The storyteller,who was just putting a glass of wine to his lips as a refreshment after his toils, paused for a moment, looked at his inquirer with an air of infinite deference, and, lowering the glass slowly to the table, observed that the story was intended most logically to prove: "that there is no situation in life but has its advantages and pleasures-providing we will but take  joke as we find it.  " that , therefore, he that runs races with goblin troopers is likely to have rough riding of it.   "Ergo, for a country scholmaster to be refused the hand of a Dutch heiress is a certain step to high preferment in the state ."