A HOLE IN YOUR STOCKING

Once there was a beetle who loved another beetle.
So he went to her house to ask her to marry him.
He knocked on the door. ‘May I come in,’ he asked.
‘I am busy resting this fine afternoon,’ she said.
‘but listen to me,’ he said.’I have come to ask you to marry me.’
‘Why ever sould I marry you?’ she asked.
‘Well, there are reasons enough,’ he said.
“I am the most handsome beetle in all the district. My fine black armour is smooth and shiny. I hold my pincers bravely, he said.
All he can think of is his own beauty! If he thinks himself so fine he won’t think of me, at all!’ she thought.
And she shouted through the door,
‘Go away, now. I am begenning to feel sleepy.’
‘Oh, but listen to me! I’m the richest beetle around. I have more stored away in my little house than you or your Granny ever thought of.’
And he began to tell her all he had.
‘Oh, stop it!’ she said.’If you have so much already, then you cannot want me.
Go away now an let me go to sleep.’
And then he was really sad. He began to cry.
She was looking after him as he went the road. She was curious to see what the looked like. And she saw two big holes in his stocking, one in either heel. She saw them clearly as he went down the road.
She opened the window and called out after him:
‘Hey! You there! You, so rich and strong and beautiful. Why do you come out courting with holes in your stockings. Who look after you at home to allow such a thing?’
‘There’s no one to look after me. My granny is so blind she sits all day by the fire.
‘come along bavk here.’ She cried. ‘I can’t have you going away from my house looking like that.’
And she invited him in and took up her needle and thread, and darned up his stockings and sawed on a button as well.
By the time she had done all that she fell in love with him, that went he asked her to marry him again, she didn’t say no.