EATING A CALF.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1125, 14 December 1883, Page 2

EATING A CALF.

Dr Jessop tells a story in the ‘ Ninotecnth Century ’ which dcserres a larger audience :—“ Somewhere in the neighbourhood of Uylsham lived a certain Jerry Eke, whose appetite was said to be superhuman, and whose prowesa at harvest suppers was the boast and wonder and envy of the villagers round. It came to pass that at a farmer’s market dinner, the talk turned upon .Mr Eke’s performances, when someone present protested that what had been narrated was impossible. ‘lmpossible* said another. ‘ I’ll bet you £5 Jerry Eke will eat a calf at a sitting,* The wager was taken, and tha preliminaries were arranged. The calf —let ns hope only a baby calf—was killed ; the bones were cut out, the flesh was chopped into minute particles, and apportioned into seventeen enormous pasties, whose outer crust was a thin film of batter, made lovely and tempting to every sense, but carefully kept from any ingredients that could cloy the palate. Jerry was called in, he having agreed to the wager with evident delight, and was told he might fall to. He did so, and steadily gorged. He had made no difficulty of the first nine pasties, bat 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. ‘I say, mas’r, I aint got nothin to say agin them poys; I loik ’em amazin’; but I’m n-thiukin’et’s abaont time as I should begin on that ther calf !’ ”