Page:On a pincushion.djvu/90
carried on his back also, and with them he made a stall, which he placed by the roadside. Then he undid his pack and took from it a number of boots and shoes, which he placed on the stall, and then sat down himself on a little stool behind it.
All the children gathered round the stall to look, for never had they seen such a number of boots and shoes together before. There were big ones and little ones, blue, green, red, yellow, violet, every colour—some with bows and rosettes, others quite plain. And all had their prices marked on them; and oh! how cheap they were! The boots and shoes Ralph made cost three times as much.
After a time the old man began to sing:—
Shoes for all.
Who'll try? who'll try?”
Black shoes and white shoes,
Thick shoes and thin shoes,
Strong shoes and light shoes.”
But the villagers all passed on, and only laughed as they looked back at the stall, and said, “We