The Coming of the Unicorn by Duncan Williamson Read Free Book Online Page A

one says, “I thought we gave you a hundred and fifty shillings – that should have kept you through the winter.”
    John says, “I hid it as you told me – in the dustbin. And my wife gave the dustbin away to the ash cart, and also therein was my fifty silver shillings.”
    So, the two uncles were furious. They rose to their feet.
    “John,” one says, “you are a foolish man. You don’t deserve any money. We were foolish ever to give you money in the first place.”
    The other says, “You can’t look after any money, John. You’re better without it. No wonder you’re poor!”
    “But, wait a minute,” says the third uncle. “I’ve something in the carriage that’s good enough for him to look after.” And out hegoes to the carriage and fetches in a lump o’ lead, a square lump o’ lead. He crashes it down on the table.
    “There, John,” he says. “A lump o’ lead is all you’re fit for! When you can’t look after money maybe you can look after a lump o’ lead.” And away they go, jump in the carriage and bid John farewell.
    So, the wife took the lump o’ lead and she placed it on the windowsill. Days passed by. They forgot all about it. But one day, it was a beautiful day, they heard a knock at the door. This is a fisherman.
    “I wonder,” he says, “I forgot my matches. Could you give me a light for my pipe?”
    “Sure,” says John, “come in and have a cup of tea.” John fetches him into the house, gives him a cup of tea and gives him a light for his pipe.
    And he’s sitting looking around him. He sees this lump o’ lead lying on the windowsill. He says, “Is that a lump o’ lead you have there?”
    “Yes,” says John, “it’s a lump o’ lead. It’s all I’m fit for to look after! It’ll lie there…”
    “Wait!” says the fisherman, “would you give me that lead? For a long time I have been searching for a lump of lead just like that to hold down my nets, my fishing nets.”
    “I’ll take it,” says the fisherman, but I’ll make you one promise – that I’ll bring you the first and finest fish that ever I catch when I put that lead on my net!”
    “Oh, well,” says John, “please yourself!”
    So, away goes the fisherman. But true to his word, the next day up comes the fisherman. And he has this most beautiful fish you ever saw – a great big cod! And he comes into the house, lays it down.
    “There,” he says, “that’s for you and your wife. It’ll make a lovely supper for you. That’s the first fish that was in my netwhen you gave me the lead – the very thing I was needing.” And he thanked him very much and away he goes.
    “Well,” says John to his wife, “that was very nice o’ him. At least the lead got us something, something worthwhile at last.”
    True enough, says the wife, “It’s a good fish… I’ve never had a bit o’ fish for years.”
    “Well,” he said, “the sooner you get it cooked the better!”
    She took the fish into the kitchen and split the fish up. And when she split up the fish’s stomach out popped this ring! With a red ruby stone it was just the most beautiful ring you ever saw in all your life. And she cried to John, would he come and see this!
    And John took it. It was just the most beautiful ring, a rich blood-red ruby. And John’s heart was just fair taken with this ring. He put it on his finger and he said he would never part with it.
    But they hardly sat down for a minute at the table to enjoy their fish when they heard a knock at the door. This was a rich merchant passing by. He said he was on the way to sell his wares, would they give him something to eat till he and his caravan got to the town?
    John says, “We’re very poor and humble people, but come in and share what we’ve got. We’re only having fish.”
    “Oh,” says the rich merchant, “fish is the very thing I need.” And he told all his train of people to wait for him while he went in and enjoyed a bit with John and his wife. He looked at