dictionary of british folktales

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A DICTIONARY OF BRITISH FOLK-TALES

A DICTIONARY OF BRITISH FOLK-TALES

IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE INCORPORATING THE

F.J.NORTON COLLECTION

KATHARINE M.BRIGGS PART A

FOLK NARRATIVES VOLUMES 1 AND 2

LONDON AND NEW YORK

First published in 1970 by Routledge & Kegan Paul

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.

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Published in paperback in 1991 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge a division of Routledge, Chapman and Hall, Inc. 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001

K.M.Briggs 1970

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data available

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data available

ISBN 0-203-39737-1 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-39767-3 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN Part A 0 415 06694 8 (Print Edition)

Part B 0 415 06695 6 (Print Edition) Set 0 415 06696 4 (Print Edition)

CONTENTS

VOLUME 2

III JOCULAR TALES 1 IV NOVELLE 325 V NURSERY TALES 448

III JOCULAR TALES

JOCULAR TALES

It is no easy matter to thread ones way through the maze of the Jocular Tales. At first as we read one after the other there seems a great sameness about them, but there are actually many varieties of subject and treatment. They may be divided into: Local Taunts, Noodle Tales, Courtship Tales and Anti-feminist Taunts, Conflicts between Husband and Wife, Bawdy Tales, Tales of Trickery, Practical Jokes that Went Wrong, Exploits of Jesters, The Child or Simpleton Exposing the Wise, Jokes against Particular Classes or Professions, Jokes about Animals, Unexpected Twists or Quirks, Jokes that Depend on Puns, Nonsense Tales. And many more might be worked out.

A particularly large class in England, though it is not peculiar to England, is the Local Taunt, the Noodle Tale multiplied to cover a whole village. Gotham, whether in Nottingham or Sussex, is generally taken as the typical village of fools, though over fifty places can be found scattered through the different counties of England against whom the same sort of accusations are levelled. One of the commonest taunts is that they tried to wall in the cuckoo. This subject was dealt with by J.E.Field in some detail in The Myth of the Pent Cuckoo. Mr Field had an interesting thesis to advance; it is that the sites of cuckoo pens are always places where a stand was made by the Britons against the Saxons, and that the simpleton villages were pockets of Ancient Britons who kept their identity. A similar explanation can be advanced for simpleton villages in other countries. Mr Field derived cuckoo from the same root as the cucking-stool on which scolds were ducked, with the meaning of scold or jabber. The pen is the high, fortified place which held out longest. There is, for instance, a cuckoo pen, with no story attached to it, near Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, and another near Idbury, on the wold above Burford. Whether this conjecture be well grounded or no, there is no doubt that the Gothamite stories are of great antiquity. Some of them are told in a twelfth-century Latin poem published by Wright in one of his collections.

Both the Gothamite and the ordinary Noodle Tales are treated by Clouston in his well-known Book of Noodles. This is useful for comparison, but even more helpful is The Fool, His Social and Literary History, by Enid Welsford. She traces the medieval and Renaissance fools back to the classical parasites and buffoons, and indicates the connection between licensed fools and bards and the value attached to railing as a means of averting ill luck. The buffoons of the Italian Renaissance courts raised folly to a high art, and were many of them men of learning, such as Dominicus Ciaiesius, buffoon to Duke Ferdinand I of Florence. He taught the dukes children Latin, and also secretly obtained a doctorate of law at Pisa University. The tradition of these learned buffoons may explain why Skelton and George Buchanan were pressed into the part of Royal Jesters. The Khojah Nasr-ed-Din, the most famous of all noodles, was also accounted a preacher and a man of learning.

Another aspect of the buffoon studied by Enid Welsford is his connection with the simpleton or madman, the magical inspiration ascribed to madness and the good luck which is said to accompany deformity. She touches on, but does not fully explore, the part played by scurrilous jests in fertility rites. It is a matter which might well be further

III Jocular tales 3

investigated. Nonsense Tales may also have a notion of magical efficacy behind them, apart from the pleasure which most people take in nonsense.

Another purpose of Jocular Tales is as social comment. They may be used either to repress and hold up to scorn undesirable behaviour or as a retaliation of the under-privileged against their superiors in wealth or learning. But whatever solemn purposes may be found underlying these tales it is to be hoped that most people tell them and listen to them because they find them funny.

PLACES SUPPOSED TO BE INHABITED BY SIMPLETONS Aldbourne, Wilts. Haddenham, Bucks.

Austwick, Yorks. Hadleigh, Suffolk

Benson, Oxon. Holderness, Yorks.

Bolliton, Yorks. (Bridlington) Idbury, Oxon.

Borrowdale, Westmorland Ilmington, Worcs.

Bridlington, Yorks. Isle of Wight

Buckhampton, Wilts. Lambeth

Cambridge Lavington, Wilts.

Cannings, Wilts. Lincolnshire Fens

Chisledon, Wilts. Lorbottle, Northumberland

Claygate, Surrey Middleton, Lancashire

Coggeshall, Essex Newbiggin, Roxburgh

Collingbourne, Wilts. Northleigh, Oxon.

Crewkerne, Somerset Pevensey, Sussex

Darlaston, Staffs. Richmond, Yorks.

Dawley, Shropshire St Ives, Cornwall

Deanshanger, Northants Settle, Yorks.

Ebrington, Glos. Shapwick, Dorset

Fimber, Lincs. Slaithwaite, Yorks.

Folkestone, Kent Sutherland

Gotham, Notts. Tipton, Staffs.

Gornal, Staffs. Whittingham Vale, Northumberland

Grendon, Northants

A dictionary of british folktales 4

THE ANGRY CHOIR-LEADER

The following is interesting though perhaps a little startling. Just sixty years ago, string instruments did duty in the village choirs before the introduction of harmoniums and American organs. The leader of the particular choir of which I write was an old man of iron will. He kept the village inn, and in his sanded public parlour, the four or five fiddlers met once a week to practise the psalms and hymns for the next Sundays service. He played the bass-viol, and was master of the choir. The group of fiddlers with their quaint everyday working costumes in that old room, lighted by two or three tallow dips in upright iron candlesticks, would have made a capital model for an old Dutch panel picture. On Sunday they occupied with the choirmen and children the gallery at the west end of the church, and from this position the master of the choir gave out the psalm or hymn which was to follow. The clerk had nothing at all to do with that part of the service.

One Sunday morning the clerk was suddenly taken ill, and a substitute had to be hastily found. He came from C., some four miles off, and arrived only after the church was filled, and the service had actually begun. He could, of course, know nothing of the psalms or hymns appointed for the day, but, thinking it would be perfectly safe, he burst forth with Let us sing to the praise and glory of God the Old Hundredth Psalm: All people that on earth do dwell The old leader in the gallery was fairly taken aback at the strange intrusion and substitution of another psalm for the one which he and his men had prepared. Stuttering with annoyance, he jumped up and shouted out, Dn,ahem All people that on earth do dwell! My soul shall magnify the Lord, 85th Psalm! And before the parson and congregation could recover from their astonishment, the bows of the fiddles swept across the strings, the voices followed, and all were on the right road.

Sarah Hewett, Nummits and Crummits, p. 176. TYPE 1831A*. This is one of many anecdotes about Church services to be found in the group of

Types 180049. In the AarneThompson Index only Finnish versions (48) for this particular type are cited.

ANSWER TO PRAYER: I

An old woman was on her way to Church one Sunday morning. The wind blew hard in her face, and the going was difficult. Pray God the wind will change before I come home! she gasped out. The wind did, and she had to struggle against it all the way home.

Contributed by Margaret Nash-Williams; heard from her father in childhood. Also heard by K.M.Briggs in 1911 from a guest in the house.

TYPE 1276*. Fifteen Finnish versions of this tale are cited in the Aarne-Thompson Type-Index. It

is probable that it occurs elsewhere.

III Jocular tales 5

ANSWER TO PRAYER: II

They do hev it, at wonce, a many years back, ia wet time, a wolds-man said at he did wish th Lord ud go t sleep while [= until] harvist was well in. And as soon as hed spokken, ye knaw, he went fast asleep hissen, as fast as a church, just as he was, oot on his land. Yonder he had t stop i th oppen. Nobody couldnt wakken him, do as thaay wod, nor git him moved awaay. Foaks hed t build a shed ower him at last t shilter him. And he niver stirred at all while [= until] his neighbours hed gotten all their corn in. Then he wakkend, and fun all his awn stuff clear ruinaated wi wind an raain.

Norton Collection, II, p. 230. Folklore of Lincolnshire, M.Peacock, Folk-Lore XII, p. 163.

TYPE 752B (variant). MOTIF: Y.755.I [The forgotten wind]. See also Norton Collection, II, p. 231, for a version by L.Salmon, Folk-lore in the

Kennet Valley, Folk-Lore, XIII, p. 419.

ANTY BRIGNAL AND THE BEGGING QUAKER

A few years ago a stout old man, with long grey hair, and dressed in the habit of the Society of Friends, was seen begging in the streets of Durham. The inhabitants, attracted by the novelty of a begging Quaker, thronged about him, and several questioned him as to his residence, etc. Amongst them was Anty Brignal, the police officer, who told him to go about his business, or he would put him in the kitty* for an imposteror. Who ever heard, said Anthony, of a begging Quaker? But, said the mendicant, while tears flowed down his face, thou knowest, friend, there be bad Quakers as well as good ones; and I confess to thee, I have been a bad one. My name is John Taylor; I was in the hosiery business at N, and through drunkenness have become a bankrupt. The society have turned me out, my friends have deserted me. I have no one in the world to help me but my daughter, who lives in Edinburgh, and I am now on my way thither. Thou seest, friend, why I beg; it is to get a little money to help me on my way: be merciful, as thou hopest for mercy. Come, come, said the officer, it wont do, you know; theres not a word of truth in it; tis all false. Did I not see you drunk at Nevills Cross [a public house of that name] the other night? No, friend, said the man of unsteady habits, thou didst not see me drunk there, but I was there, and saw thee drunk: and thou knowest when a man is drunk he thinks everybody else so! This was a poser for the police officer. The crowd laughed, and Anty Brignal slunk away from their derision, while money fell plentifully into the extended hat of the disowned Quaker.

W.Hone, The Table Book, II, p. 761. T.Q.M. MOTIF: J.1210 [Clever man puts another out of countenance].

* So is the house of correction called in Durham.


TALES OF APPY BOSWELL

Appy Boswell (Bozll) is the hero of many extravaganzas among the gypsies.

APPY BOSWELLS CONGER EEL: I [summary]

Appy bought a conger eel from a brewers man at Burton, and kept it in his wifes washtub. But when she needed the tub, she made him carry it in his inside coat pocket. He took it to the pub and the conger soon developed a taste for beer, and when Appy refused to buy it any more it took offence, and went off home by itself. On the way it fell asleep and did not see Appy pass it on his way home. When it woke up it followed him, but Appy took fright, hearing something behind him but not seeing what it was. The conger caught up with him and all was well; but next night, when Appy looked for it in its accustomed place in the washtub, it wasnt there. It had found its own way to the pub, and Appy found himself in debt to the landlord for half a crown, the price of beer being 3d. a pint!

When the conger died, Appy had a pair of braces made from its skin, which pulled him into every pub he came to!

Thompson Notebooks, B.Told by Manivel Smith at Burton-on-Trent, 20 January 1922.

APPY BOSWELLS MONKEY: II [summary]

Appy Boswell had had a monkey for ten years, and given it the best of everything he had. But the monkey would never talk to him at all, not even to say Thank you.

One day as he was sitting by a brick-kiln with the monkey, the thought came to him that he could make the monkey talk after all.

He thrust it into an empty red-hot brick-oven, and clapped a sheet of iron in front, so that it could not get out. After a few minutes the monkey began to scream out, No mortal man could stand this, so why do you expect me to? Let me out, or I shall die.

Appy let him out, and the monkey promised to talk to him and answer his questions in future. That night Appy said to his wife, Anis, the monkey talked to me well this morning, so now he shall have the best of everything.

But after its meal, when he asked the monkey whether it had enjoyed it, the monkey only nodded its head. Have you had enough? he then asked. Not a word from the monkey. Very well, then, said Appy, I shall take you back to that place again. At this the monkey came up and stroked Appys cheek, and said, Ill answer anything, if only youll not take me back there again.

Dora E.Yates, Gypsy Folk-Tales, no. 35, p. 153.

[summaries] III. Appy had a monkey, and when he lost it, he called, and the monkey would answer from a tree, Appy, Im here, gathering a few sticks to boil the kettle.

III Jocular tales 7

IV. Appy had a silver grinding-barrow, and once he sold it to Taimis father for 50s. But it was at a farm thirty miles away, and Appy had to walk there to get it. So Taimis father gave him 10s. on account, for his expenses.

But he didnt bring it, so Taimis father went for it. Appy said when he got back he found the monkey had sold the barrow already, and blued all the money. So Taimis father never got his 10s. back again.

Thompson Notebooks. From Taimi Boswell, Oswaldtwistle, 8 January 1915.

(H)APPY BOZLL: V

Wonst upon a time there was a Romano, and his name was Happy Bozll, and he had a German-silver grinding barrow, and he used to put his wife and his child on the top, and he used to go that quick along the road, hed beat all the coaches. Then he thought this grinding-barrow was too heavy and clumsy to take about, and he cut it up and made tentrods of it. And then his donkey got away, and he didnt know where it was gone to; and one day he was going by the tent, and he said to himself, Bless my soul, wherevers that donkey got to? And there was a tree close by, and the donkey shouted out and said, Im here, my Happy, getting you a bit o stick to make a fire. Well, the donkey come down with a lot o sticks, and he had been up the tree a week, getting firewood.

VI a. Well then, Happy had a dog, and he went out one day, the dog one side the hedge, and him the other. And then he saw two hares. The dog ran after the two; and as he was going across the field, he cut himself right through with a scythe; and then one half ran after one hare, and the other after the other. Then the two halves of the dog catched the two hares; and then the dog smacked together again; and he said, Well, Ive got em, my Happy; and then the dog died. And Happy had a hole in the knee of his breeches, and he cut a piece of the dogs skin after it was dead, and sewed it in the knee of his breeches. And that day twelve months his breeches-knee burst open, and barked at him. And so thats the end of Happy Bozll.

Norton Collection, VI, p. 68. From F.H.Groome, Gypsy Folk-Tales, pp. 12930. Taken down in 1879 from one of the Boswells.

APPY BOZLL [summary]

VI b. Appy had a dog which chased a hare across a field where the men had been cutting clover. They had left a scythe. A second hare sprang up. The dog ran against the scythe, and split itself into two. Each half chased a hare. Dog brought the hares to Appy, and joined up. Appy shot the dog, so that no one else should own it, and had its skin made into leggings. On each anniversary of the event, the leggings jumped off his legs and barked, and then jumped on again.

Thompson Notebooks. Told by Gus Gray, Cleethorpes, 26 September 1914.


I. TYPE 1960B. MOTIF: X.1301 [Lie: the great fish]; X.1306 [Lie: tamed fish lives on dry land].

II. and III. TYPE 1889. MOTIF: B.211.2.10 [Speaking monkey]. See Adventures of a Parrot: Teaching the Parrot to say Uncle. IV. TYPE 1634*. Various tricks played by gypsies. V. TYPE 1889. Appys grinding-barrow. VI. TYPE 1889L (variant). MOTIF: X.1215. II [Lie: the split dog]. See The Dog and the Hares.

AS DRUNK AS DAVIDS SOW

A few years ago, one David Lloyd, a Welchman, who kept an inn at Hereford, had a living sow with six legs, which occasioned great resort to the house. David also had a wife who was much addicted to drunken-ness, and for which he used frequently to bestow on her an admonitory drubbing. One day, having taken an extra cup which operated in a powerful manner, and dreading the usual consequences, she opened the styedoor, let out Davids sow, and lay down in its place, hoping that a short unmolested nap would sufficiently dispel the fumes of the liquor. In the meantime, however, a company arrived to view the so much talked of animal; and Davy, proud of his office, ushered them to the stye, exclaiming, Did any of you ever see such a creature before?Indeed, Davy, said one of the farmers, I never before saw a sow so drunk as thine in all my life!

Hence the term as drunk as Davids sow.

W.Hone, The Table Book, I, p. 379. MOTIF: X.800 [Humour based on drunkenness].

AUNE MIRE

A man is said to have been making his way through Aune Mire when he came on a top-hat reposing, brim downwards, on the sedge. He gave it a kick, whereupon a voice called out from beneath, What be you a-doin to my at? The man replied, Be there now a chap undern? Ees, I reckon, was the reply, and a hoss under me likewise.

S.Baring-Gould, A Book of Dartmoor, p. 6. MOTIF: X.1655. I [Lie: the man under the hat, which is the only thing seen above the

mud]. English. A version of this was told in Cheshire among the Scouts, about the International

Boy Scout Jamboree at Birkenhead in 1931, which was an exceptionally wet season: A Scouter saw a Scout hat lying on the mud and picked it up. There was a Scouts head underneath it.

What are you doing there, my lad? he said. Im sitting on this baggage, sir, waiting for transport, said the boy.

III Jocular tales 9

AUSTWICK CARLES: I

There was a deep, dark pool at Austwick, whose banks were a favourite resort of men and boys. One day a man fell into the pool, and did not come up again, but presently a number of bubbles came up, making a strange noise, which seemed to the rest to take the form of words, and to say, T b-b-b-bests at t b-b-bottom. So they all jumped in one after another, to see what this good thing was. And hence comes the local proverb, T bests at tbottom, as the Astic carles say.

S.O.Addy, Household Tales, pp. 11213.

AUSTWICK CARLES: II [summary]

Once a farmer of Austwick, wishing to get a bull out of a field, called nine of his neighbours to his aid. For some hours they tried in vain to lift the animal over the gate, and at last sent one of them to find more helpers.

He opened the gate and went through, and only after he was out of sight did the others begin to think that the bull also might have been let out the same way.

W.A.Clouston, The Book of Noodles, p. 54, The Bull in the Field.

Another Austwick farmer had to take a wheelbarrow to a certain town, and to save a hundred yards in following the ordinary road, he took it through the fields. This involved lifting the barrow over twenty-two stiles.

AUSTWICK CARLES: III

One of the tall limestone cliffs, which abound near their village (Austwick), was deemed to be in great danger of separating from the mountain-side, and hurling itself upon the devoted village. Frequent councils were held to devise some effectual means of preventing such a catastrophe. On the top of the projecting mass grew a large oak-tree, and the result of the long debates of the carles was that a number of stout ropes should be procured and, with these passed round the face of the cliff, it should be firmly bound to the tree which stood upon its top. The device was carried out, and answered its purpose most effectually, for the cliff, with the tree on the top, still overlooks and smiles upon the village.

Norton Collection, IV, p. 3. Austwick, Yorkshire. From Thomas Parkinson, Yorkshire Legends, 2nd series, p. 194.


AUSTWICK CARLES: IV

Season after season a farmer in this village had been very unlucky with his crops. He cut his grass at the usual time, and one day the sun dried it, and another day the rain came and wet it. So he thought the best thing would be to take the grass into the barn as soon as it was cut, and then bring the sunshine into the barn. So one day they found him busy with his cart. First he took the cart out into the sunshine, and let the sun shine on it for a few minutes, and then he began to tie the sunshine on with ropes. After he had done this, he led the horses and cart into the barn, took the rope off the cart, and kicked the sunshine on to the grass.

Norton Collection, IV, p. 4. From S.O.Addy, Household Tales, p. 112.

THE AUSTWICK CARLES AND THE WATCH: V

Some of the [Austwick] carles had been over to Settle, and on returning, pot valiant, one of them was out-distanced by the others, when his attention was arrested by something alive, with a lang tail, saying Tack him, tack him.

Hoo, hoy, chaps, he exclaimed to his companions, stop, or hell a me. His companions waited to hear what was the cause of alarm to him. When he reached them he told them, There was a lile fella under twa as said hed a me. They all returned, and still found the sound repeating, Tack him, tack him. And now commenced the tug-of-war. Armed with knob-sticks, they cavilled as to which should lead the attack on the tick em, tack em fella. At last dispute was brought to an end by the whole body of companions advancing in abreast to the attack.

Smash went the knob-sticks, and soon silenced the tick em tack em voice. Not being able to find the remains of the still small voice in the dark, they resolved to search for him in the morning, when lo! and behold! the ghost, the robber, the kidnapper, was discovered to be a simple watch, and none of them had ever heard a watch tick before.

Norton Collection, IV, p. 129. From N.Dobson, Rambles by the Ribble, first series, p. 40. I. The Bests at the Bottom. TYPE 1297*. MOTIF: J.1832 [Jumping into the river after their comrade]. See Bolte-Polivka, II, p. 556 n. I. There is a Japanese version. II. The Bull in the Field. TYPE 1295B* (variant). MOTIF: J.2171.6 [Man on camel has doorway broken down

so as to get in: it does not occur to him to dismount]; J.2199.3 [Nine men try to lift bull over fence].

III. The Rope-bound Cliff. TYPE 1241A (variant). In the true versions the fools try to save the tree from falling over the cliff by pulling it

up by the roots. They are all pulled over. Greek. IV. Trapping the Sunshine. TYPE 1245. MOTIF: J.2123 [Sunlight carried into windowless house in baskets]. V. The Austwick Carles and the Watch.

III Jocular tales 11

TYPE 1319A*. MOTIFS: J.1781.2 [Watch mistaken for the devils eye: knocked to pieces]; J.1782 [Things thought to be ghosts].

See also The Death of a Watch. Tales of Local Follies are very common in England. The best known of them is

The Wise Men of Gotham. See also The Borrowdale Follies, Bolliton Jackdaws, The Chiseldon Follies, The Yabberton Yawnies.

THE BAG OF NUTS: I

It happened once that two young men met in a churchyard, about eight oclock in the evening.

One of them said to the other, Where are you going? The other answered, Im going to get a bag of nuts that lies underneath my mothers

head in this churchyard. But tell me, where are you going? He said, Im going to steal a fat sheep out of this field. Wait here till I come back. Then the other man got the nuts that were under his dead mothers head, and stood in

the church porch cracking them. In those days it was the custom to ring a bell at a certain time in the evening, and just as the man was cracking the nuts the sexton came into the churchyard to ring it. But when he heard the cracking of the nuts in the porch he was afraid, and ran to tell the parson, who only laughed at him, and said, Go and ring, fool. However, the sexton was so afraid, that he said he would not go back unless the parson would go with him.

After much persuasion the parson agreed to go, but he had the gout very badly, and the sexton had to carry him on his back. When the man in the porch who was cracking the nuts saw the sexton coming into the churchyard with the parson on his back he thought it was the man who had just gone out to steal the sheep, and had returned with a sheep on his back. So he bawled out, Is it a fat one? When the sexton heard this he was so frightened that he threw the parson down and said, Aye, and thou canst take it if thou likst. So the sexton ran away as fast as he could, and left the parson to shift for himself. But the parson ran home as fast as the sexton.

S.O.Addy, Household Tales, p. 4. From Calver in Derbyshire.

THE BAG OF NUTS: II

There was a certain rich husbandman in a village which loved nuts marvellously well, and set trees of filberts and other nut trees in his orchard and nourished them well all his life. And when he died, he made his executors to make promise to bury with him in his grave a bag of nuts or else they should not be his executorswhich executors, for fear of losing their rooms (= offices) fulfilled his will and did so.

It happened that the same night after that he was buried, there was a miller in a white coat came to this mans garden to th intent to steal a bag of nuts. And in the way he met with a tailor in a black coatan unthrift of his acquaintanceand showed him his intent. This tailor likewise showed him that he intended the same time to steal a sheep. And so


they both there agreed to go forthward every man severally with his purpose, and after that (they appointed) to make good cheer each with the other, and to meet again in the church porchand he that came first to tarry for the other.

This miller, when he had sped of his nuts, came first to the church porch, and there tarried for his fellowand the meanwhile sat still there and knakked nuts.

It fortuned then the sexton of the church, because it was about nine of the clock, came to ring curfew. And when he looked in the porch and saw one all in white knakking nuts, he had weened it had been the dead man risen out of his grave knakking the nuts that were buried with himand ran home again in all haste and told to a cripple that was in his house what he had seen.

This cripple, thus hearing, rebuked the sexton and said that if he were able to go he would go thither and conjure that spirit. By my troth, quod the sexton, and if thou darest do it I will bear thee on my neck and so they both agreed. The sexton took the cripple on his neck, and came into the churchyard again.

And the miller in the porch saw one coming bearing a thing on his back and weened it had been the tailor coming with the sheep and rose up to meet them. And as he came towards them, he asked and said: Is he fat? Is he fat? And the sexton, hearing him say so, for fear cast the cripple down and said: Fat or lean, take him there for meand ran away. And the cripple by miracle was made whole and ran away as fast as he or faster.

This miller, perceiving that they were two, and that one ran after anothersupposing that one had spied the tailor stealing the sheep and that he had run after him to have taken himand afraid that somebody also had spied him stealing nuts, he for fear left his nuts behind him and, as secretly as he could, ran home to his mill.

And anon after he was gone the tailor came with the stolen sheep upon his neck to the church porch to seek the miller. And when he found there the nut shells, he supposed that his fellow had been there and gone homeas he was indeed. Wherefore he took up the sheep again upon his neck and went toward the mill.

But yet, during this while, the sexton which ran away went not to his own house but went to the parish priests chamber, and showed him how the spirit of the man was risen out of his grave knakking nuts (as ye have heard before). Wherefore the priest said that he would go conjure him if the sexton would go with himand so they both agreed.

The priest did on his surplice and a stole about his neck, and took holy water with him, and came with the sexton toward the church. And so soon as he entered into the churchyard, the tailor with the white sheep on his neck, intending (as I before have showed you) to go down to the mill, met with them and had weened that the priest in his surplice had been the miller in his white coat, and said to him: By God, I have him! I have himmeaning the sheep that he had stolen.

The priest, perceiving the tailor all in black and a white thing on his neck, weened it had been the devil bearing away the spirit of the dead man that was buried, and ran away as fast as he couldtaking the way down toward the milland the sexton running after him.

This tailor, seeing one following him, had weened that one had followed the miller to have done him some hurt, and thought he would follow if need were to help the miller; and went forth till he came to the mill, and knocked at the mill door.


The miller, being within, asked who was there. The tailor answered and said: By God, I have caught one of them, and made him sure and tied him fast by the legsmeaning the sheep that he had stolen and had then on his neck tied fast by the legs.

But the miller, hearing him say that he had him tied fast by the legs, had weened it had been the constable that had taken the tailor for stealing of the sheep, and had tied him by the legs. And afraid that he had come to have taken him also for stealing of the nuts, wherefore the miller opened a back door and ran away as fast as he could.

The tailor, hearing the back door opening, went on the other side of the mill, and there saw the miller running awayand stood there a little while musing, with the sheep on his neck. Then was the parish priest and the sexton standing there under the millhouse, hiding them for fear,and saw the tailor again with the sheep on his neck and had weened still it had been the devil with the spirit of the dead man on his neckand for fear ran away.

But because they knew not the ground well, the priest leaped into a ditch almost over the head, like to be drowned, and he cried out with a loud voice: Help! Help!

Then the tailor looked about and saw the miller running away and the sexton another way, and heard the priest cry Help!had weened it had been the constable with a great company crying for help to take him and bring him to prison for stealing of the sheepwherefore he threw down the sheep, and ran away another way as fast as he could. And so every man was afraid of the other without cause.

By this ye may see well it is folly for any man to fear a thing too much till that he see some proof or cause.

A Hundred Merry Tales (1526), ed. Zall, p. 80. TYPE 1791. MOTIF: X.424 [Devil in cemetery].

The sixteenth-century jest-book gives the story at far greater length, but is very possibly a literary elaboration of a story very like that given by Addy, who had it from a man who could hardly read, and could not write, and had no access to books. The wide distribution of the story is an argument for its antiquity. As many as 131 examples are recorded in Finland, it is distributed all over Europe, and is also found in the West Indies. The Journal of American Folklore gives a number of versions, and 207 have been collected in Ireland.

See also Mother Elstons Nuts, The Churchyard, The Old Woman who Cracked Nuts. In Mother Elstons Nuts, and in an American version, the cripple is permanently cured by his fright.

THE BAKER AND JACK THE FOOL [summary]

Three tramps beg to spend the night in a bakehouse. The baker tells them they must be out by six oclock. The tramps creep into the warm oven, and oversleep themselves. The bakers boy innocently lights the fire, and the tramps are stifled. The baker feels himself guilty, and tries to get rid of the bodies. Puts them into sacks. Gives one sack to village innocent, and tells him to earn a shilling by throwing the dead man into river. He does so, and comes back for shilling. Baker tells him the man has got back. Gives him second sack. Jack throws this in, and comes back for shilling. Shown third sack. Can hardly


believe it. To make sure opens sack, and cuts off leg. On way back, meets man with wooden leg, and sack on shoulder, who asks way to mill. No, you dont, he says, throws man in and drowns him, and tells baker what he has done. So baker is responsible for death of four men.

Collected by T.W.Thompson from Gus Gray. TYPE 1536B. MOTIF: K.2322 [The three hunchback brothers drowned]. In the more usual version of the tale the original killer is a woman; the fourth man

killed is her hunchback husband. Credulity is slightly less strained by the simpleton having cut off the leg of the third corpse to prevent its return.

The tale is widely distributed. There is a Grimm version (no. 212). A study by Pillet is Das Fabliau von les Trois Bossus Menestrels (1901).

THE BASKETMAKERS DONKEY [summary]

In the days when most gypsies used to travel with pack-donkeys, there was an old man whose donkey had been with him for so many years that it had become a great pet. This old man used to make baskets for his wife to sell from house to house, and this was his chief occupation, though he would sometimes cut pegs, or a few skewers. He was not a full gypsy, but he knew a little of their language.

One day the old man was at home at his work, and his donkey was keeping him company, as it often did. But unlike its usual quiet self, it kept fussing and fidgeting up to him, and would give him no peace. At last he grew angry, and picking up a long switch, he lashed out with it at the donkey, and struck it such a blow that it cut the donkey clean in half. The old man was distracted with grief, the tears rolled down his cheeks. He ran back to his home, and brought back a bundle of willow-withes. He stood up the two halves of the donkey, and tied them tightly together with the withes, and daubed all the joins with clay.

To his great joy the two halves joined together and grew again, and the old donkey lived as long as its master. What is more, the willow-withes grew also, and provided a ready supply of raw material for the old mans baskets ever after.

Dora E.Yates, Gypsy Folk-Tales, p. 152. TYPE 1911A. MOTIF: X.1721.1 [New backbone for a horse made from a stick].

There are Finnish, Swedish, Irish, and Anglo-American versions of this tale.

THE BEST-TEMPERED WOMAN IN THE WORLD

Jont went a-courting the Dent schoolmistress. Each evening as she sat knitting, Jont pulled out her needles, letting her stitches drop. Always without reproach, but with seemingly unending patience, Mary picked up the stitches and knitted it up again. This continued week after week. Jont boasted to his pals that hed getten t best-tempered woman i t world.


The wedding day dawned. As they walked home over the bridge after the ceremony, Mary turned to Jont, her eyes blazingbut not with loveand snarled: Now Ahll ravel thee.

Tales from The Dalesman, p. 17. MOTIFS: H.360 [Bride test]; H.461 [Test of wifes patience]; K.1984 [Girls keep up

appearances to deceive suitors as to their desirability].

THE BEST WAY TO DIE

Theres the story of the three old minerswere retiredone was well over 70, the other one was 80 some odd, and the oldest was 96! and they were in the eventide of their lifesummertime sitting on the council seat enjoying the sunshinewatching the traffic going back and forthand they suddenly discussed how theyd like to die!seethe youngest now of the trio was well over 70, he said, Well, boys bach, he said, Ive been watchin these red sports cars, he said, that these youngsters have got travelling back and fore, he said, I dont know nothing about cars, he said, but Id like to get into one of those, he said Rev up, he said, thats what I think they call it607080 miles an hourBang into a lamp posteverything at an endthats the way Id like to dieWhat about you, John? he said. Now the one who was over 80 now, the second oldest of the trioWell, boys, he said, Im a bit more modern than you are, he said, Ive been reading about these Sputniks, he said, I would like to volunteer to go into one of these Sputniks, he said. They tell me they go up into the skythousands of miles, he saidId like to be up there, he said, 10,000 miles upsomething go wrong with the worksexplosioneverything finishthats the way I would like to go out, he said. Now the oldest of the trio of the old minershe was ninety-sixso they said to him, Youre silent, Robert? Ha, boys, he said, Ive been listening to you two, he said. Dyou know the way Id like to go out? he said. No, Robertwhich way would you like to die? Well, boys bach, he said, to tell you the truthId like to be shot by a jealous husband!

Roy Palmer, from Ewan MacColl and Charles Parker. MOTIF: H.1221.1 [Old warrior longs for more adventure; refuses to rest in old age].

The literary reference to this in the Motif-Index is Tennysons Ulysses. This recently collected anecdote is a livelier and more humorous illustration of the same theme: Si vieillesse pouvait.

BETTY AND JONNY

Betty an Jonny hed twa three kye a ther aan, an usta kyrn a few punds a buttre a week. Sooa ya week Betty was gaan wi her buttre tet market, bet she heddent geean far afooar she leets a yan it nebbers. Whar er ya gaan, Betty? ses he. Tet market, weet buttre, ta be sewer; whaar else sud I be gaan? Wyah, Betty, ses he, its Sunda. Hoo can it be Sunda, ses Betty, when oor Jonnys wharrlan steeans? Eftre a bit she leets ov


anudther. Whar er ye gaan, Betty? ses he. Tet market, weet buttre, to be sewer. Wyah, its Sunda. Hoo can it be Sunda when oor Jonnys wharrlan steeans?

An when she gat doon ameeast tet Kirk, t fooak were o gaan in; an sum onem telt Betty et she mud ga heeam ageean, es it wes Sunda. Sooa what she went heeam. An awae she gaas to Jonny, it wharrel, an sed, Jonny, thoo mun give ower. What mun I give ower for? sed Jonny. Wyah, its Sunda, sed Betty. Hoo can it be Sunda, when thoos been et market? Wyah, t fooaks er a geean tet kirk, an thae say et its Sunda, an thoo mun give ower. Wyah, ses Jonny, a wes sewer et theear wes summat rang es seean es a co this mooarnin, fer whaar ivver a pot t geeavlak in t steeans co trinnalan doon; a thowt thore wed a kilt ma ower an ower ageean.

Norton, Supplementary Collection, no. 54, p. 66. Specimens of the Westmorland Dialect, by the Rev. Thomas Clarke (Kendal, 1872).

BETTY AND JOHNNY [translation]

Betty and Johnny had two or three cows of their own and used to churn a few pounds of butter a week. So one week Betty was going with her butter to market, but she hadnt gone far before she met with one of the neighbours. Where are you going, Betty? says he. To the market, with the butter. Where else should I be going? Why, Betty, says he, its Sunday. How can it be Sunday? says Betty, when our Johnnys quarrying stones? After a bit she meets with another.

Where are you going, Betty? says he. To market, with the butter, to be sure. Why, its Sunday. How can it be Sunday, when our Johnnys quarrying stones? And when she got down almost to the church, folks were all going in; and some of

them told Betty she must go home again, as it was Sunday. So she went home. And away she went to Johnny in the quarry, and said, Johnny, you must give over. What must I give over for? said Johnny. Why, its Sunday, said Betty. How can it be Sunday, when youve been at the market? Why, the folks are all

going into the church, and they say that its Sunday, and you must give over. Why, says Johnny, I was sure that there was something wrong as soon as I came

this morning, for wherever I put in the crowbar the stones came trickling down; I thought theyd have killed me over and over again.

MOTIF: J.2000 [Absurd absent-mindedness].

THE BEWITCHED TREE

A beautiful young Gentlewoman of Canterbury, being wedded to an old Man in respect of his Riches, he being as full of Ice as she of Fire, had a Mind to try the Difference between young and old Flesh, shewed some more than ordinary kindness to her Serving Man, which he perceiving lays hold of all Opportunities to address himself to her by way of Love; but she would not yield to his Desire, unless he would contrive some Way to cornute her Husband in his Presence, and he not to believe it; this caused the Serving


Man to put his Invention upon the Rack, who at last acquainted his Mistress that he had found an Experiment to do it, provided she would, when her Husband and she was walking in the Garden, pretend to long for some Fruit on some of the highest Trees, and to leave him the Management of the rest; which accordingly she did. The old Man called his Man to ascend the Tree, to gather the Fruit; who as soon as he had got up, he cried out with a loud voice, Master, Master, leave off for shame; I never in all my Life saw so unseemly an Action, for shame disengage yourself from my Mistress, or else some of the Neighbours will see you. The old Man, amazed at this Language, asked if the Fellow was mad, and what he meant? O Sir, said the Man, the Tree is either bewitched, or else I cannot believe my own Eyes; for I fancy I see you upon my Mistress. Come down, come down, and let me get up the Tree, to know if it seems so to me. The Fellow came down, and the old Man got up; in the Interim, the young Fellow fell to work with his Mistress: the old Man looks down and sees it; cries out, in good faith, says he, it seems to me just as it did to you; for methinks I see you upon your Mistress, as perfectly as if it was really so. The old Man gets down, and thinks the Tree bewitched, and orders it presently to be cut down; for fear it should infect the rest. Thus was the old Man made a Cuckold to his Face, and would not believe it.

Norton Collection, V, p. 47b. [Chaucer, Junior, Canterbury Tales, Composd for the Entertainment of all Ingenious Young Men and Maidens,London, W.Dicey, Bow Church-Yard, c. 1790, no. VIII, pp. 1012.]

TYPE 1423. MOTIF: K.1518 [The enchanted pear-tree]. There are many literary forms of this tale. See Chaucer, The Merchants Tale;

Boccaccio, VII, no. 9. See The Blind Man and his Wife.

BILLY TYSONS COORTIN

[Billy does not know how to set about wooing Mary Jane, and asks the advice of his friend, Miley.]

Wy, he ses, I see thu cant tell her wi the tongue, thu mun try the eyes, thu mun leek most turble fain when thu meets her, did ta nivver hear tell a toke casting sheeps eyes? dusta think thu cud? Billy didnt kna what it was, but he thout if it was thrain he cud manish, sae he says, Aye, I cud manish thrain sheeps eyes. I yance kilt a jammy lang neck we a staen, fleein ower oor hoose. Miley thout Billy was nobbut joken aboot t jammy lang neck, but he wasent. Wya he sets off reet away tat neerest butcher ta git some sheeps eyes, en then he thought he wad lurk int rowed side till Mary Jane com by, en then he was gaan to let shine et her we them[His master discovers the plan and brings about the wedding.]

Norton Collection, V, p. 206. From Billy Tysons Coortin and other Sketches in the Westmorland Dialect, by A.S.Taylor, 2nd edn (Kendal, 1882), p. 6.

TYPE 1685. MOTIF: J.2462.2 [To throw sheeps eyes at the bride]. See also The Wise Men of Gotham, Clever Pat (A. II).


BLACK JOHNS DREAM

[John was a dwarf in the service of Arscott of Tetcott, a squire who lived on Tamar side early in the eighteenth century. He was one of the last of such squires, and Black John (nicknamed for his swarthy skin, and negroid features) was one of the last of the jester-dwarfs, employed to make merriment for their masters.]

A tale is told of him, that one day, after he had for some time amused the guests, and had drank his full share of the ale, he fell, or seemed to fall, asleep. On a sudden he started up with a loud and terrified cry. Questioned as to the cause of his alarm, he answered, O sir, to his master, I was in a sog [sleep], and I had such a dreadful dream! I thought I was dead, and I went where the wicked people go!

Ha, John, said Arscott of Tetcott, in his grim voice, wide awake for a jest or a tale, then tell us all about what you heard and saw.

Well, master, nothing particular. Indeed, John! No, sir; things was going on just as they do upon airthhere in Tetcott Hallthe

gentlefolks nearest the fire.

R.S.Hawker, Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall, p. 79, 1903. TYPE 1738 (variant). MOTIF: X.438 [All parsons in hell].

See The Parsons Meeting.

THE BLIND MAN AND HIS WIFE

There was sometime a blind man which had a fair wife, of the which he was much jealous. He kept her so that she might go nowhere, for ever he had her by the hand. And after that she was enamoured of a genteel fellow, they could not find the manner nor no place for to fulfill their will. But notwithstanding, the woman, which was subtle and ingenious, counselled to her friend that he should come into her house and that he should enter into the garden and that there he should climb upon a pear tree. And he did as she told him.

And when they had made their enterprise, the woman came again into the house and said to her husband: My friend, I pray you that ye will go into our garden for to disport us a little while there.

Of the which prayer the blind man was well content and said to his wife: Well, my good friend, I will well. Let us go thither.

And as they were under the pear-tree, she said to her husband: My friend, I pray thee to let me go upon the pear-tree, and I shall gather for us both some fair pears.

Well, my friend, said the blind man, I will well, and grant thereto. And when she was upon the tree, the young man began to shake the pear-tree at one

side and the young woman at the other side. And as the blind man heard thus hard shake the pear-tree and the noise which they made, he said to them: Haa! evil woman, howbeit that I see it not, nevertheless I feel and understand it well. But I pray to the gods that they vouchsafe to send me my sight again. And as soon as he had made his prayer, Jupiter rendered to him his sight again.


And when he saw that pageant upon the pear-tree, he said to his wife: Ha, unhappy woman, I shall never have no joy with thee. And because that the young woman was ready in speech and malicious, she answered

forthwith to her husband: My friend, thou art well beholden and bounden to me for because the gods have restored to thee thy sight, whereof I thank all the gods and goddesses which have enhanced and heard my prayer.

For I, desiring much that thou might see me, ceased never day nor night to pray them that they would render to thee thy sight. Wherefore the goddess Venus visibly showed herself to me and said that if I would do some pleasure to the said young man, she should restore to thee thy sight. And thus I am cause of it.

And then the good man said to her: My right dear wife and good friend, I remercy you greatly, for right ye have done, and I great wrong.

From A Hundred Merry Tales, ed. Zall, pp. 356. TYPE 1423. MOTIF: K.1518 [The enchanted pear-tree].

This Jest-book version of the tale differs slightly from its usual form in containing a real miracle, and making the wife and lover, not the husband, climb the tree.

The more usual form occurs in Chaucer (The Merchants Tale), Boccaccio, and in Italian novelle. It is widely spread in oral tradition; Scottish, and many Irish examples are recorded, as well as versions from France, Holland, Hungary and America.

BOB APPLEFOREDS PIG or MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

About fifty years ago there lived at Hogbourn, Mr Robert Appleford. He was a pig-dealer by trade, was a character, and was well known throughout the county as Bob Applevord.

Bob caused to be circulated far and wide notification that he had, at Hogbourn, a prime fat pig, which he intended to present to any man who could prove that he had always strictly minded his own business. For some time nobody responded to the invitation, and the one or two who at length did so had weak claims, which fell through.

But there was a man at Didcot of remarkably taciturn disposition, and his neighbours told him he was the right man to claim the pig. Accordingly he one morning went over to Bob Applefords pig-yard, and accosted him with, I be the man as minds my own business, an be come vor that ther peg. Well, says Bob Appleford, I be glad to zee e, then. Come an look at un. They accordingly went to the sty where the celebrated pig was, and for a while both gazed admiringly.

Bob Appleford then stroked the pig and remarked, A be a vine un, jus as I zed vor, be-ant a? Eese, a rayly be, said the claimant from Didcot; zurely a markable vine peg, an med I ax e what e hev a-ved un on to maayke That be my business, an not yourn, good marnin, replied Bob Appleford interrupting.

No one else claimed the pig.

Norton, Supplementary Collection, no. 62, p. 74. Lowsley, pp. 823. Mid-Berkshire. TYPE 1416 (variant). MOTIF: H.1554.2 [Test of curiosity: the clock].

See also The Clock, Thats Not Your Business.


BOLLITON JACKDAWS

Many years ago a number of workmen were busily engaged in repairing the roof of the grand old Priory Church (of Bridlington), one of the oldest parish churches in the East Riding. For this purpose a long beam of timber was required, which had to be taken into the church in order to be hoisted up to the roof. It was hauled to the richly ornamented western entrance, when its length was found to be greater than the width of the doorway. Here things were brought to a standstill, and the perplexing question aroseHow are we to get the beam into the church?

They set their wits to work, and one suggested that they should saw the beam in two; another suggested that they should cut a few feet from each end; and a third proposed that they should knock a few stones out of each side of the doorway to make an opening sufficiently wide to admit it

While the workmen were busily suggesting their various schemes for getting the beam into the church, one of them looked up to the Awd Steeple, and observed a jackdaw, which was building its nest there, fly into one of the crevices, with the end of a long straw in its mouth, which it dragged in. Observing this, he suddenly exclaimed, Did ya see that, lads? That jackdaw tewk that sthraw in endways on. Lets see if this beeamll gan in seeam way. His mates were struck with the inspiration. They turned the beam endwise, and got it into the church without further difficulty. From that time to the present all natives of Bridlington have been facetiously called Bolliton Jackdaws.

Mrs Gutch, County Folk-Lore, VI, p. 189. East Riding of Yorkshire. TYPE 1248. MOTIFS: J.1964 [Tree-trunks laid cross-wise on the sledge]; F.171.6.3 [Trying to get a beam through a door crosswise in other world].

This is part of type 801, in which a cantankerous tailor is allowed to stay in Heaven if he criticizes nothing. In the course of his short stay he sees men trying to carry a beam into a church crosswise.

This is one of many local taunts. The Bolliton Jackdaws could at least learn by example, which could not be said of the Borrowdale men.

See The Austwick Carles, The Borrowdale Cuckoo The Cuckoo-Penners, The Darlaston Geese, The Men of Gotham, The Yabberton Yawnies, etc.

THE BORROWDALE CUCKOO

Now they were terribly bothered in Borradle about their game. There was summat ga-en wi t game eggs, an they couldnt reckon it up. Well they were watchin one day an they spot t cuckoo sowkin eggs. They tried to shut it and they couldnt git a shot at it, and so it flew into an intack and intul a tree. And so they thought they would wa it in. So they got a good wa round it, but t cuckoo cleered t topnobbut just. So they thowt they was a steean or two short because it just cleered it.

So they went round where they had all this game at, t cuckoo was there again. So they off with their guns again, to see if they could shut it. Awwiver it happened to flee and into just t seeam intack, just an so cleered the wa. An so they thowt they would put a bit mair wa onto t topthey thowt they would have it. Awwiver they went in again


with their guns an it flew out again, just an so cleered t wa again. And that carried on for about fower times, and they wad up till theyd waed aw t steeans there was i Borradle. So they had to give it upit could allus just flee ower ttop.

E.M.Wilson, Some Humorous English Folk Tales, part III, Folk-Lore, LIV (March 1943), p. 260.

TYPE 1213. MOTIFS: J.1904.2 [The pent cuckoo]; J.1904.2.1 [The cuckoo fenced to keep in spring].

Taken down in April 1936 from James Harrison, of Low Fell, Crosthwaite, who heard the tale in 1901 from a native of Thirlmere, Cumberland.

A printed version given by J.Briggs in The Lonsdale Magazine, II (1821), p. 293. A full study of the type was made by J.E.Field in The Pent Cuckoo (1913). See also

Clouston, A Book of Noodles. The tale is widespread in England, but elsewhere only one Walloon version is known. See also The Cuckoo-Penners, The Wise Men of Gotham, etc.

BORROWDALE FOLLIES

I. It is said that an old Borrowdale man was once sent a very long way for something very new, by some innovator who had found his way into the dale. The man was to go with horse and sacks (for there were no carts, because there was no road) to bring some lime from beyond Keswick. On his return, when he was near Grange, it began to rain; and the man was alarmed at seeing his sacks begin to smoke. He got a hatful of water from the river; but the smoke grew worse. Assured at length that the devil must be in any fire which was aggravated by water, he tossed the whole load over into the river. That must have been before the dalesmen built their curious wall; for they must have had lime for that. Spring being very charming in Borrowdale, and the sound of the cuckoo gladsome, the people determined to build a wall to keep in the cuckoo, and make the Spring last for ever. So they built a wall across the entrance, at Grange.

The plan did not answer; but that was, according to the popular belief from generation to generation, because the wall was not built one course higher. It is simply for want of a top course in that wall that eternal spring does not reign in Borrowdale.

II. Another anecdote shows,however, that a bright wit did occasionally show himself among them. A statesmanan estatesman, or small proprietorwent one day to a distant fair or sale, and brought home what neither he nor his neighbours had ever seen before: a pair of stirrups. Home he came jogging, with his feet in his stirrups; but by the time he reached his own door, he had jammed his feet in so fast that they would not come out. There was great alarm and lamentation; but as it could not be helped now, the good man patiently sat his horse in the pasture for a day or two, his family bringing him food, till the eldest son, vexed to see the horse suffering by exposure, proposed to bring both into the stable. This was done; and there sat the farmer for several days,his food being brought to him as before. At length, it struck the second son that it was a pity not to make his father useful, and release the horse; so he proposed to carry him, on the saddle, into the house. By immense exertion it was done; the horse being taken alongside the midden in the yard, to ease the fall: and the good man found himself under his own roof again


spinning wool in a corner of the kitchen. There the mounted man sat spinning, through the cleverness of his second son, till the lucky hour arrived of his youngest sons return,he being a scholar,a learned student from St. Bees. After duly considering the case, he gave his counsel. He suggested that the goodman should draw his feet out of his shoes. This was done amidst the blessings of the family; and the goodman was restored to his occupations and to liberty. The wife was so delighted that she said if she had a score of children, she would make them all scholars,if only she had to begin life again.

III. A stranger came riding into the dale on a mule, and being bound for the mountains, went up the pass on foot, leaving the animal in the care of his host. The host had never seen such a creature before, nor had his neighbours. Fearing mischief, they consulted the wise man of the dale; for they kept a Sagum, or medicine man, to supply their deficiencies. He came, and after an examination of the mule, drew a circle round it, and consulted his books, while his charms were burning; and at length announced that he had found it. The creature must be, he concluded, a peacock. So Borrowdale could then boast, without a rival, of a visit from a stranger who came riding on a peacock.

Norton Collection, IV, pp. 79. Westmorland. Harriet Martineau, Guide to the Lakes, pp. 7880.

IV. The inhabitants of Borrowdale were a proverb, even among their unpolished neighbours, for ignorance, and a thousand absurd and improbable stories are related of their stupidity; such as mistaking a red deer, seen upon one of their mountains, for a horned horse; at the sight of which they assembled in considerable numbers, and provided themselves with ropes, thinking to take him by the same means as they did their horses when wild in the field, by running them into a strait, and then tripping them up with a cord. A chase of several hours proved fruitless; when they returned thoroughly convinced they had been chasing a witch.

J.P.White, Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country, p. 36. TYPES 1213, 1319*, 1349*. MOTIFS: J.1730 [Absurd ignorance]; J.1904.2 [The

pent cuckoo]; J.1736 [Fools and the unknown animal]. See also Austwick Carles, Bolliton Jackdaws, Darlaston Geese, The Wise Men

of Gotham, The Yabberton Yawnies.

BOX ABOUT

Sir Walter Raleighs eldest son, Walter, was of a very quarrelsome disposition. One day, his father was invited to dinner with some great nobleman, and he was asked to bring his young son. He talked to the boy, and said that he was such a bear that he did not like to bring him into this good company. Mr Walter humbled himself, and said he would behave very discretely. His father therefore took him, but kept him at his side. Young Walter sat demurely for some time, but in a pause he made a very outrageous remark [omitted by Aubrey]. Sir Walter being strangely surprised and putt out of countenance at so great a table, gives his son a damned blow over the face. His son, as rude as he was,


would not strike his father, but strikes over his face the gentleman that sat next to him, and sayd, Box about, twill come to my father anon. Tis now a commonused proverb.

John Aubrey, Brief Lives, II, p. 185. TYPE 1557. MOTIF: K.2376 [The returned box on the ears].

There are Russian and Lithuanian versions of this tale. None is listed in Norton or Baughman.

This young Walter Raleigh died in his fathers lifetime, in America. Raleighs poem The Weed and the Wag was addressed to him.

THE BOY AND THE PARSON

A parson was once walking on the moors when he met a boy who was getting heather to make besoms. The parson said, Come, my boy, can you tell me what oclock it is?

The boy said, I cant. Well, said the parson, do you think its twelve? It cant be no more, said the boy. Well, said the parson, do you think its one oclock? It cant be no less, said the boy. Youre a queer lad, said the parson, can you read? No, said the boy. Well, said the parson, how do you get your living? Way, said the boy, we mak besoms,* and sell em; and how dost thou get thy living? Why, said the parson, Im a parson. Way, said the boy, thou gets thy living by saying thy prayers, and I get mine by

making besoms. Every man to his trade.

S.O.Addy, Household Tales, p. 22. Calver, Derbyshire. TYPE 1832*. MOTIF: X.459 [Jokes on parsons].

THE BOY WHO FEARED NOTHING

Once a father made a bet with his son that he dare not go into the bonehouse in their village churchyard at midnight and fetch a skull out without taking a light with him.

The son accepted the wager, and on the following night went down into the bone-house.

In the meantime the father had told a man to hide himself in the bonehouse, and watch the boy.

When the boy got down amongst the bones, he picked up a skull. Then the man who had hidden himself said, Dont take that, for thats my mothers skull.

* Pronounced bazeoms.


So the boy threw that down, and picked up another skull, when the man said, Dont

take that, for thats my grandmothers. So the boy threw that down, and picked another up, but the man said, And thats my grandfathers. Then the boy shouted, Why, theyre all thy mothers or thy grandmothers; but Ive come for a skull, and Ill have one. So the boy picked one up and ran home to his father, and won the wager.

S.O.Addy, Household Tales, p. 6. TYPE 326D*. MOTIFS: H.1400 [Fear test: a person is put to various tests, in order

to make him show fear]; H.1435 [Fear test: fetching skulls from a charnel-house]; Q.82 [Reward for fearlessness].

This is a naturalistic version of Type 326. As well as the well-known Youth who wanted to know what Fear was, The Golden Ball. There are Irish, French and Swiss versions of the more naturalistic form.

See also The Brave Boy (A, IV), The Last Man Hanged.

BREAKING THE COMMANDMENTS

A clergyman who wished to know whether the children of the parishioners understood the Bible, asked a lad that he one day found reading the Old Testament, who was the wickedest man? Moses, to be sure, said the boy. Moses! exclaimed the parson. How can that be? Why, said the lad, because he broke all the commandments at once.

From The Penny Budget of Wit and Package of Drollery, p. 209. TYPE 1832* (variant). This is one of many tales of repartee between a boy and a parson, in which the boy

generally gets the better of the parson.

BRIBERY

A Dales tenant farmer had a difference with his landlord, and finally decided to take the case to court.

Discussing the possibilities of winning it, he asked his defending barrister: Howd it be if Ah sent t owd judge a couple of ducks?

If you want to lose your case, thats the way to do it, was the reply. Later, on the way out of court, after the case had been decided in his favour, the tenant

farmer tugged at his barristers sleeve. Ah sent ducks. You didnt? Aye, in t landlords name!

Tales from The Dalesman, p. 21. MOTIF: J.1190 [Cleverness in the law court].


This tale reverses the usual folk tradition of the judges corruption, as shown in motif J.1192 [The bribed judge].

A BRUSH FOR THE BARBER

A Highlander who sold brooms, went into a barbers shop in Glasgow a few days since, to get shaved. The barber bought one of his brooms, and, after having shaved him, asked the price of it. Twopence, said the Highlander. No, no, said the barber, Ill give you a penny. If that does not satisfy you take your broom again. The Highlander took it, and asked what he had got to pay. A penny, said strap. Ill gie you a bawbee, said Duncan, an if that dinna satisfy ye, put on my beard again.

From The Penny Budget of Wit and Package of Drollery, p. 206. MOTIF: J.1210 [Clever man puts another out of countenance].

THE BUYER AND SELLER or THE CHINAMAN AND THE ORANGES

A green-grocer engaged a Chinaman to sell oranges at the Railway Station. As the Chinaman knew no English the greengrocer told him how to answer the most probable questions. The first was: How much are the oranges? The answer would be: Fifteen shilling. The second should be: Are they juicy? As they werent very juicy the answer was to be: Some are and some arent. Should the questioner then say he would not buy, the rejoinder was to be: If you dont someone else will.

The Chinaman went to the Railway Station. What time does the next train go to Exeter? was the question put to him by a

traveller. Fifteen shilling, was the reply. The traveller, indignant at what he thought to be leg-pulling, said angrily: Is everyone

in this place as daft as you are? Some are and some arent, was the reply. The traveller, losing his temper, shouted: If you try to make a fool of me Ill hit you

on the head with my umbrella. The innocent Chinaman answered: If you dont, someone else will.

Folk-Lore (June 1938), p. 189. Told by Mr. Ronald Hilton, who heard it in Torquay. TYPE 1698K. MOTIF: X. 111.11 [The buyer and the deaf seller].

One of many stories dealing with deaf men or foreigners. There are various Scandinavian versions.

See also The Deaf Man and the Pig-Trough, Englishman and Highlandman, Geordy.


THE CALFS HEAD GETS STUCK IN THE GATE

Maester, Maester, cried the farm-boy one day, rushing into the kitchen in a state of great excitement, the caaf got is yed droo the gyet, an caant get un out agyen.

Get the zaa, bwoy. Get the zaa, an zaan out, the farmer answered. Thereupon, the boy got the saw, and started to saw off the calfs head.

Dang the bwoy! Why dissent zaa the gyet? the farmer cried. Then, turning to his wife, he said: Never mind, missis, we shall hae plenty o bif now.

Norton Collection, IV, p. 151, Berkshire. From Alfred Williams, Upper Thames, pp. 678.

TYPE 1294. MOTIF: J.2113 [Getting the calfs head out of the pot]. Scattered examples of this occur in various places. Clouston gives examples in A

Book of Noodles. Also in Greece, Asia Minor and India. F.J.Norton gives examples from Essex, Somerset, and Surrey.

THE CANNINGS VAWK

I niver wur at Cannins but once as I knaws on, an that wur when Mr. Jones wur alive. I went awver wi he to Cannins Veast. I mind thur wur a lot on em thur from Caan as wur a-tellin up zuch tales as was never about the Cannins vawk.

The telld I as zome on em got up the Church tower, and dunged that thurwhat is it?a-top o the tower, to make un grow as big as the spire. I never he-ard tell o zuch a thing! Should ee iver thenk as twer true? An the telld I as twarnt but a vurry veow years ago as some on em hired as ther wur a comut ur what ee caals it, to be zeed in Vize market-place, an pretty nigh aal Cannins went in thur to zee un, an niver thought o lookin to zee wur they cudden zee un at whoam. What some gurt stups they must a bin! An thur wur a cooper ur summat o that, as cudden putt th yead into a barrl; an a telld hes bwoy to get inside and howld un up till hed a vastened un. An when a done the bwoy hollered out dree the bung hawl, How be I to get out, veyther?That bit tickled I, bless ee, moorn aal ont! Arterwards one on em axed I if thur wurden a Cannins girl in sarvice at our place; an I sez, I blieve as tes. An a sez, Do ee ever zaa Baa! to she? An I sez, Noa, vur why should I zaay Baa to she? An a sez, You should allus saay Baa! to a body as comes from Cannins. Wull, I sez, I shudden like to zaay Baa! to any body wiout I knowd the rason ont. An then a telld I as the had a tiddlin lamb as wur terble dickey, an the putt un into the o-ven, to kip un warm, an shut un in an forgot aal about un, an lef un in thur. An when the awpened the o-ven agean a wur rawsted dree!

Norton Collection, IV, p. II. Wiltshire. Dartnell and Goddard, Wiltshire Glossary, pp. 21415. Collected by the Rev. E.H.Goddard, at Clyffe Pypard, W.Wilts., of Bishops Cannings.

TYPE 1334 (variant). MOTIF: J.2271.1 [The local moon]. See Growing the Churd, Pal Hals Quiffs.


THE CAP THAT PAID [summary]

Dealer lodges 10 in ten different pubs, arranging that when he spends it, he should touch his cap, and say, Thats all, and the landlord should reply, Thats right, Mr. So-and-so. Treats party of friends, and persuades them that payment is made by touching his cap. Sells cap to rich fellow-dealer for 300. When he is gone, dealer tries cap, and finds it does not work.

Collected by T.W.Thompson from Eva Gray, Grimsby, 31 October 1914. TYPE 1539. MOTIF: K.111.2 [Alleged bill-paying hat sold].

See The Irishmans Hat, The Clever Irishman.

CAPTAIN SILK

In a party of ladies, on it being reported that a Captain Silk had arrived in town, they exclaimed, with one exception, What a name for a soldier! The fittest name in the world, exclaimed a witty female, for Silk can never be Worsted.

From The Penny Budget of Wit and Package of Drollery, p. 209. TYPE 1345*. Stories depending on puns. Puns and plays on words are little noticed in the Type- and

Motif-Index. Type 1345* is the only classification in which they are mentioned and then as only

occurring in three Greek examples.

THE CARDS

A servant being denounced to his master as a gambler, denies the fact; and on a pack of cards being found in his pocket, he asserts that he is unacquainted with their use as mere cards; and that he uses them as an almanack, and sometimes converts them into a prayer-book. The four suits answer to the four quarters of the year; there are thirteen cards in each suit, and thirteen weeks in each quarter; the twelve coat cards correspond with the twelve months in a year; and there are just as many weeks in a year as cards in a pack. The King and Queen remind him of his allegiance; the Ten reminds him of the Ten Commandments; the Nine, of the nine Muses; the Eight, of the eight altitudes, and the eight persons who were saved in the Ark; the Seven, of the seven wonders of the world, and the seven planets that rule the days of the week; the Six, of the six petitions in the Lords Prayer, and of the six working days in a week; the Five, of the five senses; the Four, of the four seasons; the Three, of the three Graces, and of the three days and nights that Jonah was in the whales belly; the Two, of the two Testaments, Old and New, and of the two contrary principles, Virtue and Vice; and the Ace, of the worship of one God; With respect to the Knave, which he had laid aside, and had omitted to notice in its proper place, he says, on being asked its meaning by his master, that it will always remind him of the person who informed against him.


Chatto, pp. 3234. A summary of a chap-book (now lost?). Mentioned by S.W. Singer, Researches into the History of Playing Cards, London, 1816, p. 53, note, as having been heard by him narrated by one of the itinerant venders of Chap-Books with much naivete in a short time.)

TYPE 1613. MOTIF: H.603 [Symbolic Interpretation of playing cards.] This is a particularly full version of a wide-spread tale, found in Scandinavia, Finland,

France, Spain, Germany and America. The Eliot Notebooks contain a concise account of the same tale under the title of The Soldiers Bible. (B. VII).

See The Perpetual Almanack, where the story is particularized with name and place.

THE CASE IS ALTERED

The case is altered, quoth PlowdenThis saying of the famous Salopian lawyer of Elizabeths time is variously accounted for. How Plowden, having been beguiled into the then penal act of hearing Mass, which proved to be in reality a pretended performance, got up by his ill-wishers, when the feigned priest gave evidence that he had officiated and had seen Plowden present; O, then the case is altered, quoth Plowden, No priest, no mass: how again, hearing that his tenants bull had gored his (Plowdens) ox, (otherwise told, that hogs had trespassed on his ground), he gave judgment that the owner should pay the value of the beast, but presently finding that it was his own bull which had gored the farmers ox, O, then the case is altered, quoth Plowden:all this is reported in Rays and Hazlitts Proverbs, in Fullers Worthies, and in Groses Provincial Glossary, and quoted therefrom for local readers in Salopian Shreds and Patches, 11 August 1875 and 20 March 1878.

Burne and Jackson, Shropshire Folk-Lore, p. 591. TYPE 1589. MOTIF: K.488 [Lawyers dog steals meat]. An inn in Banbury is named The Case is Altered, presumably after Plowden.

See also The Lawyers Dog Steals Meat.

CATCHING AN OWL

A somewhat superior Cockney, who had come down from London for hopping at Southover Farmhad annoyed a good many of our home-dwellers, by his ill-disguised contempt for yokels, and country bumpkins, and a punishment was accordingly prepared for him. Three of our natives took occasion one morning, when he was standing near them, to say in rather loud tones, that in the evening they were going owl-catching. The bait was swallowed. The Londoner turned round and eagerly asked to be allowed to join them. They agreed, but only on condition that he held the sieve to catch the owls as they fell. This he was perfectly ready to do.

In the course of the day, two of the men having got a long ladder, put two buckets full of water on a broad beam that went across the top of the barn.

As soon as it was dark they proceeded with their friend to search the barn for owls. The holder of the sieve they very carefully put exactly under the beam with strict orders


to stand still while they went up to turn the owls out. The result is more clearly foreseen by the reader than it was by the Cockney. He had not stood long where he was placed before the buckets were emptied, and thoroughly explained to him a yokels idea of owl-catching in Southover barn.

The Rev. J.Coker Egerton, Sussex Folk and Sussex Ways, p. 35. MOTIF: J.1500 [Clever practical retort].

CAUSE BOB

I find written among old gests, how God made Saint Peter porter of heaven, and that God of His goodness soon after His passion, suffered many men to come to the kingdom of heaven with small deservingat which time there was in heaven a great company of welchmen, which with their craking [boasting] and babbling troubled all the others. Wherefore God said to Saint Peter that He was weary of them, and that He would fain have them out of heaven.

To whom Saint Peter said: Good Lord, I warrant you that shall be shortly done. Wherefore Saint Peter went out of heavens gates and cried with a loud voiceCause

Bob!that is as much to say as roasted cheese, which thing the welchmen hearing, ran out of heaven a great pace. And when Saint Peter saw them all out, he suddenly went into heaven and locked the door and so sparred [barred] all the welchmen out.

By this, ye may see that it is no wisdom for a man to love or to set his mind too much upon any delicate or worldly pleasure whereby he shall lose the celestial and eternal joy.

A Hundred Merry Tales, ed. Zall, p. 132. TYPE 1656. MOTIFS: X.611 [How the Jews were drawn from Heaven]; X.650

[Jokes concerning other nations]. The joke about Welshmen and toasted cheese belongs, of course, to England; that of

the Jews at the auction of old clothes seems to come chiefly from Eastern Europe.

CHISLEDON FOLLIES

There were formerly two windmills close together (at Chisledon), but one was taken down at an early date, the reason of the removal beingas it is allegedthat there was not enough wind to turn the fans of both. There is another local jest concerning the windmill. It is said that an old rustic brought a sack of corn to the mill on his donkey, and, after unloading the ass, tied it up to one of the fans, then stationary, and that the miller set the machinery running, and hoisted the donkey high into the air, where it remained dangling for some time, until the halter broke, and let it fall to the ground.

Norton Collection, IV, p. 12. Wiltshire. A.Williams, White Horse, pp. 1067. TYPE 1349* [Tales]. The tale of the donkey tied to the windmill is also told of Northleigh in Oxfordshire.

See Austwick Carles, etc.


CHOOSING A WORKER

An old Dalesman once gave this advice about choosing a man to work in the garden: Tha mun goa by is trousis. If theyre patched on tknees, you want im. If theyre patched on t seat, you dont.

Tales from The Dalesman, p. 5. MOTIF H.1569.1 [Test of industry]. See also MOTIF H.1569.1.1 [Man tests industry of prospective servant-girl].

Stories of servant tests are common in England, as for instance that of the three prospective coachmen asked how near they can drive to the edge of a precipice. The one is chosen who replied that he had never done such a thing.

See also The Choice of a Servant (A, I).

THE CHORISTERS MISTAKE

A few years ago the village choir was out Christmas-ing at the farmhouses. On going across a paddock in the darkness one of the number stumbled and fell over a donkey that sprang up with the chorister on his back and scampered off with him.

The choirman thought he was being carried off by the Evil One, and cried: Please, Mister Devil, put me down. Im a religious man, and a Psalm-singer.

Norton, Supplementary Collection, no. 9a, p. 19. Alfred Williams, Upper Thames, p. 67, Watchfield, Berks.

MOTIFS: J.1785.3 [Ass thought to be the devil]; J.1785.4 [Man sees Hereford cow at night, thinks it is the devil, says, O Devil, I defy thee! I am a psalm-singer, and a worshipper of God!]

Told of a parish clerk at Munslow in Corve Dale, in Burne and Jackson, Shropshire Folk-Lore, p. 598.

See also The Sexton of Molland.

THE CHURCHYARD

There was two chaps comin home fra work ya neet, an one had left the other and hed getten practically home and hed getten to t churchyard. And he heard some voices over there saying:

Yan fer me, yan fer thee; yan fer me, yan fer thee. An he got a bit frightened like, an he thowt it was t divvil dishing t deead out. So when he plucked up courage he went and had a look and he fund it was two lads that had robbed a orchard dishing fruit out.

TYPE 1791. MOTIF: X.424 [The devil in the cemetery].


Printed by Edward M.Wilson in Some Humorous Folk-Tales, part III, FolkLore, LIV (March 1943), p. 260, no. 30. He collected it in September 1940 from James Raven, a farm-servant, at Cawmire Hall, Crosthwaite, in Westmorland.

This is a fragmentary text of type 1791, The sexton carries the parson, an immensely popular tale (207 variants in Ireland, 131 in Finland). Baughman lists four references for England, and over thirty for the United States.

See also The Bag of Nuts, etc.

THE CLERK OF BARTHOMLEY

The Clerk of Barthomleywas once conveying to the colliery the vicars annual gift of a cask of ale, and made such loving acquaintance therewith on the way, that he was found fast asleep in the cart on arrival at the pits mouth. The miners, seeing his condition, and the depletion of the cask, took him down into the pit, and there left him to snore away his bezzlin fit. After some hours the thirsty soul began to hear strange and wonderful noises, and opening his eyes was amazed and horror-stricken to find himself lying in a dismal place, black as night, lit only by a few wandering lights, tenanted by uncouth beings, who on seeing him move, gathered round with terrific demonstrations. What did it all mean? Had he then died unawares, and was this the result? Suddenly, one of the tormentors cried, Who be ye? Whats yer neam? To which followed the answer in a trembling and submissive voice: When I was alive, I was clerk at Barthomley; but any name you like to call me now, good master Devil.

Norton, Supplementary Collection, no. 63, p. 75. Walter White, All Round the Wrekin (London, 1860), pp. 37980. Barthomley, Cheshire.

TYPE 835A*. A Scottish version of this is recorded in The School of Scottish Studies. There are

also three Irish versions. See also Not So Easy Cured.

THE CLEVER APPRENTICE

A shoemaker once engaged an apprentice. A short time after the apprenticeship began, the shoemaker asked the boy what he would call him in addressing him. Oh, I would just call you master, answered the apprentice. No, said the master, you must call me master above all masters.

Continued the shoemaker, What would you call my trousers?

Apprentice. Oh, I would call them trousers. Shoemaker. No, you must call them struntifers. And what would you call my wife? A. Oh, I would call her mistress. S. No, you must call her the fair lady Permoumadam. And what would you call my son? A. Oh, I would call him Johnny.


S. No, you must call him John the Great. And what would you call the cat? A. Oh, I would call him pussy. S. No, you must call him Great Carle Gropus. And what would you call the fire? A. Oh, I would call it fire. S. No, you must call it Fire Evangelist. And what would you call the peatstack? A. Oh, I would just call it peatstack. S. No, you must call it Mount Potgo. And what would you call the well? A. Oh, I would call it well. S. No, you must call it The Fair Fountain. And, last of all, what would you call the house? A. Oh, I would call it house. S. No, you must call it the Castle of Mungo.

The shoemaker, after giving this lesson to his apprentice, told him that the first day he had occasion to use all these words at once, and was able to do so without making a mistake, the apprenticeship would be at an end.

The apprentice was not long in making an occasion for using the words. One morning he got out of bed before his master, and lighted the fire; he then tied

some bits of paper to the tail of the cat, and threw the animal into the fire. The cat ran out with the papers all in a blaze, landed in the peatstack, which caught fire.

The apprentice hurried to his master, and cried out: Master above all masters, start up and jump into your struntifers, and call upon Sir John the Great and the Fair Lady Permoumadam, for Carle Gropus has caught hold of Fire Evangelist, and he is out to Mount Potgo, and if you dont get help from the Fair Fountain, the whole of Castle Mungo will be burnt to the ground.

Norton Collection, VI, p. 101. Folk-Lore Journal, VII (1889), pp. 1667. Given to W.Gregor by Mr. A.Copland, schoolmaster, Tyrie, Aberdeenshire. It is originally from Keith, a town and parish in Banffshire.

TYPE 1940. See Master of All Masters (A, v).

THE CLEVER GYPSY [summary]

A family of gypsies had a grinding-barrow, which was stolen by some pitman and thrown down a pit. One of the pitmen went to have his fortune told, and in the course of it gave away that he had stolen the barrow. Went to his mates, and told how the gypsy woman had divined it. In the meantime gypsy man stole pig from the ringleader and hid it. Ringleader went to gypsy woman to pay for barrow, and asked what had happened to pig. Woman led him to place. Reputation spread. Thefts in neighbouring manor, and gypsy woman called in to help. Asked for three meals, to be served by different servants. Counted meals, and servants took it she recognized them. Confessed, and showed gypsy where treasure was hidden. She led mistress of house to treasure. Some young men determined to test her further. Hid fox under dishcover,* and asked what was there.

* Made pie from young fox.


Woman said, Many years I have wandered, all around and around. But this has found the old fox out. All applauded. None more surprised than gypsy woman.

Collected by T.W.Thompson from Gus Gray, Cleethorpes, 26 September 1914. TYPE 1641. MOTIFS: K.1956.2 [Sham wise man hides something and is rewarded

for finding it]; N.611.1 [Criminal accidentally detected]; N.688 [What is in the dish? Poor Crab].

This is a widespread tale. Kennedy gives an Irish version in Fireside Stories. See also The Conjuror, or the Turkey and the Ring, The Clever Irishman.

THE CLEVER IRISHMAN [summary]

Poor Irishman determined to make money. Stole farmers pig and hid it at a distance. Farmer asked everyone about it. Pat said he was very clever at dreaming things. Borrowed tobacco to smoke, and then told farmer where to look for pig. Thanked by farmer. Squire has lost three valuable plates; hears of Pats skill and takes him to Hall. Asks for three meals and eats them in kitchen. Thats the first. Cook confesses, etc. Plates dug up in garden and restored. Squires fox-hunting friends bake a fox in a pie. Pat to guess contents. Miles and miles have I rambled, by crossroads, over the fields, and always knew my way about. But this has found the old fox out.

Thompson, Notebooks, from Shanny Gray, Grimsby, 8 November 1914. TYPE 1641. MOTIFS: K.1956.2 [Sham wise man hides something and is rewarded

for finding it]; N.611. I [Criminal accidentally detected: That is the first]; N.688 [What is in the dish? Poor Crab].

This tale is widespread in Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Turkey, France, Russia, Ireland, etc. Professor Megas gives several versions in his Greek Folk Tales.

Kennedy gives a version, Doctor Cure-All, in Fireside Stories, pp. 11619. See also The Conjuror, or the Turkey and the Ring, The Clever Gypsy, The

Three Kippers.

A CLEVER SON

A farmers son, who had been some time at the University, came home to visit his father and mother; and being one night with the old folks at supper on a couple of fowls, he told them, that by the rules of logic and arithmetic, he could prove these two fowls to be three. Well, let us hear, said the old man. Why, this, said the scholar, is one, and this, continued he, is two; two and one, you know, make three. Since you hae made it out so weel, answered the old man, your mother shall hae the first fowl, Ill hae the

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