Declined With Thanks
Farmer Brown was an old-fashioned farmer. He firmly believed in that quaint and worn-out saying, “Early to bed, early to rise.” He couldn’t get along at all with the modern type of farmhands. So, after thinking matters over, Brown decided to reform.
After many trials he secured a strapping, big fellow, and resolved to keep that hand at any cost. Accordingly, the first morning he waited until four o’clock before he called him for breakfast.
“Get out of there quick if you want anything to eat.”
“Thanks very much,” said the new hand, “but I never eat anything just before going to sleep.”