Eating a Calf

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 4, 10 January 1884, Page 3

Eating a Calf

• Dr. .Tessop tells a story in tbe Nineteenth Century which deserves a larger audience : — " Somewhere in the neighbourhood of Aylsham lived a certain Jerry Eke. whose appetite was said to be superhuman, and whose prowess at harvest suppers was the boast and wonder and envy of the villagers round. It came to pass that a farmers' market dinner, the talk turned upon Mr Eke's performances, when someone present protest eH that what had been narrated was impossible. * Impossible,' said another. ' I'll bet you £5 Jerry Eke will eat a calf at n sitting.' The wager was taken, and the preliminaries were arranged. The calf —let us hope only a baby calf — wa*killed; the bones were cut out, the flesh was chopped into minute particles, and apportioned into 17 enormous pasties, whose outer crust was a thin film of batter, made lovely and tempting to every senlS; but carefully kept from any ingredients that could cloy the palate Jerry was called in, he haying agreed to the wager wit evident delight, and was told lie might fall to. He did so, and steadily gorged. He had made no difficulty of the first nine pasties, but when a tenth was brought in he seemed to flag. To the horror of his backers he sighed and looked perplexed. It was but for a moment ; he only desired to expostulate. *Isay, mas'r, I aint got nuthin' to say agin them poys; I loik'em amazin'; but I'm a-thinkin' et's abaout time as I should begin on that ther calf !'"