Chapter II How Poor Robin Served His Master for Sitting Up Late at Nights
Poor Robin’s master had gotten a custom that the man did not at all like, which was, that after he had tippled all day, sometimes till ten or eleven o’clock at night, he would then come home and fall asleep in a chair, during which time his man must not go to bed, but wait until his master awakened. Poor Robin to break him of this evil custom, one night when his master came home soundly fuddled, and falling asleep in his chair as usual; so he made a great fire, and then drew his master’s legs so near thereto, that his toes touched some of the coals; which being done, he sits him down in the other corner to observe the sequel. He had not sat long till his master’s shoes began to fry, whereupon he suddenly awakes, and jumps about as if he had been mad. The man all the while counterfeits himself asleep, and seemed not to awake for a good space. At last, seeming much to pity his master’s misfortune, they went to bed. But never after that would his master sit up to sleep in his chair.