A Tall Yarn.

Manawatu Herald, 3 October 1895, Page 3

A Tall Yarn.

Mr S. A. Perceval writes in the ifro&K |»nOn one of the lakes in the North Island of New Zealand, near Auckland,, there was an hotel much frequented by fishermen. On one occasion when a gentleman whom I wili call 1 Mr X, was staying there, tw was taken seriously ill, aud the landlord, supposing that he could pot possibly recover, began to think of making preparations tor his visi tor's death. Knowing a man who was a ni'etty fair carpenter and had owed him money for some time, and seeing little chance of being repaid, he told him to make a coffin for the sick n&MU The coffin was duly made ;* but Mr X instead of dying as h,e ought to have done, recovered, and there was, therefore, no use for the coffin. The landlord, not caring to be at the expense, included a charge for it in Mr X's,bill, who, on seeing ib, naturally enough demurred to paying for something which he bad not ordered and did not want. The landlord said it was very hard "that the loss should fall on him, as be had jmjy, done it for. the best; §nd Mr X at last agreed to pay for it. IJeteimincd to turn it to some account, he had a keel put to it, and qsfd it a^V fishing punt during the fti^ainder of his stay at the hotel.