The Hoosier book, containing poems in dialect

One summer, while the people of the city were busy thriving and prospering away, a strange old beggar woman arrived at the gates carrying twelve large books, which she offered to sell to them. She said that the books contained all the knowledge and all the wisdom of the world, and that she would let the city have all twelve of them in return for a single sack of gold. The people of the city thought this was a very funny idea. They said she obviously had no conception of the value of gold and that probably the best thing was for her to go away again. This she agreed to do, but first, she said, she was going to destroy half of the books in front of them. She built a small bonfire, burnt six of the books of all knowledge and all wisdom in the sight of the people of the city and then went on her way. Winter came and went, a hard winter, but the city just about managed to flourish through it and then, the following summer the old woman was back. 'Oh, you again,' said the people of the city. 'How's the knowledge and wisdom going?? 'Six books,' she said, `just six left ...»