约翰追求可爱的玛丽安，他的兄弟弗雷迪也是如此。弗雷德是一个非常温柔的年轻人，而约翰虽然动作敏捷，却很不稳定。弗雷德是一个优雅的年轻人，但约翰是最强壮的。“啊，跳吧，”她说，“说真的，谁跳得最长，我就嫁给谁。”约翰试着迎合少女的口味，穿着艳丽、怪诞、荒唐的衣服，滑稽地跳舞，就像克洛多什和他的同伴们在公主家跳舞一样。但弗雷迪尝试了另一种风格，他知道一些优雅的步伐，并做到了——一首呼吸的诗——女人的微笑——一个充满诗意和嗡嗡声的男人。一会儿是弗莱迪的歌剧表演，一会儿是约翰尼的角笛，一会儿是弗莱迪优雅的恳求，一会儿是约翰尼娴熟的“拍打酒窖”。兄弟俩表演了好几个小时，好几个星期，好几个小时，好几个小时，好几个星期，好几个小时，好几个星期，好几个小时，好几个星期，好几个小时。这样过了一个月，他们说(女仆开始厌烦了，心情也不好)有个游荡的副牧师从这儿经过，说了很多花言碎语。“哦，我的天，”他严肃地皱着眉头说，“我为每一个跳舞的人而颤抖，像一个未重生的小丑和某个舞台上的丑角。” He showed that men, in dancing, do Both impiously and absurdly, And proved his proposition true, With Firstly, Secondly, and Thirdly. For months both JOHN and FREDDY danced, The curate's protests little heeding; For months the curate's words enhanced The sinfulness of their proceeding. At length they bowed to Nature's rule - Their steps grew feeble and unsteady, Till FREDDY fainted on a stool, And JOHNNY on the top of FREDDY. "Decide!" quoth they, "let him be named, Who henceforth as his wife may rank you." "I've changed my views," the maiden said, "I only marry curates, thank you!" Says FREDDY, "Here is goings on! To bust myself with rage I'm ready." "I'll be a curate!" whispers JOHN - "And I," exclaimed poetic FREDDY. But while they read for it, these chaps, The curate booked the maiden bonny - And when she's buried him, perhaps, She'll marry FREDERICK or JOHNNY.