pepper & Salt or, Seasoning for Young Folk
Author: Howard Pyle
Illustrator: Howard Pyle
Release Date: April 20, 2005 [EBook #15664]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration: Illustration of "Pepper and Salt" written on a ribbon en-wrapping branches and toys.]
[Illustration: This is the way that one in Cap and Motley stops for awhile along the stony Path of Life to make you laugh.]
[Transcriber's Note: This is a full page picture of a country-side field with children listening to a man in Cap and Motley play an instrument. Other full page illustrations within the text also will have short descriptions in addition to the words of the poem on the page.]

Pepper & Salt,
or
Seasoning for Young Folk Prepared by
Howard Pyle
1885, reissued 1913.
THIS SPECIAL EDITION IS PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PUBLISHERS OF THE REGULAR EDITION
HARPER & BROTHERS
BY
~E.M. HALE AND COMPANY~
EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN

[Illustration]
PREFACE
Here, my little man, you may hold my cap and bells,--and you, over there, may hold the bauble! Now, then, I am ready to talk as a wise man should and am a giddy-pated jester no longer!
This is what I have to say:
One must have a little pinch of seasoning in this dull, heavy life of ours; one should never look to have all the troubles, the labors, and the cares, with never a whit of innocent jollity and mirth. Yes, one must smile now and then, if for nothing else than to lift the corners of the lips in laughter that are only too often dragged down in sorrow.
It is for this that I sit here now, telling you all manner of odd quips and jests until yon sober, wise man shakes his head and goes his way, thinking that I am even more of a shallow-witted knave than I really am. But, prut! Who cares for that? I am sure that I do not if you do not.
Yet listen! One must not look to have nothing but pepper and salt in this life of ours--no, indeed! At that rate we would be worse off than we are now. I only mean that it is a good and pleasant thing to have something to lend the more solid part a little savor now and then!
So, here I'll sit; and, perhaps, when you have been good children, and have learned your lessons or done your work, your mother will let you come and play a little while with me. I will always be ready and waiting for you here, and I will warrant your mother that I will do you no harm with anything that I may tell you. If I can only make you laugh and be merry for a little while, then my work will be well done, and I will be glad in the doing of it.
And now give me my cap and bells again, for my wits are growing cold without them; and you will be pleased to reach me my bauble once more, for I love to have him by me.
Will you be seated? And you, over there, seat the baby on the grass! Are you ready? Very well; then I will tell you a story, and it shall be about "The Skillful Huntsman."

[Illustration]
Table of Contents
THE SKILLFUL HUNTSMAN Page 1 Two Opinions Facing P. 4 Ye Song Of Ye Foolish Old Woman " 5 A Newspaper Puff " 12 Three Fortunes " 13
CLAUS AND HIS WONDERFUL STAFF Page 14 Venturesome Boldness Facing P. 16 Superficial Culture " 17
HOW DAME MARGERY TWIST SAW MORE THAN WAS Page 28 GOOD FOR HER Ye Song Of Ye Gossips Facing P. 32 A Victim To Science " 33 Play And Earnest " 36 The Accident Of Birth " 37
CLEVER PETER AND THE TWO BOTTLES Page 43 Ye Romantic Adventures Of Three Tailors Facing P. 44 Fancy And Fact " 45 Ye Two Wishes " 48 A Verse With A Moral But Not Name " 49
HANS HECKLEMANN'S LUCK Page 57 Ye Song Of Ye Rajah And Ye Fly Facing P. 64 Pride In Distress " 65 Profession And Practice " 68 A Tale Of A Tub " 69
FARMER GRIGGS'S BOGGART Page 69 Ye Story Of A Blue China Plate Facing P. 76 Moral Blindness " 77 Overconfidence " 80 The Force Of Need " 81
THE BIRD IN THE LINDEN TREE Page 82
THE APPLE OF CONTENTMENT Page 96