B 1,027,135 rf i ~ As UBRARY J OF THE // ...I,,,I I I I 1, I * A56 MEMOIRS OF THE AMERICAN FOLKLORE SOCIETY VOLUME XXIV 1931 FOLKLORE FROM NOVA SCOTIA COLLECTED BY ARTHUR HUFF FAUSET 0, 0 0 f 4b * ~.~ ~~ ~ ~ 9 0 NEW YORK PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOLK-LORE SOCIETY G. E. STECHERT AND CO., NEW YORK, AGENTS 1931 PRINTED BY J. J. AUGUSTILN IS GLUECKSTADT AND HAMBURG Printed in Garmalf 7- - I ORDER OF MATERIAL Page Dedication............................................ VI Introduction........................................... VII List of Informants.................................... XII Table of Contents..................................... XV I. Folk-Tales........................................ 1 Marchen.......................................... 1 Animal Tales...................................... 45 Pat and Mike Stories and Tall Tales................ 52 Witch, Devil and Ghost Tales...................... 77 Tales of Treasure................................ 88 Preacher Tales and Other Neighborhood Stories...... 93 II. Ballads and Songs................................. 109 III. Game Songs and Counting-Out Rhymes............. 127 IV. Nursery Rhymes and OtherVerses.................. 130 V. Riddle Tales and Riddles........................... 140 VI. Folk Notions...................................... 177 DEDICATION I am at a loss to express in words my indebtedness to Dr. Elsie Clews Parsons who not only sponsored this investigation, but whose kindly interest and advice, and co-operation on and off the field, have been of invaluable assistance. I owe a similar debt of gratitude to Dr. Frank G. Speck, Professor of Anthropology in the University of Pennsylvania. He has been more than an inspiring teacher to me. Counselor, teacher, above all a friend, his words of advice and encouragement, the spirit of helpfulness which he has manifested times innumerable are priceless treasures for which there can be no fitting tribute. To dedicate this volume to these friends crowns my task with genuine happiness. INTRODUCTION The majority of the following stories from Nova Scotia were told by Negroes. This may seem strange, since most of us are accustomed to think that Negroes are not to be met in large numbers after one goes north of Boston. It is a fact, however, that, groups of Negroes live in various parts of the Dominion of Canada, especially in the eastern section. There is a large colony in Montreal. As one travels through the province of Nova Scotia, the frequency with which one encounters the Negro is not unlike similar experiences in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Negroes of Nova Scotia may be found in noticeable numbers in Yarmouth, Shelburne, Digby, Halifax, Truro, Preston, Cherrybrook, Hammonds Plains, Weymouth Falls, Guysborough, Granville Ferry, Lequille, Windsor Plains, Tracadie, New Glasgow, Sydney, C. B., and other localities. They appear to be totally acclimated to the geographical environment, including the rigorous winters. As like as not, one of them will tell the stranger that he "would go down to the States, but it is too hot down there," - thus giving the lie to the proverbial fondness of the Negro for warm climes. What would you think of whole groups of Negroes who had never heard of Brer Rabbit? or of stories about Monkey and Baboon, Elephant, and all the other animals Yet if you approach a Negro of Nova Scotia with the question, "Do you know the Brer Rabbit stories?" he is likely to look at you in wonderment, or even with a blank countenance, and shake his dead and say, "Never heard any, - what are they like?" Sometimes, after you have told him an Uncle Remus story, his face will light up a little, and he will say, "Oh, yes. I read one like that a long time ago in the Halifax Herald." After recovering from your chagrin, you say to him, "Don't you tell these stories around the fire 2" He looks at you in astonishment and says, "Lord no, man, I never hears of 'em." For example, of all the stories told by American Negroes generally, that one familiarly known as the Briar Bush is probably as well known as any. Yet, except for a sign of recognition from a West Indian to whom I suggested the plot of the tale, and a similar sign of recognition from a boy who told me he had heard the story told by a man who hailed from Jamaica, No. 19 is the nearest semblance of a version of that celebrated folk-tale that I was able to procure from all the Negroes I accosted in the province. It is a sorry attempt. Old Ned Brown almost literally sweat drops of blood as he labored, partly to recall the tale, and partly to deliver VIll VII Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society himself of the thing which he recalled. He told me that he had heard it many years ago when he was a little boy. Questions about Tar Baby, Riding Horse, and other stories familiar to the Negro child of the United States elicited the same general response, "Never heard 'em," or once in a great while from some old person, "Yes, I remember that. They used to tell those stories when I was little, but I never paid no 'tention to them. I forgot 'em long time ago."' A schoolchild might tell you, "Oh, teacher read that story to us," at the same time manifesting no sign that he realized that such tales are the heritage of his own folk. I believe that this investigation has been extensive enough to show that the native Nova Scotia Negro knows little or nothing about the original folk-tales which are common property among Negroes of the south. Animal stories, so prevalent in the lore of Africa are almost entirely lacking among these people. How, then, are we to account for this well nigh total absence of what might properly be called native folklore? I think the answer is suggested bythe occasional replies of the older heads, "Oh, yes, I remember that. They used to tell that when I was a boy." This statement occurred with just sufficient frequency to confirm what anyone might suppose or even guess. These Negroes once did possess the lore which is common to African peoples and their descendants; but as with so many of the original cultural possessions, pressure of western culture has resulted in its extinction. The disappearance has taken place in a time not very far back, as evidenced by the fact that even if older people cannot tell the stories, they do recall them as tales which their parents told. As a matter of fact, Mrs. Caroline Reddick, of New Glasgow, eighty-seven years old (and a charming story teller) told me several animal stories, and professed to have heard many of the Uncle Remus tales when she was a child. The question naturally arises why the stories have died out in Nova Scotia when they have remained so long and are recounted to this day with such intimacy and vividness in the United States. It may be because the Negroes of Nova Scotia are scattered about in comparatively small groups in the midst of white populations which are generally many times larger. This has resulted in the submergence of the old tales beneath a folklore which is anything but Negro in type. Even in a locality like Preston, where the Negroes live for all the world like plantation folk, in their rickety cabins (not log cabins), off to themselves, with religious customs and even habits of living distinctly their own, I could not find persons who knew the animal stories. These folk were difficult to approach, and very reticent to impart information, but among those persons 1 Informant 3 said that her father, a native of Weymouth, had told her "Tar Baby" and "Playing Godfather." (E. C. P.) Folklore from Nova Scotia IX who answered my questionings and pleadings for stories I could find no evidence of the knowledge of these tales. Some of the older folk had never heard them, while one or two thought that they knew what I meant but refused to tell what they pretended was in their heads. I do not think that they had more than a faint remembrance of the animal stories, and the younger folk will grow up in ignorance of them. Another answer to the question, "Why do these people forget the old folktales?" is possibly epitomized in the reply of John Bailey, native of St. Kitts, (excellent story teller!) to my urgent request for more Nancy stories, "They're too baby-ish!" he exclaimed as he proceeded to imitate a little child in the act of telling one of the stories. Then he settled to tales like No. 67. Throughout the province I found this reticence of the Negroes to tell a story if they feel that it is below their level, or, shall I say, dignity? I seemed to detect a disdainful attitude toward telling tales which put them in the role of minstrels, let us say. Nor do they possess the intense color consciousness of the Negro in the United States. As a result most things, including their stories, assume an air of "Canadian" or "British" in their lives rather than black or white which is unquestionably a feature of the mental frame of the Negro in the United States. It would not be impossible, however, for the Nancy stories or Uncle Remus tales to become the property of these Negroes once more due to the comparatively large number of migrants from the West Indies who have invaded the province, particularly Sydney, Cape Breton. The West Indians have not lost their store of native lore. The Nancy tales especially are well known among them. But I was interested to observe that they, too, preferred to tell other tales rather than the Nancy stories, and I venture to predict that if these folk remain in Nova Scotia without more or less constant additions from the homeland, they also will become like the native Nova Scotians, and forget their lore. If it is hard to get a Negro to tell you the kind of story you naturally expect of him, what kind will he tell you? Sometimes I thought he would rather tell you no story at all. Often it was like extracting the proverbial hen's teeth to obtain anything resembling a tale. However, the folklore collector must remember that his business goes on like that of the insurance agent. It is almost always, "Call around tomorrow!" But if one call a sufficient number of times, one is frequently rewarded for being persistent. For the most part the tales fell into the following groups: 1. Marchen. 2. Animal tales. 3. Pat and Mike stories and tall tales. 4. Witch, devil and ghost tales. 5. Tales of treasure. 6. Preacher tales and other neighborhood stories. X Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society There were many riddles, ballads, and ditties of various kinds. Scarcely any of these stories and riddles had anything distinctive from the general folklore of the province, and since they were obtained in part from white as well as from colored people, I will treat the material from that general aspect for the most part. I would say that the folklore of the province is a medley of tales and folk notions representing cultures from all parts of the western world, a natural situation in a maritime locality. Among the sailors one encounters risque tales and ballads, sailors' chanties, sea tales and riddles. In some regions of Nova Scotia, Scotch Gaelic is spoken. Here one comes upon tales from the Gaelic. I recorded several of these and one or two in the original Gaelic. A person of French descent may tell you a story about the adventures of Jacques (see No. 26). Persons of English descent recount tales familiar to all who have read such stories as those told by the Langs. An Irishman may relate old Irish superstitions such as Lepracaun legends. That is to say, the lore is heterogeneous. None of it is the property of any one group in particular, with the possible exception of the Gaelic tales; for you are apt to meet similar stories from different groups. This is especially true of the noodle stories, including obscene tales, of which many of the Nova Scotians, white, black, and red, appear to possess goodly store. I met no Gaelic or French speaking Negroes, although I hunted for them. In Antigonish, Prof. Angus T. MacDonald of the college in that town, scouted the idea that any Negroes ever lived who spoke Gaelic. I inquired about this of another white person to whom I had been referred by a fellow passenger on the train. "Yes," he replied to my inquiries, "I know a colored man who spoke Gaelic very well." I was so eager, I could hardly catch breath to ask the question, "Where does he live?" "Last time I heard about him he was in Newfoundland." - I saw several Negro laborers standing on a corner. I approached them and asked the question. The face of one lighted up immediately. "So-and-so could speak Gaelic as well as you speak English," he said. "Is he a Negro?" I asked. He replied in the affirmative. "Where is he?" was my next question. "Oh, he's been dead for years," was the reply. I had a similar experience in my efforts to trace down Negroes who spoke French. There is considerable French spoken in some sections of the province, and I encountered stories about Negro colonies where French was spoken as the native tongue. These proved to be pure fabrication. The whole matter finally narrowed down to two brothers by the name of Cromwell who lived near Weymouth Falls. These were said by everyone to speak French fluently, having been reared in a community where only that language was spoken. I searched about for them and finally located one working in a paper mill. He was very affable and courteous, Folklore from Nova Scotia XI but disclaimed all knowledge of the French language. I could not induce him to speak French, nor to tell nor to write out stories he had heard in the French. It is possible that one will find an isolated character here or there who speaks French or Gaelic (Dr. Elsie Clews Parsons found two Negroes in Wycogomaugh, Cape Breton Island, who spoke Gaelic), but these will always be, I suspect, persons who have been reared as individuals among groups where French or Gaelic was spoken. The experience of collecting the folklore of Nova Scotia was such a delightful one, and brings to my mind so many personages who become dear as the distance increases that I am loath to close this preface without mentioning them. It were impossible to go through the entire list, but it is almost as difficult to pick out one over another. There is that light-hearted tar, Basil Robinson, first of all, of course, without whom a good deal of what is contained in the following pages would not be present; and his sprite-like sister Evangeline who aided me in my sojourn in the region called adoringly by its admirers Evangeline's Land. I must not forget John Bailey of Sydney, good old John Bailey who coralled a force of West Indian story tellers in his little shop where they told me close onto one hundred tales in the course of an evening that extended well into the morning. How can I hope to name them all? But I must not omit "Charley" Toliver of Halifax, "Ned" Hagen of Liverpool, the Mills family and Mrs. Caroline' Reddick, of New Glasgow, Mrs. Sarah MacDougall and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Dyer of Yarmouth. Also "Henty" Braithewaite of Sydney, who was my "Open Sesame" to the hearts of the West Indian folk of that city; Rev. and Mrs. Hill, and Rev. England, of Shelburne, and Rosie O'Neil and her mother, Halifax. And I must not fail to mention the Micmac Indians who live in Lequille, whose stories I have not included in this collection.' There were many more, and to them I reserve this last word of thanks and remembrance. 1925 Arthur Huff Fauset 1) JAFL, V. 138, p. 300-316, "Folklore from the Half Breeds in Nova Scotia." LIST OF INFORMANTS 1. Basil Robinson. Born at Lequille, suburb of Annapolis Royal. Aged 28. His parents are colored. His maternal grandfather was a grave-digger in Boston. See Informant 46. Left home in boyhood. Sailor in West Indies, Atlantic Coast. Lives in Yarmouth. Longshoreman. 2. Clarence Marie. Born at Lequille. Aged 25. Mother, French Negro; father, Portuguese Negro. Lives in Yarmouth. Longshoreman. 3. "Old Man" Boudrow. White. Says he was born in Paris, and claims to have travelled extensively. Aged about 70. (Claims to be 82.) He believes in and investigates gold myths. Fisherman, Yarmouth. 4. Peter Dyer. Colored. Born in Barcelona, Spain. Aged about 55. Came to the United States at an early age, and settled in Nova Scotia about 20 years ago. Retired grocer, Yarmouth. 5. Nathan Smith. Colored. Born in Shelburne County, N. S. Aged 35. Served overseas. Bootblack, Yarmouth. 6. Rev. England. Colored. Aged about 35. Born in St. Kitt's, B. W. I. Clergyman, Shelburne. 7. Mr. McCarthy. Colored. Aged about 40. Born in Nova Scotia. Lives in Shelburne. 8. Melville Turpin. White. Aged 40. Laborer. Shelburne. 9. Mr. Deschamp. White, with a strain of French. Aged about 50. Husband of informant 68. Lives in Shelburne. 10. Arthur Boisjoly. White. Aged about 35. Shelburne. 11. Mrs. Ethel Conrad. White. Aged about 35. Liverpool. 12. Edward (Ned) Hagen. Aged about 60. Colored. A prosperous business man. Liverpool. 13. Ben Turner. Colored. Aged about 30. Halifax. 14. Charles Toliver. Colored. Aged about 55. A Jack-of-All-Trades sort of man, known everywhere in Halifax. 15. John Meyers. White. Aged about 60. Taxi-driver. Dartmouth. 16. Joe Taylor. Colored. Aged about 40. Born in Preston. Teamster. Dartmouth. 17. Ned Brown. Colored. Aged about 60. Teamster. Dartmouth. 18. Robbie Tynes. Colored. Aged 17. Painter. Dartmouth. 19. Thomas Gibson. White. Aged about 60. Born in Cork, Ireland. Cobbler. Dartmouth. 20. Charles McIvor. White. Aged about 45. Dartmouth. 21. Reggie Moore. White. Aged about 12. Schoolboy. Dartmouth. 22. Rev. Wellington States. Colored. Aged about 45. Clergyman. Dartmouth. Folklore from Nova Scotia XIII 23. Allison. Colored. Aged about 60. Barber. Halifax. 24. Man named Blackman. Colored. Aged about 50. Migrated to Sydney from the Barbadoes. Laborer. 25. William Carter. Colored. Aged about 24. Born and raised in Halifax. Living temporarily in Sydney. 26. Alexander Brammer. Colored. Aged about 40. Migrated from Demararo, British Guiana, to Sydney. Laborer. 27. John Bailey. Colored. Aged about 40. Migrated from St. Kitt's B. W. I., to Sydney. Laborer. 28. Wilfred Smith. Colored. Aged about 30. Migrated from Barbadoes to Sydney. Tailor. 29. Hazel Borden. Colored (French and Negro). Aged 20. Sydney. 30. Thomas Mills. Colored. Aged 17. Teamster. 31. Madge Mills. Colored. Aged about 14. Schoolgirl. New Glasgow. 32. Dorothy Mills. Colored. Aged 16. Schoolgirl. New Glasgow. 33. Willena (Peenie) Mills. Colored. Aged 9. Schoolgirl. New Glasgow. 34. Samuel Prevo. Colored. Aged 16. Schoolboy. New Glasgow. 35. Jerry Paris. Colored. Aged 17. Schoolboy. New Glasgow. 36. Willie Desmond. Colored. Aged 12. Born in Guysboro. Now lives in New Glasgow. 37. Carl McPhee. Colored. Aged about 25. Has travelled about the continent with a circus. New Glasgow. 38. Mrs. Caroline Reddick. Colored. Aged 87. New Glasgow. 39. Evelyn Hamilton. Colored. Aged about 21. Visiting New Glasgow from Truro. 40. Ebenezer MacMillan. White. Aged about 70. Speaks Gaelic. Westville. 41. John Talbot. Colored. Aged 14. Schoolboy. Truro. 42. Kathryn Byard. Colored. Aged about 13. Schoolgirl. Truro. 43. George Clyke. Colored. Aged about 12. Schoolboy. Truro. 44. Margaret Talbot. Colored. Aged about 16. Truro. 45. Mrs. William Johnson. Colored. Aged 43. Born in Thorn's Cove, nine miles below Annapolis Royal. Lives in Middleton. 46. William Albert Robinson. Colored. Aged 72. Father of Informant 1. His mother was a Japanese immigrant. House painter. Lequille. 47. Mrs. Hattie Marshall. Colored. Aged 45. Born in Lequille. 48. Jess Bradley. Colored. Aged 71. Lequille. 49. Professor Jeptha. Colored. Aged about 45. Claims to be an East Indian. Fortune Teller. Granville Ferry. 50. Commy-Butler. Colored. Aged about 30. Granville. Ferry. 51. Mr. James Brothers. Colored. Aged about 75. Granville Ferry. 52. Mrs. John Dobey. Colored. Aged 50. Born in Bear River. Visiting Digby. 53. Wendil Tucker. Colored. Aged about 58. Born in Nova Scotia, but lives in Boston where he is a municipal officer. Digby. 54. Peter Butler. Colored. Aged 91. Digby. XIV Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 55. Mrs. Alexander Easley. Colored. Aged about 45. Visiting in Digby. 56. A young man. Colored. Aged about 25. New Glasgow. 57. George Maxwell. Colored. Aged 43. Born at Marble Mountain, Cape Breton Island. His father, George Maxwell, was born in Boston, Mass. When Maxwell senior was one year old he went with his parents to Halifax. He married a white woman, nee Frissell, born at Margaree, Cape Breton. who spoke Gaelic. Gaelic was the first language Maxwell Junior learned to speak, and he speaks English with an accent. 58. Margaret Maxwell Junior. Colored. Aged 18. Daughter of Informant 57. 59. Colin McMillan. White. Aged 45. Born in Antigonish Co., at Cape George. Resident of Whycocomagh. Farmer. His paternal grandfather immigrated from Scotland. 60. Kathleen Thomas. White. Aged 19. Born at Blanche, 21 miles from Shelburne. Resident of Shelburne. 61. Smith Baxter. White, of Scotch descent. Aged 50. Resident of Maitland. Guide, trapper. 62. Foster Wesley. Colored. Aged 75. Resident of Shelburne where he was born, and married a white woman, now deceased. 63. Rosie Oikle. White. Aged about 30. Liberpool. 64. Steve Hoskins. White (?). Aged 71. Lives at Allendale. 65. Robert Bath. White. Aged about 75. Fisherman, Yarmouth. 66. Mrs. Cornelia Hawkins. Colored. Aged about 65. Born in Baltimore. Now lives in Annapolis Royal. 67. Iona Alberta Stewart Turpin. White. Aged 40. Born at Jordan Ferry, five miles from Shelburne. Wife of Informant 8. 68. Mrs. Deschamp. Father was half Indian, half white; mother Dutch. Aged about 45. Born in Bridgewater, N. S. Lives at Shelburne. 69. Mary Tynes. Colored. Born at Dartmouth. Aged 11. Sister of Informant 18. 70. Ralph Mills. Colored. Aged about 12. Schoolboy. New Glasgow. 71. Ora Jacklyn. White. Aged about 35. Shelburne. 72. Mrs. E. M. Saunders. White (?). Aged about 40. Born in Shelburne. 73. Claudia Talbot. Colored. Aged 8. Schoolgirl. Truro. 74. Man. White. Aged about 35. Dartmouth. 75. Kathryn Hamilton. Colored. Aged about 19. Sister of Informant 39. Visiting New Glasgow from Truro. TABLE OF CONTENTS1 I. FOLK TALES. MARCHEN. Page 1. Big Hunter and Little Hunter..................... 1 Variant: Donald, Hertel and Gertel........... 2 Variant: The Healing Spring....................... 3 2. Cinderella................................ 5 V ariant.......................................... 6 3. Raptail........................................... 7 4. The Magic Flight: Lady Greencorn........... 7 Variant: Fine Birdie and Willena................. 9 5. The Clever W ife................................... 9 6. Bluebeard:........................................ 12 V ariant.......................................... 12 7. Seven Tongues.................................... 13 8. The Three Brothers................................ 14 9. Sponge, Ax and Pick........................... 15 10. The Grateful Spirits.............................. 15 Variant.......................................... 21 11. Charlotte......................................... 23 12. Open Sesam e..................................... 25 13. The Girl Who Asked for a Riddle................ 25 V ariant......................................... 26 14. The Most Useful Thing............................ 27 15. The Old Woman and her Pig..................... 28 2 Variants........................................ 30 16. The Tablecloth, the Mare and the Stump........ 33 17. The Interrupted Dinner........................... 35 Gaelic............................................ 36 18. The Good Boy and the Bad..................... 37 Variant......................................... 38 Variant: Jack Proves he Killed the Dragon......... 41 19. The Slave Takes his Master's Place................. 43 20. Master Disguised................................. 44 1 The following abbreviations have been employed in bibliographical references: JAFL = Journal of American Folk Lore MAFLS = Memoirs of the American Folk Lore Society FL = Folklore. London. XVI Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society ANIMAL TALES. Page 21. Tar Baby......................................... 45 Variant......................................... 46 22. Mock Plea........................................ 46 23. Incriminating the Other Fellow; Rabbit Betrays Bear 46 V ariant.......................................... 47 24. Braggart and the Bear............................ 48 25. Fox and Ape: Deceiving the Farmer............... 48 26. Brer Nancy Avoids Trouble........................ 48 27. Why Dog is so Slim around the Band.............. 49 28. The Smartest Man...................... 49 29. Brer Tacoma's Head in a Pumpkin.................50 30. Lazy Nancy Gets His Share...................... 50 31. Brer Lion Invites Dog and Goat to Dinner..... 50 32. Monkey and Parrot in Business..................... 51 33. The Sick Monkey................................. 51 34. The Tug of W ar.................................. 52 PAT AND MIKE AND TALL TALES. 35. Take One from the Bottom........................ 52 36. Riding Into Heaven............................... 52 Variant.......................................... 53 37. The Riddle Test.................................. 53 Variant......................................... 54 38. Three Dreams................................. 54 2 V ariants........................................ 54 39. Pat and the Clock................................ 55 V ariant.......................................... 55 Variant: The Talking Clock........................ 56 40. Deaf and Dumb.................................. 56 41. Goat Stops the Train............................. 56 42. Three Tailors..................................... 56 43. Mike Shoots Pat Ashore........................... 56 44. Trimmed to Suit................................. 56 Variant........................................ 57 45. Why They Were Cold............................. 57 46. Pat Puts on Airs................................. 57 47. Pat Does Penance................................. 58 48. Fast Traveling............................... 58 49. All Dressed Up and No Place to Go................ 58 50. Pat's Prayer...................................... 59 51. Let me Spit in my Hands........................ 59 V ariant.......................................... 59 52. What Will Come Up?............................. 59 53. Cut a Hole in the Bottom of the Fence............. 59 54. Rooster, Cat and Jackass........................ 60 55. Fence Up Again................................... 60 Folklore from Nova Scotia XVII 56. Comers and Goers................................. 60 57. Fireflies.......................................... 60 2 Variants: Moving Hell........................... 60 58. Look Out!........................................ 60 Variant............................ 60 59. Colt and Wheelbarrow............................. 62 60. Getting Evidence.................................. 62 61. The Mother of God........................ 62 62. Smartest Son........................ 63 63. "Too Hot for Me"................................. 63 64. "The Nigger Instead of Me"....................... 63 65. Gooseberry Gallows................................ 64 V ariant.......................................... 64 66. Cow in Partnership................................ 64 67. On the Roof...................................... 64 68. Money in the Ground.............................. 64 V ariant.......................................... 65 69. Waiting for Mike to Whistle.................... 65 70. Missing Word........................ 65 71. What Darkens the Hole........................... 65 Variant............................. 66 72. Jug a Rum....................................... 66 73. Running the Bear In.............................. 66 2 Variants............................ 66 74. The Famous Wedding............................. 67 75. Catching Rabbits.................................. 67 76. Harnessing a Bear........................ 67 77. The Great Cabbage.........................68 4 Variants............................ 68 78. Three Men in Shipwreck........................... 69 79. H ay............................................. 69 80. Inside Out........................................ 69 V ariant.......................................... 69 81. R ain............................................. 70 V ariant.......................................... 70 82. Cold W eather..................................... 70 V ariant.......................................... 70 83. The Big Tree..................................... 70 84. The Marvelous Gale............................... 71 2 V ariants........................................ 71 85. Lightning.......................................... 71 86. Found Another.................................... 72 87. The W onderful Catch.............................. 72.88. The Returning Bullet.............................. 72 V ariant.......................................... 72 Variant: Kept on Going........................... 73 V ariant.......................................... 73.2 XVIII Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Page 89. B ugs............................................. 73 V ariant.......................................... 73 90. A lbatross......................................... 74 91. Armful of Eels.................................. 74 92. Old Time Skating................................. 74 93. Railroads......................................... 75 94. Smokestack Lassoed............................... 75 Variant...................................... 75 95. Trout, Partridge and Bear........................ 75 96. One Shot...................................... 76 Variant..................................... 76 97. Only Legs........................................ 76 98. Pups Catch Ducks................................ 76 99. Duck Stew...................................... 77 100. The Soldiers who Swam the English Channel........ 77 WITCH AND DEVIL TALES. 101. The Transparent Dog............................. 77 102. Ball of Fire.................................... 78 103. The Mysterious Cape.............................. 78 104. A Dance and the Devil............................ 78 105. Red Diamonds.................................. 78 106. Sell Yourself to the Devil......................... 79 107. The Devil's Visit................................ 79 108. The Devil's Book........................ 80 109. Jack and the Devil................................ 80 110. Charms........................... 80 4 Variants........................................ 80 111. The Fairy and the Baby........................... 81 112. Born with a Caul................................. 82 113. Jimmy Allen's Ghost.............................. 82 114. Dressed in White.................................. 82 115. Tall as a Telegraph Post........................... 82 116. The Haunted Room............................... 83 117. The Haunted Attic................................ 84 118. The Haunted House............................... 84 119. Racing a Ghost................................... 84 2 Variants......................................... 85 120. "Rabbit, If You Can't Run, Get Out De Road.".... 85 121. Outruns his Shadow............................... 85 2 Variants......................................... 86 122. Over the Church............................ 86 123. The Unshaved Ghost............................. 86 124. Ghost in Bed..................................... 86 125. Woman-Cat.................................... 87 126. W oman-Hen...................................... 87 Folklore from Nova Scotia XIX Page 127. Black Cat........................................ 88 128. Bewitched by a Lizard............................ 88 129. The Annapolis Witch.............................. 88 TALES OF TREASURE. 130. Money Under a Tombstone........................ 88 131. Lepricorn......................................... 89 132. Ball of Fire....................................... 89 2 Variants......................................... 89 133. Digging Money.................................... 90 134. Buried Treasure................................... 90 135. Dreams of Treasure............................... 90 2 Variants......................................... 91 136. Disappearing Treasure............................. 91 3 Variants......................................... 91 137. Treasure and Lights.............................. 92 138. Directions to Treasure............................. 92 139. Thunder Box..................................... 92 140. The Milkman's Luck............................... 93 PREACHER TALES AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES. 141. Only in Fun.................... 93 3 Variants......................................... 93 142. Explanations Later................................ 94 143. Blow Your Trumpet................................ 94 144. What Gabriel Said................................ 94 145. "Be the Devil"..................................... 95 146. Why Jesus Walked on the Sea of Galilee........... 95 147. Just Imagine..................................... 95 148. The Baptist..................................... 96 149. Believe Anything for Rum......................... 96 150. Why he Went to Church.......................... 97 151. Following the Lord................................ 97 152. Disappearing Preacher............................. 97 153. By God!..................................... 98 154. Flapjacks...................................... 98 155. The Best White Horse is Dead..................... 98 156. The First Steamer................................. 99 157. The Laziest Man.................... 99 158. Bluffing Death.................... 100 159. Black.................... 100 160. The Runaway Slave.................... 1040 161. Cow Gut River.................... 101 162. TNT: Travel Nigger Travel........................ 101 2 Variants......................... 101 2* XX Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Page 163. Jus' Playin'....................................... 101 164. Picking Towser's Bones............................ 102 165. Clever Ab....................................... 102 166. The Composite Picture............................. 102 167. Robbers' House................................... 103 168. Counting Souls.................................... 104 2 Variants........................................ 105 169. The Disintegrating Husband........................ 105 170. The Contented Old Lady.......................... 105 171. The Cloth Man.................................... 106 172. Jim Grey Stories.................................. 106 II. BALLADS AND SONGS. 1. Pretty Polly....................................... 109 2. Returning Soldier.................................. 110 3. Butcher Boy....................................... 110 Variant......................................... 111 4. As I Walked Out One May Morning................ 112 5. Barbara Allen...................................... 113 Variant.................................. 114 6. My Pretty Mohea........................... 115 7. It's the Danger of the Sea......................... 117 8. Blow the Man IDown!............................... 119 9. Hold the Wood Pile Down.......................... 119 10. The Outfit.................................... 120 11. Old Uncle Ned.................................... 120 12. W ife's Complaint................................... 121 13. In a Lonely Graveyard............................. 121 14. Oh Baltimore!.................................... 121 15. Goin' to de Shuckin'............................... 122 16. Ham Fat, Ham.................................... 122 17. Juba.............................................. 123 18. Hobo Toast..................... 123 19. Ballad told as Prose: The Scotchman who loved an Irish Girl.............................................. 124 20. Ballad told as Prose: The Sailor Lover.............. 126 III. GAME SONGS AND COUNTING-OUT RHYMES IV. NURSERY RHYMES AND OTHER VERSES V. RIDDLE TALES AND RIDDLES VI. FOLK NOTIONS I. OMENS: GOOD OR BAD LUCK...................... 177 1. Cosmic Phenomena.......................... 177 2. Plants.................................. 177 Folklore from Nova Scotia XXI Page 3. Animals.................................... 177 M ammals................................... 177 Arachnids................................... 178 Birds................................. 178 4. Dreams................................. 178 5. Human Beings..............................178 6. Household................................... 179 H ouse....................................... 179 Clothes...................................... 179 Furniture and Utensils....................... 179 Tools................................ 179 7. Names...................................... 180 8. Vessels...................................... 180 II. OMENS: DEFINITE................................ 180 1. W eather Signs................................ 180 Diurnal Weather Signs....................... 180 Animal Weather Signs........................ 182 Various Weather Signs....................... 183 Seasonal Weather Signs....................... 183 2. Animals.................................... 183 Mammals.................................... 183 Reptiles.................................... 183 Arachnids................................... 184 Insects....................................... 184 Birds........................................ 184 Poultry...................................... 185 Fish........................................ 185 3. Dreams...................... 185 4. Personal Appearance and Behavior............ 186 Appearance.................................. 186 Behavior of Parts of the Body................ 186 Miscellaneous Activities........................ 187 5. Household................................... 187 H ouse....................................... 187 Fire and Light............................... 188 Clothes...................................... 188 Food........................................ 188 Furniture and Accessories..................... 188 6. Numbers................................... 189 7. Vessels..................................... 189 III. RURAL LIFE..................................... 189 1. Planting..................................... 189 2. Poultry and Insects.......................... 190 3. Kitchen Lore................................ 190 4. Fishing and Trapping........................ 190 XXII Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Page IV. COUNTERACTANTS................................ 190 V. CHARMS... *.................................... 191 VI. CARE OF BODY.................................. 192 VII. DIVINATION..................................... 192 VIII. TREASURE HUNTING.............................. 194 IX. WITCHCRAFT...................... 194 X. CONJURING....................................... 196 XI. FOLK-MEDICINE.................................. 196 1. Warts...................... 196 2. Fits............... 197 3. Asthma............... 197 4. Nose Bleed............... 197 5. Bleeding at Lungs............... 197 6. Whooping-cough............... 197 7. Abortives............... 197 8. Insect Sting............... 198 9. General..................................... 198 XII. PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD............... 198 XIII. DEATH......................................... 199 1. Dead and Dying.............................. 199 2. Premonitions of Death........................ 199 XIV. MONTHS AND DAYS.............................. 200 1. Days of the Week........................... 200 General..................................... 200 Sunday.................... 200 Monday.................... 200 Thursday.................... 200 Friday.................... 200 2. New Year's Day.................... 201 3. Twelfth Night.................... 201 4. St. Valentine's Day.................... 201 5. Candlemas Day.................... 201 6. April Fool's Day.................... 201 7. Easter.................... 201 8. May Day.................... 201 9. St. Swithin's Day.................... 202 10. Hallowe'en.................... 202 11. Guy Fawkes' Day.................... 202 XV. GROUP NICKNAMES....................*... *. 203 XVI. QUIPS AND SAYINGS............................ 203 FOLK-TALES 1. BIG HUNTER AND LITTLE HUNTER.1 Big Hunter had a fortune, but not Little Hunter, he was a poor fellow. Big Hunter had three horses, Little Hunter only had one. So Little Hunter goes over to Big Hunter and borrows his three horses. So he says, "Get up, my four fine horses." So Big Hunter hears him, and he says, "If you do that again, I'll cut the head of your horse off and take my three horses back." So the next day Little Hunter goes out and says, "Get up, my four fine horses." So Big Hunter hears him and kills his horse and takes his own three back. So Little Hunter takes his horsehide to town to sell. So he met a fellow and started squeaking the horsehide. He said to the fellow, "This is a magic horsehide." So the fellow says, "I'll give you a bag of gold for it." So Little Hunter says, "You mustn't touch it until I get three miles away." So he takes the money and borrows Big Hunter's measures to measure out the gold. Big Hunter wondered what he was going to measure and put some grease in the measure. So some of the gold sticks. So Big Hunter comes to Little Hunter and says, "Where did you get all that gold?" So Little Hunter says, "Oh, I sold that horsehide, got a bag of gold for it." So Big Hunter killed his three horses, and went out crying, "Fresh horsehide for sale!" but when he told them he wanted a bag of gold for his horsehide they all laughed at him. So he came back to Little Hunter and said, "I'm going to chop your head off tonight." So Little Hunter switched beds with his grandmother and when Big Hunter came along he chopped off Little Hunter's grandmother's head. So Little Hunter sticks his grandmother's head on her to bury her. So he went into a tavern, and he set his grandmother up outside the tavern. So he ordered some beer and he said to the man in the tavern, "Take some beer out to my grandmother." So the man took some beer out to his grandmother and said, "Here's a glass of beer." So she didn't answer him. So the man tried to give it to her, but she wouldn't take it. So the man got mad and hit the grandmother. Then Little Hunter ran out and said, "Now you done it. You've killed my grandmother." So the man said, "I'll give you a bushel of gold if you don't say nothing." So Little Hunter takes the bushel of gold and goes home, and he borrows Big Hunter's bushel measure. Big Hunter Informant 16. Cf. Miscellana, FL 8: 181, and note; Bahamas, JAFL 4: 248; An Irish Folk Tale, JAFL 23: 425; Bahamas, MAFLS 3: No. 35 (page 95); Cape Verde, MAFLS 15, Pt. I, p. 51 and note. Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16, No. 60 and note. 2 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society was surprised to see him and said, "How's this, I thought you were dead." So Little Hunter said, "Oh, no, you killed my grandmother and so I sold her for a bushel of gold." Big Hunter said, "Suppose I kill mine, will I get a bushel of gold?" So he killed his grandmother and went about the streets crying out, "Dead grandmother for sale, dead grandmother for sale, who wants to buy a dead grandmother?" So the people were all going to put him in prison for trying to sell his dead grandmother. So Big Hunter was very mad. He took Little Hunter and put him in a bag. He said, "I'm going to throw you over a cliff." So he goes right in front of the church and he hears singing. He lays Little Hunter on the ground and he goes in. Little Hunter hears some one coming by. So he sings: I'm goin' to heaven in a bag, I'm goin' to heaven in a bag. So this old man says, "S'pose I get in the bag, will I get to heaven?" Little Hunter says, "Sure." So the old man says, "I'll give you all my cows and all my land if you'll let me get in the bag." So Little Hunter changed places with the man and when Big Hunter comes out of the church he fires the bag over the cliff. So a little while later he sees Little Hunter with all these cows. Big Hunter says, "Where'd you come from and how did you get all the cows?" Little Hunter says, "An angel gave them to me when you threw me over the cliff." Big Hunter said, "S'pose I get in a bag and you throw me over a cliff, will I get all them cows too?" Little Hunter said, "Sure." So Big Hunter got in the bag and Little Hunter threw him over the cliff. Then Little Hunter had Big Hunter's fortune and he lived happy ever after. Variant: Donald, Hertel and Gertel.1 It was three brothers, Donald, Hertel, and Gertel, an' their mother had a place, a big farm. The three brothers afterwards branched out for themselves. Donald an' his mother lived together. Gertel an' Hertel they got jealous of Donald, so they was goin' to kill him because he was to get their mother's place when she died. So they plotted to kill him. The mother slept upstairs an' Donald slept downstairs. So Donald shifted beds with his mother. That night the brothers brought clubs along an' they killed their own mother. The next morning they see Donald walking around an' one of the fellows said, "I thought it was Donald we killed. How does he happen to be around here?" So Donald came up an' he said, "You killed mother last night. If you don't give me an ox I will tell on you." So they give him an ox. Then they got 1 Informant 8. Heard from an old Indian, Steve Labador at Isle de la Crosse, between Bridgewater and Liverpool. Folklore from Nova Scotia 3 jealous of Donald an' they killed the ox. Donald found the ox dead, so he skinned his hide an' sold it. He took the hide to town an' he had a whole lot of money. His brothers said, "Where did you get all that money?" He said, "I took the hide to town an' my mother an' sold them. They're worth a great price." They said "What did you do with the old woman?" He said, "I made gunpowder out of her." So Gertel an' Hertel killed the housekeeper they had an' took her to town to have her ground up into gunpowder. They didn't have no luck, so they came back an' told Donald it was all a lie. So they put Donald in a bag an' were going to drown him. They saw a man coming along with an ox, so they dropped Donald an' ran off. So the man came along an' asked Donald, "Where are you going?" He said, "I'm going to heaven." The old man said, "Wouldn't I like to go with you!" Donald said, "Give me them cattle an' I'll give you my place." So he put the man in the bag an' took his cattle. By an' by the brothers came back an' they chucked the man in the bag in the river. So the next morning they saw the cattle in Donald's field. So they said, "We thought we drowned you. How's this? Where'd the cattle come from?" Donald said, "I was down to the river all alone an' I got these cattle. If I had had two fellows along I could have got twice as much. So they wanted to go down an' get some cattle. So Donald said, "All right, get in the bag an' I'll chuck you over at the bridge." So they got in the bag an' Donald took them to the bridge an' drowned them. Variant: The Healing Spring.1 At one time there was two brothers. One was a very intelligent boy and a hard worker. The other one was no worker, but he was a gentleman. Of course, one was Charley and the other Jack. The gentleman brother thought, "I will sport around and find a girl." So he found one. And he went off sporting. Jack stayed home and worked as best he could. He was left without a father and he had his mother to keep. So hard times came, and he called on his brother to come home and help him. But his brother said, "Go home with that nonsense. Nothing doing. You do the work and I'll reap the profits." So Jack's mother took sick. Jack was hard up. He had no one to help him. So he went to his brother for help again. And he said, "Oh, no, she's not my mother. You go home, she's no relation to me." So Jack went back and his mother died. In those times, if you weren't forehanded enough you could do your own burying. So he fixed her as best he could and put her on his back and went off. So he sees a man in the distance with a drove of cattle. He stood the woman up in the road, and the man 1 Informant 9. 4 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society comes along with the cattle. So they saw the woman standing there and they all stopped, and wouldn't go by. The herdsman called out to her to move. There was no answer. So he called out three times for her to move. Then he got mad and fired a pistol at her. When he did that Jack gave her a shove. Then he said to the man, "There, you shot my mother. She was standing there tired. I was resting here." The man said, "Don't say anything. Bury her and I will give you this cattle." So Jack buried her and took the cattle home. He put them in his field. Meantime his other brother had married. He and his wife went by the field and he saw the cattle. So he said, "How did Jack get these cattle? I wonder if they are his?" So a couple of days later he goes to see Jack. He says, "Hello, Jack, how are you getting along?" Jack says, "Oh, I'm getting along all right." He says, "Well, whose cattle are those in the field?" Jack said, "Mine." His brother says, "Well, how did you get them?" Jack says, "Easy." His brother said, "Well, how?" Jack says, "Mother died and I sold her." His brother said, "What! Sold her!" Jack says, "Yes, I sold her." He said, "What, can you sell dead people that way?" Jack said, "Well, I sold mother." So he kills his wife, and he puts her in a cart. Then he went around town singing, "Dead corpse for sale." The people took notice of him and put him in jail. Later he was freed. He went back to Jack for vengeance. He said, "I thought you said you sold mother." Jack said, "Yes, but I didn't tell you to kill your wife." He said, "All right, I'll get even with you." So Charles waited for Jack to go to sleep. Then he burnt his eyes so he couldn't see. He took him into a graveyard and threw him in there. In those times wildcats and things could talk. Jack lay there. He could feel around, but couldn't see. Up came a drove of wildcats. They scoured around him. One cat says, "I want to tell you a secret, don't tell any one.... In the no'theast corner of this church-yard there is a spring. The water in that is so wonderful that it can almost bring a dead person to life. It will cure any disease of any description." Jack listened. He said to himself, "I wonder if I can find that spring?" So at daylight he groped about and he got his hands in the water. He bathed his eyes, and his eyes begin to feel better, and finally his sight came back. So he saw the place and marked the spring. "This spring might be of great value to me some day," he said. So he went back home. Charley saw the smoke in the house. He wondered how that was, so he thought he'd peek in. He said, "Hello, you back here again? I thought I'd done it for you." Jack said, "Yes? Do you think burning my eyes out will kill me?" His brother said, "Next time I'll fix you." His brother said, "Yes, when you get the chance." So Jack collected some small vials and bottled up the water. So he said, "Now I'm goin' to start on a little cruise. I'll try my fortune." So he travelled along, and travelled Folklore from Nova Scotia 5 along to a city. le heard of a king's daughter and she was very sick, expected to die any moment. Every doctor in the land was there, but they were no good. So Jack taps on the door, and he says, "I understand there is a very sick person in the house." So they said to him, "What can you do?" Jack said "Maybe not very much, but will there be any harm?" So the king was summoned, and he was permitted to go in. So Jack, "Now I want the key of the door." So it was all right, and he locked himself in with the daughter. He poured some of the water in a spoon and gave it to the princess, and she revived. So finally he gave her a little bit more. The doctors were all listening. She commenced to talk. They said, "Listen, she's talking." So he poured a little bit more in the spoon and gave it to her. She said, "I want to get up." They said, "She says, 'I want to get up."' So she got up and dressed, then she walked out, and the doctors all run out. The king he was so delighted and so glad to have his daughter all right again. So he says to Jack, "Jack, I have one offer for you, and that is this. You are to have my daughter for your bride and all my riches when I die." And believe me, when I left there, the old king was dead, Jack was married, and everything was fine. 2. CINDERELLA.1 There was a man once, an' he was married, an' his wife died. He,had four daughters an' a step-daughter. The step-daughter always kept poor an' raggedy. They was all invited to a party. So the step-daughter said, "Kin I go too?" An' they said, "What you want at a party, hair all down your eyes an' your face all dirty, who wants to see you at a party?" She says, "No wonder I look this way. You don't give me no time to git dressed up. I always have to be working."..... So granny lived handy. She called to her. She said, "Now Cindy, I'll dress you up all good an' proper. Won't be no one at the party look as good as you. But be sure to come home before the first cock crow. Don't forget." So she was dressed like there wasn't no one else there dressed like that girl. She had on glass slippers. "Oh, my," they all wondered, "who is that, who is that?" Even her step-sisters didn't know her..... There was a rich Lord's son at the party an' he fell in love with her. He danced mostly with her. He wouldn't pay any attention to t' others.... She had a foot about six inches long, an' glass slippers. 'Twasn't no other lady there with glass slippers. He laughed an' talked, an' squashed with her. All the others jealous, wonder why he stay with that strange girl. The music was so sweet that Cindy forgot, an' she stayed overtime. The clock struck four o'clock, an' she said, "Oh, my, I must go." But the gentleman, he coaxed her 1 Informant 38. 6 Memoirs of the American Polk-Lore Society to stay. He said he'd go with her, but she said, no, she must go. So she went, an' she had a little hill to come down. When she was coming down, one of her glass slippers come off, an' she couldn't find it. She got miserable then, an' all sooty an' greasy just like she was before. Her granny said, "Didn't Itell you to get home before the cock crow? See what you get?"..... He started for to hunt this girl. He found her glass slipper on the hill. So every girl in town tried to put it on. They tried an' tried an" tried, couldn't get it on. So the step-sisters they tried, they twisted their feet every way, but they could't get it on. Then the poor little step-sister said, "Let me try it on, maybe it will fit me." She was scared, 'cause they was all joshin' her. But the gentleman said, "Oh, well, it don't make any difference, she can try. It won't do no harm." So she tried it on. She didn't have no trouble. He said, "All right, that's the girl." Her granny were there. She said, "Come over to my house." So she went over, an' granny dressed her all up. Next afternoon they was married at three o'clock. They was lots of company there, an' they had a big party. I didn't have a glass slipper to lose, but I had a Morocco slipper, an' my slipper come off, an' I had to walk home in my stocking feet, an' I was dizzy in the head about it. Variant.Once upon a time there was a little girl, her name was Cinderella. So her mother an' father was dead. She had two step-sisters. Everything that was goin' on they wouldn't let this little girl go to it. She did all the work, an' so one night there was a big ball. These two step-sisters went to it an' she asked 'em could she go. They said, "You go to a ball? You stay home." An' so she set down, an' cried an' cried. Then a little fairy came an' she said, "What are you crying for"? Cinderella said, "I want to go to the dance." So she waved her magic wand, an' she had all beautiful clothes on an' golden shoes. Then she told her to be home by twelve o'clock. An' she went there an' danced, an' she was dancing with somebody, an' the clock struck twelve, an' she said, "Let's go an' run home." She lost one of her shoes on the way, an' it was a man who found it. Next day he went an' came round an' said whoever this shoe could fit he would marry 'em. So he came to this house an' one of the girls cut off her toe, but still she couldn't get the shoe on, an' so this man went to the next house. They told this man that Cinderella was at the other house. So he went back an' Cinderella had the other golden shoe in her pocket an' this other one could fit her. She put it on as easy as anything. He married her an' they lived happy after all. 1 Informant 36. Folklore from Nova Scotia 7 3. RAPTAIL.1 One time this girl's mother died. Her father married to another woman. She was jealous of her stepdaughter because she was so pretty. So she put her in a tower. Every day she used to come to see her. Raptail had long hair, and her stepmother would say, "Raptail, Raptail, pull down your hair." So she let down her hair and the old woman climbed up like a ladder. One day a young prince was passing by. He seen this. When she went away he did the same thing. The girl was afraid at first. But he told her he was going to take her away. So she come down, an' they ran away a long piece, when they spied the old lady comin' after them. So the man changed himself to a lake and Raptail to a swan. So the witch tried to drain the lake out, but she got tired and went home. Then they turned themselves into rosebushes so the old witch couldn't find them. 4. THE MAGIC FLIGHT: LADY GREENCORN.2 Once there was a man, he was a young fellow, knocking around the country. He fell in with a girl in a house where there was four sisters. One of them was a very handsome girl. He tried to keep company with one of the sisters an' didn't know which one to take. Then he choose the one who wore the green dress. Her father said to him, "I think you're after my Lady Greencorn." He said, "Oh, no, which one is that?" Her father pointed his finger at her an' said, "That one." So he asked, "Don't you want to hire a man?" The father said, "Do you want to hire?" He said, "Yes, cause I don't like to keep idle." So the father said, "All right, but you'll have to sleep in the hencoop." So he said, "My, that's a mighty improper place to sleep in." He was thinkin' about Lady Greencorn. He thought an' thought, an' he stayed there for several days. So Lady Greencorn came to him an' said, "Hire with him, I'll help you. An' I'll see that you come out of the hencoop as clean as if you never went into it."..... So he give him the Ax of Cutall, to cut down the tree of Babdon. Sure enough, he took the ax, an' just as fast as he'd chip a limb, another come in. It was a tall, large tree. So he says to himself, "My, how will I get this done?" When dinner come 'round, the father said, "Well, how's it goin'?" He said, "Oh, I ain't doin' nothin'. I can't get nowhere." So the father said, "Remember, if you don't have it cut down by ten o'clock tomorrow morning, you can't have my daughter, an' I'll have your life besides." So he felt bad. After dinner he chopped an' chopped. At last the chips would fall an' none come in. He thought, "Good!" Greencorn stole out an' went to where he was, an' split up the 1 Informant 28. 2 Informant 38. Cf. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35, No. 36, and note. 8 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society tree before she leave. Then she said, "Don't leave till tomorrow, an' when father asks you if you cut down the tree, say, "Yes." So that night, the father said to him, "How you gettin' on? Think you'll get it done by tomorrow?" An' he said, "I hope so, I hope so." The father said, "Yes?" an' he gave a funny grin.... So he went out the next day an' by three o'clock he was finished an' had it all split up an' piled. The father come 'round, an' he said, "What! You got that all done! You never got that tree down without the help of my daughter, Lady Greencorn." So he said, "I don't know her." The father said, "Didn't I show her to you?" He said, "I didn't take no stock in her, I'm here to work." So that was more reason why he wanted to kill him. So next day he told him to drain out the Well of Drainall. It had to be did by six o'clock the next night, or he would lose his life. He give him the Cup of Drainall to drain out the well of Drainall. When he started bailing, it was just like the chipping. Every time he would bail one cup, another one would come in the well. So about five o'clock the father come along an' said, "How you gettin' along?" He said, "I can't do nothin'." He said, "You must get it all done, or else I'll have your life." So the girl come aroun' again, an' bailed it out for him. The father come roun' an' he was mad as could be. He said, "You're no old wizard. You're not that slick. You never got that done without the help of my Lady Greencorn... But then," he said, "I got to be as good as my word." "Yes," the fellow said, "you kept me at mine, so you must keep yours."..... So sure enough they got married. The father didn't give 'em much of a weddin', it was pretty good, but not much. "Now," he says to her, "I can't rest contented with your father. We must go away." So they started the next morning. The old man riz a great woods an' set a fire to burn them up. She took the Cup of Drainall an' tapped three times on the wagon. So the fire was put out. So they drived on again, an' they met a great river. So she tapped on the wagon again, an' the river was all bailed up. He said, "Oh, your father must be the devil!" So they went on. They got away, an' she forgot her hair brush an' comb. She said would he go back. He said, "Yes." She said, "Don't let the little dog touch you, or else you'll forget all about me." So sure enough he went back, an' the dog was fond of him, an' run up to him an' touch him. So he forget all about Lady Greencorn. So she appeared to him back home again. She tapped on the back of the wagon, an' out come a rooster an' a hen, an' the hen beat the rooster. She said, "I didn't forget you when you had to cut the tree of Cutall." But he couldn't remember. Then she said, "I took the Cup of Drainall an' bailed this river dry." But still he didn't remember. So her grandmother was a witch, and she did something, an' he did remember. So they started to go. The dog jumped up. He wanted to go too. So she said, "Oh, Pearly, Pearly, don't touch me, I'm the one used to feed you." So Pearly Folklore from Nova Scotia 9 said, "No, I won't touch you." So she said, "Don't touch Jack." Pearly said, "No, I won't, but I want to go with you. I like you. Don't you pity poor Pearly?" So she said, "Yes, come up." So she tapped on the wagon again an' made a fire to the woods, an' her father burnt up in there. An' I got some of his grease to fry pancakes, an' his two ol' shoes. Variant: Fine Birdie and Willena.l One time a woman had a little baby. The baby was settin' on the grass. An eagle came along an' picked it up an' placed it on a tree. An old witch had a little girl named Willena. She found the baby in the tree an' took it home. They called the little girl Fine Birdie. So the old witch said she didn't like the name. She said she was going to boil it in the pot in the morning an' kill it, an' have a fine feast out of her. So in the morning when the witch's husband went to work, she put on a big pot of water an' went back to work. Willena told little Birdie all about it, an' when the witch went to bed they both got up an' dressed an' went away to the woods. So the witch got up an' looked for the children. She hunted everywhere, but could not find them. She got some men to go in the woods huntin' for the children. Thewitch went with them. When the children saw them coming, Willena said, "You turn into a church, an' I will be a steeple upon it." So they went out an' only saw a church. They told the witch, "All I see is a church an' a steeple upon it." The witch said, "Why didn't you tear it down?" So they went out again. When the children saw them coming, Willena said, "You turn into a rosebush, an' I will be a rose upon it." So they did so. When the man came along, all they saw was the rosebush. So when they went back to the witch an' told her, she said, "Why didn't you tear it down?" So the last time they went out, she went with them. So Willena said to Fine Birdie, "You turn into a pond, an' I'll turn into a duck to swim in it." The witch saw the pond an' the duck. She said, "I'm goin' to drink the pond dry." She started in to drink an' drink, an' the duck swimmed near to her an' pull the old witch in. The witch got out an' started drinkin' the pond again. The duck pulled her in again, an' this time the witch drowned. They went home to their father an' lived happy ever after. 5..THE CLEVER WIFE.2 There were a very poor man had a smart, industrious wife. He was very slothful, an' had a hard time making a living for her. She come from a good home, an' thought it hard to be married, ' Informant 35. See also Raptail. 2 Informant 38. 10 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society livin' so poor like. Some days he would make something, some days he would'nt make anything. So, anyway, poor Taylor went away this mornin' an' he said, "Lucky or not, I'll see how things goes." Poor fellow, he come back at night with nothin' t'all. So his wife said, "I'll try tomorrow." An' the husband said, "All right, my dear, you try. Just for fun, let's go to the door an' have a good jaw. All the neighbors will think we're quarreling." So they opened the door, an' Taylor stood outside. He said, "Probably you won't never see me again." His wife said, "I don't care if I never see you again. You don't do nothin' anyway. Go on with you." So he went out. All those gents nearby heard him, an' they'd come in an' see her. So they came in the evening. First one to come was the shoemaker. He said, "Good evenin', Mrs. Taylor." She said, "Good evenin', sit down." - -"What came between you two? I hear you parted." - "Yes, we parted." - "Well, what came between you?" - -"Oh, we jus' parted, that's all." So the shoemaker said, "P'rhaps there's a chance for me to come to see you tonight." She said, "All right." He said, "What shall I bring you when I come?" She said, "Five dollars an' a pair of new boots." He said, "What time will I come?" She said, "Any time after eight." So the next fellow come was a butcher. He said, "Good evenin'." She said, "Good evenin', sit down. Come in' an' take a chair, an' sit down." So he came in an' sit down. Then he said, "I heard you an' your husband was parted." She said, "Yes, we parted." He said, "What come between you?" She said, "Oh, we jus' parted, that's all." So he said, "Well, maybe there's a chance for me to come 'roun' an' see you tonight." She said, "All right."- "Well, what shall I bring you when I come?" - "Bring me a side o' beef." - "What time shall I come?" - " Come at nine o'clock." So the minister come. He said, "Heard you was parted." She said, "Yes, we parted." - "Well, what come between you?" She said, "Oh. nothin', we jus' parted." - "P'raps I kin come see you tonight." She said, "All right." - "Well, what shall I bring you?" the minister said. She said, "Bring me ten dollars an' a barrel of flour." So the first one come sure enough at his hour. Well, she was ironin', hurryin' up to get done. Shoemaker said, "What time do you get through with your work?" She said, "Just as soon as I kin get through." So he said, "Well, you'll have to give me a room an' a lamp." So she got him a lamp an' a mattress. Then she went out an' locked the door, an' locked him in. "But you got to strip off every bit of your clothes," she said, "an' I'll put them away." So she came out an' he undressed himself, an' threw his clothes out into the hall. She locked them up in a closet, his shoes an' all his clothes, an' put the key in her pocket. So the butcher, he come with a side of beef, an' five dollars. Folklore from Nova Scotia 11 He said, "You're hard to work." She said, "Yes." - "Will you soon be through?" - "Yes, I'll soon be through." - "Well, you've got to give me a room an' a bed. What time will you be through?" She said, "I'll be through about nine o'clock. You'll have to put that meat away in the milk room." Then he said again, "You'll have to give me a room." So she said, "Yes, certainly." So she gave him a room, an' a lamp, an' some matches. An' she made him take his clothes off too, an' put them in a closet. Then she locked the closet, an' locked him inside his room. Pretty soon the minister comes. "Hard to work, I see," he says. "Yes, reverend, I'm always at work." He says, "That's a good way to be. When will you be through?" - "Oh, around ten o'clock." - "Yes? All right. Well, I bought you your barrel o' flour an' ten dollars." So she took the ten dollars an' put it in her wallet. Then the minister said, "Now I'll have to put away the flour?" She said, "Yes, you'll have to put it inthestore-room." Then after he put it away, he said, "Well, how about my room?" She said, "Oh, yes," an' she gave him a room. He took off all his clothes an' gave 'em to her. She locked them up an' locked him in his room. Then she came downstairs. This is the hour, I want to tell you, when her husband was coming home. So she ironed away till ten o'clock, an' here comes her husband. She says to him, "How's it been today, m' dear?" He said, "I made one dollar today." She said, "That's pretty good." He said, "But I'd like to make more." She said, "Well, you didn't do as good as I did." He said, "What did you do?" She said, "I've made fifteen dollars in money, a side o' beef, a pair of new boots, an' a barrel o' flour." He said, "How you make that?" She said, "I made it making pictures." - "Making pictures? I wish you'd show me how to make pictures." So this man had a horse, an' he went out to the barn. She said, "go out an' get your horsewhip, an' I'll show you how to make pictures. Now come up with me." So she took him upstairs to the first room. The shoemaker was in there. She opened the door. Her husband said, "What you doin' here, my young fellow?" - "Oh, sir, I got in liquor, an' wandered here." - "Well, what about your clothes?" -"Well, any drunken man is liable to do things like that when he don't know what he's doin'." So the husband said, "Well, if you don't know what you're doin', I'll teach you what to do an' how to do. Get out o' that bed." So he got out the bed with tremblin' an' fear. The husband took the horsewhip an' come on him. The shoemaker made for the stairs. Every step he took, the husband cut him with the whip. All the time his wife kept cryin', "Touch him again, touch him again, see how he'll dance here." So the husband did so till he cut him up. So the shoemaker cleared, an' ran out the door. "Now," she says, "come to the next'room." Here was the butcher 3 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society all naked, Her husband says, "What you doin' here?" He said, "I wanders in my sleep." - "You wanders in your sleep, do you? Well, how about your clothes?" He says, "Well, they got thrown overboard on a ship. Many a man gits drownded on a ship." So the husband says, "I'll touch you up so lively you won't be able to git to a vessel if they were handy." So he started cuttin' up the butcher. "Put it over this fellow, put it over him," his wife hollered. "Oh, you asleep, are you?" the husband says, "I'll do my best to wake you up." So the butcher ran out the house. Then they went to the minister. His wife said, "Now here's the half-ass clergyman. Touch him up, touch him up." So the husband goes up to him an' says, "Hello, what you doin' here? Is this preachin' the gospel?" The preacher said, "I had a fight with a man an' got here. He tore all the clothes off me." So the husband said, "All right, I'll see if I can't put some clothes on you. I'll put a string on you." So he beat him all the way downstairs, an' out the house. Then they had all the money, an' my story's ended. 6. BLUEBEARD1 A woman one time she had some pretty daughters, and there was an old man lived handy. So Bluebeard wanted to marry one of these daughters. The old woman consented. So Bluebeard married the youngest daughter. About a month afterward, Bluebeard decided to go on a trip. So he gives his wife the key to all the rooms of the palace. He says to her, "There's one room don't look in. All the others are all right." So while he was away, she went in the forbidden room. She fainted on opening the door. The key to the door fell on the floor in some blood. After a while she tried to scrub the blood off the key. The blood got brighter. At last Bluebeard returned. He asked for the keys. She gave all but the stained one. He asked her for that key. She produced the key and he asked, "How did that blood come on there?" So she told him. He said she would meet the fate of the others. So he was going to kill her. She asked for fifteen minutes. She went upstairs in the tower to pray to her brothers for help. They lived up in the sky. She prayed fifteen minutes, but she couldn't see no sight of them. She asked for five minutes more. At last she seen them coming, and she told them to come and save her. Bluebeard had her by the head by this time. He was just going to cut her head off when the door busted in and in came the two brothers. They killed Bluebeard. Variant.2 There was an old woman and she was very poor. She had three daughters. Of course one was nice looking. The other two were 1 Informant 28. 2 Informant 47. Folklore from Nova Scotia 13 kind o' common. They had a beautiful flower garden. This day, while the mother was away, an ox came in the garden. The oldest girl struck at it with a pole. The pole stuck to the ox and the girl was carried off. The ox took her to a cabin. Then he turned into a prince. So he took the girl into the cabin. Next day he started to go away. He said to the girl, "I want to give you some rules. I'm going away. I don't want you to go in that room there, but you can go anywhere else." After he had gone, she had to go in that room. She goes in it, an' she looks down. Both her feet were full of blood. She scoured and rubbed; she did everything, but she could not get the blood off. So out under a tree a cat meowed. He said, "Give me some bread and milk and I'll tell you how to get that off." But she didn't pay any attention to the cat. Then a robin said, "Give me some crumbs, an' I'll tell you what leaf to take to get that blood off." She shooed the robin away. So in a little while the prince returned. He called the girl to him, and when he saw the blood on her shoes he killed her and hung her up inside a room. So the next day the ox went out in the field again. This time he got the second girl. The same thing happened to her. So the next day he went out in the field again. This time he got the last girl, the good looking one. So he took her to his cabin. She didn't see her sisters, 'cause they was hanging up in the room. So he gave her the same orders. He said, "You will lose your life when I come back if you go in that room. But she did the same thing. The blood got on her shoes. She tried and tried to wipe it off, but she could not get it off. So finally she went under a tree and she set there. She set a while crying. Then she heard the cat meow for something to eat. She said, "Well kitty, you need the bread and milk as much as I." So she got some bread and milk for the cat. Then the robin asked for some crumbs. She gave the robin some crumbs. So the robin got the leaf and told her to rub it on her shoes. Sure enough the blood came off. When the ox came home he said to her, "Were you in that room?" She said, "No." He said, "Put out your right foot." She put out her right foot. Then he said to her, "Put out your left foot." She put out her left foot. Then he brought out the other sisters alive and well, and married her. They married and lived happy ever after. When I left they was doing fine. 7. SEVEN TONGUES1 Once upon a time there was an old man. He had a daughter, an' there was two fellows going to see the daughter. One was rich and the other was a good poor man. So both wanted the young girl, so the old man said, the only way to find out who should have Informant 37. For bibliography MAFLS 15 Pt. 1: 261 h. 1. Also, Pueblo Indians JAFL 31: 240-2; JAFL 33: 52-3. 3* 14 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society her, both would have to go driving with her, and whoever done the most for her on the journey should have her. On their travels they was an animal came up before them with seven heads. So the poor fellow he jumped out of his carriage an' he cut the seven heads off the animal an' they drove on. The rich fellow ran away. But after they had went on a piece, the rich fellow went an' gethered up the seven heads an' taken them back to the old man. So the poor fellow had cut out the seven tongues. So when the poor fellow got home the rich fellow had been there ahead of him and had told him of the great wonder, saving his daughter an' everything. The father said, "What did you do?" He said, there was a great animal came up before them as they drove along, with seven heads. An' he jumped down off his horse an' killed the animal an' saved his daughter. Just before he finished, the poor fellow had come in. He heered the rich fellow's story. So he jumped up an' he asked him where did he ever see an animal with seven heads without seven tongues. So he showed the seven tongues, showing where he had killed the animal an' cut out the tongues. So then the old man took the rich fellow out to the lawn, an' he brought out his dog. The dog's name was Cut Steel and Iron. So he says to his dog, "Cut Steel and Iron." So the dog tore the rich fellow in pieces. So the good poor fellow married the girl an' there was a great wedding and I was there to the last of it. 8. THE THREE BROTHERS1 There were three boys. The father was too poor to keep them so they decided to go out and seek their fortunes. They decided to go one at a time. So Bill he went. He walked and walked and walked. He saw a fire at the end of the night. He come up to the fire and there was no one there. Then he saw a big witch and a dog. He said, "I'm scared, chain down your dog." She said,"Oh, the dog's all right. Get in the corner there boy." So he heard a pig. "He said, "I'm hungry." She said, "Go out and get that pig." So she kept eatin', an' eatin', an' eatin', an' he kept cuttin', an' cuttin', an' cuttin'. So he got tired of cuttin', an' he said, "You ain't goin' to get no more." She said "Yes, I am." He said, "No, you ain't." So she said to the dog, "Sic him, sic him." So the dog jumped on him an' they threw him down the trap door. So the other brother came along, an' the same thing happened to him. Then Jack started out. He met an old woman on the road. He helped her an' she told him that he would meet an old witch down the road an' that she had a big dog. She said, "When the witch tells you that her dog is all right, you tell her to take three hairs out of her head, an' then you tie down the dog with those hairs. The dog 1 Informant 21. Folklore from Nova Scotia 15 won't be able to move then." So he went along an' he met the old witch. He said, "I'm scared, chain down your dog." She said, "Oh, the dog's all right." He said, "No, you give me three hairs out of your head." So he got the three hairs an' then he sat down. Then he heard a pig. He said, "I'm hungry." She said, "Go out an' get that pig." So he got the pig an' they cooked it. Then she kept eatin', an' eatin', an' eatin', an' Jack kept cuttin', an' cuttin', an' cuttin'. So at last Jack said, "You ain't goin' to get no more." She said, "Yes, I am." He said, "No, you ain't." "Well, we'll have a fight for it," she said. So she said, to the dog, "Sic him, sic him." He said, "That won't do you any good." An' it didn't, 'cause the dog was tied down with her hair. So he said to her, "Tell me where my brothers are." She wouldn't tell. So he beat her over the head, an' started to beat her up bad. So she told him where his brothers were, an' he went down the trap door an' let them up. Then he found a lot of gold down there. 9. SPONGE, AX AND PICK.1 There were three brothers. Their father was poor. So he told them they'd have to make their own living. So they started out. They kept on going until Jack heard some bubbling water. He found a big sponge, so he put it in his pocket. His brother said, "What's that?" He said, "Oh, that's a spring." So he heard something going chop, chop, chop. It was an ax chopping a tree. So he took the ax. Then he heard something going pick, pick, pick. He found a pick just digging a foundation for a well. So he took the pick. So the other brothers went to sleep under the branches of a tree under the king's castle. They had their ears cut off and were sent to the desert. So the king had a tree he wanted chopped down. He said, "Any one who can chop this tree down can marry my daughter." So this brother thought he would try. As soon as you cut one tree down, two trees come up. So the king said, to Jack, "Your two brothers were just fixed. You want to go where your brothers did." So Jack took the ax out an' that did the thing. So then he had to dig a well. He took his pick out, an' the pick dug the well, an' then he threw his sponge in an' that made the water. So Jack got the princess an' his brothers were set free. 10. THE GRATEFUL SPIRITS.2 Once there was a great rich lord and he had two daughters. He prized his daughters very much. The youngest one was very handsome. She went out one afternnoon for a walk, when who come 1 Informant 21. 2 Informant 38. Cf. Bahamas, MAFLS 13: No. 100; Cape Verde Isls. MAFLS 15 Pt. 1: 344 - 347. 16 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society along but some robbers, an' stole her, an' took her away. So they started carrying her 'way, 'way off.... When the news spread around at home, everybody started hunting, an' there was a great uproar. One person would ask t'other one, had they seen her. But no one seen her.... So as the girl was being carried by one of these robbers, she said to him, "My dear, is you near to your home?" He said, "Yes, I live very handy." She said, "Is it a beautiful house?" He says, "Yes, it is very beautiful." At last they got in the woods. They took her through the woods to a cave way under the ground.... One night there was a fellow goin' to sea. An' his vessel got on a shoal, an' they couldn't get off. So they drew lots to leave one of the men behind, 'cause it would be bad luck unless they left one of the men behind. So they left a man by the name of Jack the Sailor. When they had all gone, he said, "Well, lucky or unlucky, I'm here.".... The cap'n left him lots of money an' vegetables, an' all kinds of good things to eat on this enchanted island, 'cause it was an enchanted island. So Jack built a nice shanty an' stayed there all alone... So one evening he was very lonely. So he says to himself, "Well, lucky or unlucky, I'll go out with my gun an' see if I can find anything." So he got in the woods an' commenced walkin' through. By an' by night fell upon him. So he looked around him an' said, "Well, lucky or unlucky, I won't get out of here tonight. I guess I'll go up in one of these spruce trees." An' he did. When he got up there he seen a light, an' it beer'd sou'west of him. So he said, "Well, lucky or unlucky, I'll find out what that light is." So he came down from the tree, an' came to the house where the lady were. FHie saw the young lady inside, an' he knew her an' she knew him. He said, "What you doin' here?" She said, "Oh, I was walkin' along the road in London one afternoon an' all of a sudden these robbers come an' grabbed me. I screamed an' yelled an' kicked up a fuss, but nobody heard me. So they brought me here." Jack said, "So this is a robber's den?" She said, "Yes, an' they're like to starving me to death. They just give me enough to eat to keep me alive, that's all. If I don't get away from here soon, I'll die of starvation." So Jack went inside. The table was all set, an' there was a lot of good things to eat. He says, "Anyhow, they's plenty of food here, I'll sit here an' eat, lucky or unlucky." While he was eatin', in come five robbers. They said, "Hello, what are you doin' here?"... "Well, lucky or unlucky, I fell here." They said, "What do you do for a living?" He said, "I'm a robber." They said, "Oh, you're just the fellow for us. We're robbers too. Come along, join in with us." So they all sat around the table, an' they had brandy, an' played cards, an' everything. So they said to him, "Do you always make out good when you go robbing?" Jack said, "Oh, yes, I always make out good when I go robbing."... So they all went to bed. In the morning Folklore from Nova Scotia 17 they had breakfeast. The men said, "We'll start early." Jack said, "All right, I'll start early, too." Then they said to Jack, "We'll follow you." But Jack said, "Oh, no, you can't follow me. I never have luck when there's any one following me. You go your way an' I'll go alone." So they said,"All right," an' the robbers started off, an' Jack he started off. So Jack, he went to his hut, an' he got a lot of money, an' cake, an' cheese, an' other things to eat, an' brought them to the girl. He got home before the robbers, an' he said to the girl, "Don't eat too much all at once on an empty stomach, 'cause you'll get sick... When you get well, I'll take you home right to London, lucky or unlucky." So the robbers came back, an' they say to Jack, "Well, how'd you do today?" Jack said, "Oh, lucky or unlucky, I fairly made my wages."...Then after supper they counted the money. Jack. had one hundred dollars. So they all said, "You're a great fellow We only made forty dollars. You stick to us, an' you'll be all right." Jack said, "Lucky or unlucky, I'll stick to you until after I'm dead, then I'll have to go."... So that's the way it went for some time. Jack would always go back to his hut in the morning an' get some more money.... One day the head robber came to him an' said, "Here's a secret. There's something in that room over there. Don't you ever go in there before me." Jack said, "Oh, I don't 'want to go in." The robber said, "Yes, but it's something you want to see." So he took the key an' opened the door an' there was the lady. Jack said, "Oh, I don't care for ladies, I never bother with them."... So that night they had a carousing time. They drank, an' they sang an' et to beat the band. The next morning, after breakfast, they started off to their robbing. Jack went to his hut an' got pies, an' cakes, an' things to eat, an' money, - lots of it. He took two hundred dollars. He got back home before the robbers arrived and went to the lady. "See, young lady," he said, "As soon,as ever you're capable of walking, tell me, and lucky or unlucky, I'll get you back to your home in London, if God help."..... So finally she got strong enough. Jack told her to leave all her fine clothes an' travel as light as she could. He took an ax an' some money an' started to travel. They travelled to an old lady's house. She was a widow woman, her son an' her husband had just died. She lived about ten miles from the town. She put her husband's body an' her son's body in the cellar to keep the odor from them. So they got to this widow woman's house an' they said, "The robbers are after us, can't you hide us till they pass?" She said, "They always come here for a cup o' tea. There isn't any other place to put you unless you go in the cellar. They always search upstairs." So sure enough, they went into the cellar. The lady said, "Be careful, my husband and my son are down in the cellar, I don't want you to tramp on their bodies." Then she went upstairs an' watched out the upstairs window. Pretty soon the robbers come. 18 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society They come up to the woman's house an' said, "Did you see a woman or a man go past your house?" She said,"No, I did not." So they said, "Well, they couldn't have come this way. Well, anyway, we'll have some tea." So they came in, an' set down, an' she gave them tea an' sompin' to eat. Then they paid her off, an' off they started. Then the old lady called down the cellar to Jack. Jack said, "Got any lumber upstairs? I'll make some boxes an' put these bodies inside." The old lady said, "God bless you m' son. You'll have good luck..... you'll get home all right, moreover, you'll marry the lady besides." "Oh, no," said Jack, "don't say that. I'm only a poor old sailor that lives in a hut. Look at these tarry clothes of mine. I'm no one for a husband of this lady." "Never mind," the old lady said, "you will just the same."... So Jack got the lumber an' he made some boxes. Then he dug a grave an' got the poor fellows out of the cellar an' buried them. Then he an' the lady ate some food an' started on. It was just eight o'clock that night when they came into another town. This was ten miles further away. It was a bright moonlight night. They were in a room an' as they looked out the window they seen a ship. Jack said, "I believe I see a ship sailing on the ocean, an' I think it's right from London, too. I'll go down to the dock, an' lucky or unlucky maybe the cap'n '11 know me an' take us back to London.' The sails were all loaded down. He went down to the dock, an' sure enough, he knew the cap'n. They shook hands, then the cap'n said, "How come you here?" An' Jack said, "Lucky or unlucky, I got here from being cast ashore on the enchanted island." Then he told the cap'n the whole story. They talked a while longer, an' the cap'n said, "Come an' have tea." Jack said, "No, I had tea a little while ago, but tomorrow I want you to come up to, my boarding house an' have dinner." So the cap'n said he'd come... Jack told the boarding house woman to get ready for the cap'n an' the next day he came up for dinner. When the cap'n saw the young lady, he knew her. He was very glad to see her. Jack spoke to him about passage for the two of them. He said, "We'll pay you if you'll take us with you." The cap'n wouldn't accept any money, he was so glad to find the rich lady... That afternoon they was goin' to sail. Sure enough, they did. After the lady an' Jack got aboard, they hoist sail. Then the cap'n ordered one of the crew to take the long boat an' fill it full of shavings. "Now, Jack," the cap'n said, "you go down an' clean 'em up." So Jack went down, but he took his lady with him. The minute they got down there with the boat, they cut the painter, an' Jack an' the lady was way out, exposed to the dreadful seas....... They were drifting, there wasn't any land in sight. Whichever way the tide be runnin', that's the way the boat drifted. But Jack said, "Lucky or unlucky, I think we'll reach London." One day more than another, they seen a black speck as far as the eye could behold, comin' like the wind. Folklore front Nova Scotia 19 It came nearer, an' they saw one half a boat with two men into it. The men were the spirits of the two men Jack had buried. They said, "Jack, you come out of your boat an' come into ours." But Jack said, "No, you only have half a boat, we can't get into that." The men said, "Don't be afraid, we will get you to London. You buried us an' helped my wife out of her trouble, now we will help you. God sent us." Jack said, "He did?" "Yes," the men said. "Now Jack," they said, "we'll send you safe home by tonight." So Jack an' the lady got in the half a boat an' off they went. "Now Jack," they said, "you give the lady a handkerchief of yours with your name in it, an' the lady give you a handkerchief of hers 'with her name in it." So they did this. Then one of the men said, "You'll get into London an hour ahead of the cap'n. You drop the handkerchief an' the cap'n will see you. You pick it up, even though the cap'n tell you not to." Then he said, "But Jack, you mustn't tell all you went through. Tell a part of it, but not all."... So they got there, an' the lady went home. The people didn't know her, not even her own father, 'cause she had been starved so long. He said to her, "Where have you been? How did you come to get away from us?" Then she started to tell her tale. She said, "I screamed, but no one heard me, an' the robbers took me into the woods." Just then the cap'n come. Jack was in a room by himself an' the lady's father did not see him. The cap'n took the daughter's hand an' said to the father, "I have found your daughter an' brought her back safe to you. It has made me a poor man, for I have searched over land an' sea for her. I was almost exhausted when I found her. Then I brought her back home to you." "All right," said the father, "if you are the man who found my daughter, then at eight o'clock this evening the wedding takes place." So the cap'n went out, but he got the daughter an' made her swear by the point of a knife that she would tell her story to no man. Then he went away, an' shaved himself, happy for the marriage. The daughter went to her father an' said, "Father, can't I have a room by myself for a few minutes, just a few minutes?" The father said, "Certainly, my child." Then he stood by the door an' listened. There was a stove in the room. She took the lifter off the stove an' pounded on it. She said, "Stove, I'm goin' to tell you a true story. I'm to tell no man this story, but I can tell you 'cause you're not a man." Then the daughter told the whole story, while the father was outside the door listening. She told it over twice, sir. The father came in the room an' said, "Is this a true story I hear you telling the stove?" She said, "I'm to tell no man my story, but the stove ain't a man." Then she told the whole story to the stove again. Her father said, "Where's Jack?" She said, "He's right in London now. He's in such an' such a boarding house. He's the man that saved me, not that sea cap'n." Then she showed her father the handkerchief with Jack the Sailor's name on it..... 20 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society So the wedding was to take place at eight o'clock. Here comes the intended groom, the cap'n, all ready for the weddin'.... Her father told a servant man to go to the boarding house and inquire for Jack the Sailor. He sent the servant with a horse and carriage an' said, "You go to such an' such a street, an' rap on the door. More than likely a sailor named Jack will answer. You bring him right back with you an' don't accept no for an answer." So the servant went to the house and rapped on the door. He said, "Is there a man here whose name is Jackthe Sailor?".... "Yes."... "Well, the Lord of London wants him at once." "Oh, my," said Jack, "I couldn't go. Look at me, I'm nothin' but a poor old sailor. Look at my tarry clothes. I couldn't go for any money." "Oh, yes," said the servant, "you have to." "No, no," said Jack, "I cannot." So the servant went back to his master an' told him that Jack would not come. The Lord of London said, "Go an' harness two grays onto a coach an' drive me over. I'll bet he'll come with me." So the servant harnessed two grays to a coach an' the Lord of London went over to Jack's house. Jack came to the door an' said, "Beg pardon, what do you want of me?" The lord said, "Come with me." Jack said, "Beg pardon, sir, but I couldn't go. Look at me. I'm only a poor old sailor. Lucky or unlucky, I couldn't go." The lord said, "As far as I am informed, you are the gentleman who found my daughter, so you'll have to come with me." So lucky or unlucky Jack went with the Lord of London..... They had a supper before the marriage took place. Jack was called in the first man, then the cap'n an' the other guests. The cap'n looked with scorn on Jack an' told the father he ought not to be there. But the father got angry an' said, "He's got just as much right here as anybody. I guess he comes of respectable pareAts with the rest of us." So they had the supper. Then the father said, "Now before the marriage takes place every man must tell a story." So into the parlor they went. All the guests told stories except Jack. He was the last one. Then the father said, "Now, Jack the Sailor, you tell your story." But Jack begged to be excused. The father said, "Oh, yes, go on, tell your story." So Jack told the story of the girl he had rescued.... The cap'n said, "Nonsense, that man's lyin'." Then Jack told about the handkerchiefs an' dropped his on the floor an' picked it up again. It had the lady's name in it. Then the father turned to the cap'n an' said, "'Spose any man was to come in an' say he rescued my daughter, what would you do?" The cap'n said, "I'd put him in a puncheon an' fill it with sharp spikes, an' roll him down the steepest hills of London.".... So the father didn't say anything then, but when the marriage took place it was Jack who took the bride an' not the cap'n. Jack had a big gold watch an' was dressed in the best of cloth an' really looked high. Then the father said to Jack, "You heard the cap'n's story, how he tried to blot you out. What would Folklore from Nova Scotia 21 you like to have did with him?" Jack said, "Lucky or unlucky, I don't want anything done to the cap'n. What does my wife say?" The wife said, "Don't do anything to him, but put him in a ship an' send him far, far away, where he can't come back here again.".. Then they had a merry time. It was a jolly time, with the bells a ringing, an' everything. An' I was there in the end of it, an' runnin' aroun' London Hill I lost my glass slipper, an' fell on my leaden cane an' like to broke it. Variant.' It was a boy and he was ten years at sea and when he was ten years at sea he got tired and he thought he would go work on a farm. He was eight or nine years on that farm, and he got tired. He was a cook by trade. He told his master one day that he was getting tired on the farm, that he thought that he would go to sea again. This man didn't want him to go, and asked him, "What was the matter?" He packed up his clothes in a bag and he started down to the dock, where there was a big ship. Looking for a chance going down, he saw a gentleman coming up. They said, "Hello Jack!" Gentleman asked where was he going. Going to this big ship, to see if he had chance to go to sea. The gentleman asked what he could do in a big ship. "From the masthead to the fore-castle." The gentleman said, "Yes, you're the man that I was looking for. I was going upstreet to look for a cook." - "Well I don't think I'll go cook unless you put everything what I want on board." - "What do you want?" He wrote it out. Captain got for him everything he wanted in the line of cooking. Captain told him, "Now you got everything you wanted." - "Now I am going upstreet myself, and the crew, to splice the main brace." The cook was alone on board. The cook saw a thing floating on the water. Got his spy glass, made out it was a man floating in the water. "Too bad for that man to be floating on the water with nobody to bury him."What did he do but launch a boat and got this thing, and right enough he was a drownded man. He took him up and ashore and buried him in the sand. The captain come down and he and the crew were all full. First thing he says, "Loosen her from the dock." Everyone was to get sails on her. The cook said he wouldn't leave the wharf that night. Captain said he was the boss, not him. Anyway they went to sea. When they came to shorten sails there was nobody to work but the little cook. There was one squall of wind came and took the whole thing overboard, sails and all hands but the little cook. There he was on that wreck, 1 Informant 57. Heard in Gaellic from Sandy Gillis, a white man, of South Side. Black River, West Bay, eighteen miles from Whycocomagh. The title as given by the narrator was "Ten Years before the Mast." Recorded by E. C. P. 22 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society without sails. He took thirteen days floating in that wreck. Nothing to be seen but the skies. At the end of the thirteen days, the old wreck struck on a bar. He could see nothing, but the next morning he was on dry land, the bar was dry. But there was one place and the smoke coming out of it. He said to himself, "Well, there must be a house or somebody there." Anyway he started to the place where he saw the smoke coming out. When he got there, he couldn't see anything but a place same as a hole in the ground. He got a place to go down. When he got down, there was a place the same as a greenhouse. Only one man in the house. The cook could talk three or four languages. Well this fellow was a fearful big man, all hair, like a beast. "Which way you come here?" - "Well," he says, "I was thirteen days on a wreck, struck on a bar, that's the way I came here."- "Well, I think the best thing you could do is to go back to the wreck." This man asked him, "What were you doing on this wreck?" Says, "I used to be a cook." - "Nobody in the world ever came to this house that got his life out of it. Well, there are two men yet to come wilder than I am, if you trust yourself, you can stay." Those other two men come, he sits alongside of the door, and soon as they come, they notice him. They say, "There is somebody in here." - "Yes." - "Where did he come from?" - "Oh, he used to be a cook aboard a bark. All got drowned but himself, and that's the way he came here." Those three wild fellows began to talk. One fellow says, "I think we better kill him." - "He is a good cook. Better make a contract with him to stay with us forever, then the three of us can get out to hunt." So they told him if he would stay with them forever, they wouldn't kill him. Big fellow said, "Now I am giving you a pack of keys and there is a door there if you open it, you're a dead man." - "Now," he says, "I want you to cook two baskets of grub for us tomorrow morning and the three of us is going to hunt." The little cook went to work, and cooked two big baskets. He said to himself "If they are going away, I'll have a chance to open the door and see what is in that room." They left, he went to door, he was frightened and turned back. In the evening everything was cleaned up. He gave them a nice supper, they began to like him. Next day the boss told him, "Fill us up baskets, not home till evening." - "I'll have a chance to open the door." They had a parrot, the parrot said, "I'll tell, I'll tell." There was the prettiest girl he ever laid eyes on tied up with ropes there. He said to the girl, "Is there any way to get out from here?" - "Let me loose, I'll tell you," said the girl. There was a whaler out there and three little boats on shore. They put a hole in two boats and took the other boat. The whaler began to start with the little cook and the girl. They were not far from shore when the wild men noticed them. They took to their boats, they began to sink, then began to swim. Little Cook was standing in the whaler to give them a knock on the head. Then Folklore from Nova Scotia 23 they got clear. They were sailing for days. They saw a big steamboat coming. The captain of steamer was wondering what girl was with the little cook. The steamboat was looking for the king's daughter the wild men had stolen. The steamboat came alongside, told them to come aboard. All right, they went aboard. The captain took the girl down to the cabin, left Little Cook on deck. Cook told the captain he had a little business in the whaler. All right, he went down. The captain cut his painter and piled steam on his steamer, and throwed two or three bottles of brandy in with him. Little Cook saw the bottles of brandy, he took the cork out. drank - dead drunk. He got sober, turned around again, didn't get drunk. No headway, the weather was fearful calm. Saw a man coming in a small little boat moving to beat the band, and came alongside, told him, "I know all your troubles, I remember when you done me a favor, and I am going to do you a favor today. That night at the dock when I was floating on the water, you went to work and buried me in the sand. Now you are going to be four days ahead of that bark in England and that captain won't get her. As soon as you go over, commence to put up a little shop. I am going to give you a gold hammer and every blow you make with that hammer you will make a gold shoe. And you call yourself, the little gold shoemaker." After he disappeared, the whaler commenced to go. After he got to England, he got lumber, he put up a shop, in a couple of days he had the shelves filled up with gold shoes. Then the bark entered harbor with the king's daughter. Flags flying. Whoever get her was to marry her. The king was so glad. When the bark struck the dock, he invited everybody in the city. The king sent for a pair of shoes, for his daughter to get married in, gold shoes. The captain had to go on the stand to tell what a hard time he had to get the king's daughter. Everybody got to be there. The captain was telling of the danger in getting the king's daughter. "Was anybody there with anything to say," the king asked. The little gold shoemaker was not there yet. "Better go after him." The little gold shoemaker come, said, "I have to say a few words, Is there anybody here who could say what the parrot said?" The captain was stuck. The king's daughter knew him, rushed out and took ahold of him. The captain was going to be punished by order of the king. The king ordered a big cask of tar and put him in and took him out. And the little gold shoemaker and the king's daughter got married. And I left then. 11. CHARLOTTE.1 Girl named Charlotte, and she went to the mountains one night looking for cattle. It got dark, and she didn't know where to go. 1 Informant 57. Heard in Gaelic. The title given by the narrator. Recorded by E. C. P. 24 M emoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society She got into a barn, like they used to have in the country. There was people there, and she crept upstairs and lay down. There was some hay there. She felt a hard thing under her. What was under her but a so'd (sword). She heard a noise. She looked and saw a light down below. There was seven men and a big ox between them. She knew exactly she was in a robber building. She said to herself, "I am going to defend myself." They put on a big, big fire, and commence' to roast the ox, hung it above the fire. One of the robbers came and he said, "I'll go upstairs and fix the bed." Soon as he put his head up through the hatch, she give him the sword and throwed the head off him. The other fellows done the same, she cut off the heads of them all. The last came up. She took him in the cheek. He got on a horse and went to the doctor. The doctor said it was done by the hand of a woman. One day he happened to come to Charlotte's father's house. He said to the old man, "Are you good to tell a story?" - "lo, but my daughter here, she is a good story-teller." So Charlotte told the story of how she killed those men. He used to visit the house, came night after night, and he wanted Charlotte to marry him. So they did get married. He came after her on horseback. They got out of sight of the house, and he began to ride to beat the band. She said, "My head is getting sore." He told her, "Oh, your head was not getting sore when you killed my six brothers." They got home. First thing he done was to tie her to a post in the room. When he went away he used to tie her. One day he took in a servant boy. The boy said, "Do you know any way for us to get clear out of this place?" She says, "If you untie me, I'll make a way for us to get way. You get me two or three bags of meat." - "There aren't no bags." - "I'll put the meat in my skirt. They'll let the hounds out, will hunt you out in a minute." She put the meat in two skirts. They commenced to walk. Every time they heard the dogs coming, they let go a piece of meat. That delayed them. They came to a big brook and big bridge. The meat gave out. She told boy to go into the water so the dogs wouldn't smell their tracks. Down the bank they saw a blind fox. Fox say, "Good morning, Ma'am." - "Good morning, sir." She says, "The dogs are going to be here soon. What shall we do?" Fox said, "Best thing jump on my back, I'll take you clear. Do what I tell you. If you hear noise coming, try at my left ear, something there like a bean, pull it out, and throw right after you." They heard the noise of the dogs. She pulled the bean out of the fox's ear and threw it. There was mountains and hollows. They got clear. They heard the dogs again. Fox said, "Try the top of my tail, round ball there, between hard and soft, throw it." Bogs and lakes come. The dogs came up and had to swim the bogs and lakes. It was hard to get through. Fox said, "If they come near again, try at my right ear, hard lump there, pull it out and throw it." Dogs come up again. Folklore from Nova Scotia 25 She threw out the hard lump. There was all sorts of sharp things, stabs, same as forks, and things. The dogs couldn't get through and there Charlotte was alongside her father's house. And I left then. 12. OPEN SESAME.1 Once upon a time there was a rich man and a poor man. These men was brothers. And so one time this rich brother he wouldn't give his brother any money. So this poor brother went to the woods one day. He saw three robbers going to a stone. He hid his horse and then he hid behind a tree. He watched the three robbers. They said to the stone, "Open!" and the stone opened and they went in. Then they said, "Shet!" and it went shet again. Then they came out. Then they told the door shet again, and then they went away. An' this man went over to the stone an' told the door to open. He went in an' he told the door to close again. When he went in the first room it was full of silver. The next was full of gold, an' the next full of coppers, an' so he went into another room, an' it was filled with people cut in two. So he went in the room where the gold was an' he took some gold. Then he said to the door, "Open!" an' when he got out he said, "Shet!" Then he went home. He never had a measure to measure his gold with, so he went for his brother's pint measure. When he got it he measured his gold, an' a piece of the gold stuck in the bottom when he sent it back. So his brother saw the gold in the measure an' told him to tell where the gold come from or he would tell on him. So he told his brother all about the stone. His brother went over to the stone an' he told it to open. He went inside an' he went into all the rooms. He came to the gold room an' took a lot of gold pieces. But when he came over to the door to go out he forgot what to say. He tried to push the stone an' to open it in any way, but it would not open. At last the three robbers came back. They cut him in two an' tied him up, so the poor brother lived happy after all. 13. THE GIRL WHO ASKED FOR A RIDDLE.2 One time dere was an ol' woman had a son. He was lookin' out for an advertisement of any lady wid a problem for marriage. So de young fellow started out an' goes to de young lady. He had a dog wid him called Doughie. De ol' woman gave him a piece of dough wid poison in it. So he gave a piece of de dough to de dog, an' de dog died.... So de boy went on, an' he seen t'ree crows flyin', an' dey seen some smoke. De smoke was from de carcass of de dead dog. Dey went underneath de carcass an' died..... Den 1 Informant 41. Cf. Cape Verde, MAFLS 15 Pt. 1, p. 1 and note. 2 Informant 26. Cf. Cape Verde, MAFL 15 Pt 1: No. 84 and note. 26 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society de boy met t'ree dervies. He choosed one, an' said to him, "I like you to be a frien' of mine. If you got a gun on you, give it to me." So he gave him the gun, all loaded. Den he went on an' he heard a wrastlin' in de woods. He never looked to see where, but he jes' aimed, an' den he looked an' found he shot a pig. He cut de pig for a feast. The pig was wid little ones, an' dey were alive, so he thinks he will journey wid one of de little ones till he could roost her for a feed. Den he comes to a pond. A church was on t'other side. How was he goin' to get across? He sees a dead horse on dis side, so he gets on de horse, an' gives it a push, an' floats across. He goes into de old church, an' finds some ol' Bible leaves. So he uses them for a fire to roost de pig where he could have a feed. So afterwards he goes to de young lady for her hand, an' she say he have to give her a problem she can't solve. So he say: Dough killed Doughie, An' Doughie killed t'ree. Choose one out o' de t'ree. I fired what I never saw, De living came out o' de dead, De dead float de livin' across de river An' by de word of God dey were roosted. An' if she had solved dis riddle he be killed. But he wasn't as I am here to tell you. Variant.l There was a man one time was giving his daughter for a rhyme. A fellow come along said he'd like to try. So the father said, "I want you to be here neither before nor after six, neither on foot nor on horseback." The fellows was kind o' puzzled. He goes by a livery stable and sees a mule. So he gets this mule and he comes to the man's house right on the dot of six. The man calls out, "Hello!" The fellow said, "Master, I've arrived here neither before nor after six, neither on foot nor on horseback." The master says, "Come in." The fellow went in. The man had on slippers. He said, "Those are my slippers." The fellow said, "You're all wrong, they're downtrodders." So he saw a couch. The man told him to sit down on the couch. He said, "You're all wrong, that's not a couch, that's a low degree." So the man's cat goes before him. The man' says, "That's my cat." He says, "No, that's Bald-face Simpson." So he sees a fireplace. The man tells him to sit by the fire. He says, "That's Hot Corkelonian." So he looks out the window and sees a haystack. He says, "That's Mount Avenue." The last thing was a basin of water. He says, "That's Absolution." So the father said, 1 Informant 25. Folklore from Nova Scotia 27 "Now you go in this room and you get your last meal. In twentyfive minutes I'll ring the first bell. You come out when the second bell rings." So the first bell rang. The cat goes past him. He grabs the cat in one hand and a can of oil in the other. He saturates the cat with the oil and gets a match in his hand. Then he waits for the half-hour bell. When it rings he lights a match and turns the cat on fire. Then he lets the cat go and calls out: Master, master, arise from thy low degree, Put on thy down-trodders and fellow me. There goes Bald-face Simpson in, alack, With Hot Corkelonian on his back, Running toward Mount Avenue, Without absolution. We're done. 14. THE MOST USEFUL THING.1 Three fellows were courting a rich girl. The whole three had to go away and stay a whole year. When they came back they had to say the usefulest thing to keep house with. The one that said the usefullest thing gets the girl. The end of the year was up and they returned. They came out of the village and into the town. They came by a store. In the window one fellow sees a glass. In this glass you could see what was going on in the world. He saw the girl laying dead. He said, "My, my girl is dead." The looking glass was very good, you could see for miles and miles. He said, "I guess I'll get this. When anyone is dead, I can see them. I don't have to be there, I can see everything that is going on." So the next fellow saw a box of salve. The man said to him, "If any of your friends die you just rub some of this salve on them and they come to life again." The fellow said, "All right, that's pretty good, I'll take that." So one brother was foolish. He hadn't got anything yet. He sees a lot of machines in the window. So he thought he'd get a machine. So they all got together and started with their articles. They got within one mile of the place and the fellow with the mirror said, "The girl is surely dead. I see her dead." The fellow with the salve said, "Well, if I were there I could cure her with this salve." So the other brother said, "Well, I'll take you there in my machine." So he took them in his machine and the fellow with the salve cured the girl. Now which fellow got the girl?......... Well, the girl said, "Out of the three of you, I must have one and I'm going to have one and the one I'm going to have is the one with the good machine. A man is no good unless he has a good machine; and that was a useful thing to keep house with." Informant 45. Cf. Balochi Tales, FL: 4, No. XII. (page 205) 4 28 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 15. THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG.1 It was an old woman one time sweeping a floor, she found a six-pence. She said, "I'll take this six-pence and go to the market and buy a pig. So she went to the market and she bought a pig. She couldn't carry the pig and he wouldn't go. So she went out of the market and she met a man on the road, and she said to him: Man, man, will you carry the pig, The pig won't go. See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. The man said, "I won't."...... So she met a dog, so she said to the dog: Dog, dog, bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go, See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. So the dog said, "I won't."...... So she met a stick and she said: Stick, stick, beat dog, Dog won't bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go, See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. So she went to the fire and she said: Fire, fire, burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go. See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. So she came to the brook and she said: Water, water, quench fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go. See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. Informant 8. Cf. Cat and Mouse, JAFL 13: 229; Cape Verde, Accumulative Tales, JAFL 33: 34 - 42, nos. 1 and 3. Folklore from Nova Scotia 29 She met an ox and she said: Ox, ox, drink water, Water won't singe fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go, See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. So she met a butcher and she said to him: Butcher, butcher, kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't singe fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go. See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. The butcher said, "I won't." So she saw a rope. She said: Rope, rope, hang butcher, Butcher won't kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't singe fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go, See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. The rope said, "I won't." So she met a rat and she said: Rat, rat, gnaw rope, Rope won't hang butcher, Butcher won't kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't singe fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite man. 4* 30 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go. See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. The rat said, "I won't." So she met a cat and she said: Cat, cat, eat rat Rat won't gnaw rope, Rope won't hang butcher, Butcher won't kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't singe fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite man, Man won't carry pig, Pig won't go. See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. So the cat said, "I will if you'll give me a saucer of milk." And she gave the cat a saucer of milk, and then the Cat began to eat the rat, Rat began to gnaw the rope, Rope began to hang butcher, Butcher began to kill the ox, Ox began to drink the water, Water began to singe the fire, Fire began to burn the stick, Stick began to beat the dog, Dog began to bite the man, Man began to carry the pig, The pig begin to go. See by moonlight, almost midnight, Time I was home half hour ago. And so the woman and the pig got home. Variant. The cat said, "I will if you give me a saucer of milk." So she ast the cow for some milk, an' the cow said, "I won't unless you give me a wisp of hay." She got the cow a wisp of hay and then the Cow gave milk, Cat began to eat the rat, Rat.... etc. Folklore from Nova Scotia 31 Variant. Once there was an old lady sweeping the floor. So she found a six-pence, so she said, "What shall I do with it?" She went to the market to buy a pig. On the way home she came to a stile, and the pig would not jump over it. She went a little ways and she met a dog and she said: Dog, dog, bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. And the dog would not. So the lady went a little farther and seen a stick and she said: Stick, stick, beat dog, Dog will not bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. And the stick said it would not. And she went a little farther and she come to a fire And she said: Fire, fire, burn stick, Stick will not beat dog, Dog will not bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. And the fire said it would not. So she come to some water and she said: Water, water, put out fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick will not beat dog, Dog will not bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. And the water said it would not. So next she met an ox and she said: Oxen, oxen, drink water, Water will not put out fire, Fire will not burn stick, Stick will not beat dog, Dog will not bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. 32 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society And the ox said he would not. So she met a butcher and she said: Butcher, butcher, kill ox, Ox will not drink water, Water will not put out fire, Fire will not burn stick, Stick will not beat dog, Dog will not bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. And the butcher wouldn't kill the ox. So she come to a rope and she said: Rope, rope, hang butcher, Butcher will not kill ox, Ox will not drink water, Water will not put out fire, Fire will not burn stick, Stick will not beat dog, Dog will not bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. And the rope said it would not. So she met a mouse and she said: Mouse, mouse, gnaw rope, Rope will not hang butcher, Butcher will not kill ox, Ox will not drink water, Water will not put out fire, Fire will not burn stick, Stick will not beat dog, Dog will not bite pig, Pig will not jump over stile, And I shall not get home tonight. So the mouse said he would if she would give him a piece of cheese. So she had some in her pocket and she gave him some, and then the Mouse began to gnaw rope, Rope began to hang butcher, Butcher began to kill ox, Ox began to drink water, Water began to put out fire, Fire began to burn stick, Stick began to beat dog, Dog began to bite pig, And the pig jumped over the stile. And the old lady did get home that night after all. Folklore from Nova Scotia 33 16. THE TABLECLOTH, THE MARE, AND THE STUMP.1 Woman had only but one son, and he never do a turn in his life but sit in the ashes. This day she had very lot of work to do. The only son wouldn't help her at all. She had a frolic one day, cutting down hay and grain. The day after the frolic she was very busy working at her hay. She came in to make her dinner and still the boy was setting in the ashes. He got up and shake himself long as she was making the dinner. After dinner she say to the boy, "You better come out now and help me because it looks like a storm." After they get their dinner, when the fire went out, still the boy set in the ashes just the same. Next day came on the storm, and spile a good deal of her grain and hay. She says to the boy, "Now if you happen to go out with me the next day to work, we wouldn't lose so much of our grain and hay." "Well," he say, "Mother, I want you to make me a small cake and a big cake." She said to the boy, "What would you rather, a small cake or a big cake, a big cake with my good wish or a small cake with a bad wish? He said to his mother, "I rather to have a small cake and your good wish." Boy dress himself and he went away, till he came to a big mountain. When he was walking alongside the mountain, he heard a noise and he look around and he saw a hole coming out of the side of the mountain, and he sit down and he wasn't long when he heard, "Let me out!" "Oh, no," he says, "I won't let you out till you pay me what you destroy on me last night." "Well," she say, "ef you let me out, I'llgive you a table cloth, and when you spread this tablecloth on the table, you'll have everything on the table that you wish." Well, he took his way. She told him to go when he came to such a place, that he get this parcel. He was in a hotel at night coming home. The woman at the hotel and the man at the hotel, I think, they said, "After the boy will go to bed, we'll open that parcel and we'll see what is in to it." So they did, and Oh! they had the finest tablecloth, no man could mention how fine it was. The old man told his wife, "I tell you what we will do, we'll go to work And wash the old tablecloth and put it in the parcel and he won't know the difference." The boy got up in the morning, he started on his journey for home. When he got home, his mother told him, "What now? foolish boy!" Then he says, "Hold on, you didn't see yet, Ma'am." He says, "Pull over the table." He spread the tablecloth, yet there wouldn't be nothing on the table. Next morning he got his breakfast and he started again for the same mountain. When he got there, the wind was blowing, the same mountain, the same place. He didn't do nothing, but sit down the same as he before done. Wasn't long when he heard, "Let me out!" - "Ha! ha! I wont let 1 Informant 59. Recorded by E. C. P. For bibliography see MAFLS 15 Pt. 1: 99 n. 1. 34 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society you out til you pay me what you spile on me the other night." - "Well," she say to him, "if you let me out this time, I'll give you a mare and when you say 'Shake! Shake!' there'll be a shower of gold fall on this side and a shower of silver fall on the other side. When you come to such a place, you'll get the mare." When he come to such a place, right enough, the mare was ahead of him. He started for home and he was in the same hotel that night again. He asked the old man could he get a stable for his mare separate. The old man said, "Ach sure, yes, I got plenty stables." All right, he got the stable. When the boy went to bed, the old man say to his wife, "My goodness, that boy got a mare the finest mare ever I saw in my life," he says, "and I think if I brush up my old mare, in the morning the boy wouldn't know the difference." His wife says, "That we'll do." Boy got up in the morning, pay his lodging, got the mare, and started for home. He got home, and his mother told him, "What now, foolish boy!" - "Hold on, mother," he says, "you didn't see yet." He took in the mare in the middle of the floor, and he says, "Shake! Shake!" There was no gold or silver fall. Oh! he was mad this time, and he turn round and next morning he started, til he got to the same mountain, and the wind was blowing just the same, and he sit down at the hole. He was a few minutes there when he heard, "Let me out!" - "Ah!" he says, "I'll not let you out til you pay me what you spile on me last night". - "Well, if you let me out, I'll give you something that will get you everything that you lost. And when you come to such a place, you say, 'Come and see us, come and sue us, come and see us, sue us, come.' Don't get frightened, something will come alongside of you, something like a stump. Don't in this world let anybody handle it but yourself. Nobody can handle this thing I am going to give you but yourself." When he get there, there was this thing like a stump come alongside of him. Then he was in the same hotel at night. Well, when the boy went to bed, he told the old man, "Don't touch that passel [parcel]." "Ach," said the old man, "I'm not going to touch any of your passels." The old man told his wife, "Wonder what kind of passel is that? I think it would be a good thing for me to get up and see what is in to." Soon as he put his hand in the passel, he commence to swell out till he come like a stump, and the first dive he done he make a big hole in the loft, and the next dive he went in and broke one of the doors. The old lady commence to cry and screech and tell the old man to go out and wake the boy. This thing was making the house into ashes. The old man told the boy if he would quiet the thing, he would give him the mare and the tablecloth. The boy got up and he say, "Come and see us, come and sue us, come and sue us, sue us, come us." The next morning the boy got up. The old man gave him the tablecloth, he gave him the mare, and when he got home, to make the story short, his mother said, "What now, foolish boy!" - Folklore from Nova Scotia 35 "Hold on, Mother," he says, "You didn't see yet." He pulled out the table and spread the tablecloth and he had everything on that table that the man could mention. Then he took in the mare and he says, "Shake! Shake!" and a shower of gold fell on this side and a shower of silver fell on the other side, "Well," she says, "boy, that's very, very, very good. Just the best cow I had on the farm, two fellows took her this evening." He says, to his mother, "Is they far away?" - "No, only down here a piece". He went after those fellows that had the cow. He said, "Come and see us, come and sue us, come and sue us, sue us, come us." And the comin [?] commence to roll on the road. Those fellows let go the cow and the cow turned back. And I left then. 17. THE INTERRUPTED DINNER.1 There was one time a farmer was five hundred miles from shore, and he was gone away these three days journey on horseback. He never saw a sailor, or a vessel, or salt water. And while he was going on horseback, he met a fellow with a blue suit. He stopped his horse, and said, "Where do you come from?" The fellow said, "I came from a seaport." The farmer said, "Well, I'm gone away for three days tonight, but I wish I was at home, and you wouldn't go any further than my place, so I would get the news of the sea, vessels, and everything." Well, the sailor was very glad to know where he could rest for the night. The farmer said, "But I am going three miles further, and I'll come back for the night. You keep on till you pass the bridge and you'll see a white house, and you'll go up there and likely the good woman will give you your dinner." The sailor went and got his tea, but he took notice that there was another room of the kitchen and there was a table cloth, a table, fancy dishes, and of course he was looking and he saw a man with a white collar sitting in the room; and he saw a bottle of brandy at the end of the table. And behold, the woman saw in the dark a man taking the bridle off the horse, and she cleared the table and shoved the bottle of whiskey in an old chest, and shoved the fellow dressed in white in the chest, and everything was squashed all over. And of course the farmer come in. So he said to the sailor, "Well, you found the house all right, did you? Did you have tea?" The sailor said, "Yes." The farmer said, "Well, we'll have a good night tonight, but I never saw a vessel, nor the ocean, nor a sailor." The night got dark, so they went down in their dining room. They were talking together. The farmer said, "When you get in the middle of the ocean, how do you know where are you?" The sailor Informant 40. Cf. Louisiana, MAFL 2: XXVII; Cape Verde, MAFL 15: nos. 17, 19. 36 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society said, "Well, we have a little round thing, and there is a needle in it. They call it a compass, and of course that'll tell." The farmer said, "You needn't t'ink that I am a fool to believe such stuff as that." The sailor said, "Well, if you are t'inking that I am making a fool of you, perhaps this little compass will open your eyes before the night is over. Now, these compass and these things tell me that there is a bottle of brandy in that chest." "No." the farmer say, "no there wasn't a drop of brandy in this house since two years." The sailor said, "Well, to make a liar of this compass, you open the chest for the fun of it." The old man opened the chest. "Lord!" he said, "There is a bottle here. Do you think that is it brandy? Will you take the first glass?" And you know the sailor wouldn't refuse that. And they were drinking the bottle. Too it was a little late. And he looked at the compass again, and said, "This compass tell me the devil is in this house." "And Lord!" the farmer said, "where is he?" The sailor said, "He's in that pantry. You get three sticks, one for myself, one for yourself, and one for the missus. Then you go to the door." The wife wouldn't take the stick, but the farmer he took it and stood outside the door. The sailor went to the cupboard, and of course the man jumped right out. He jumped out the door, and the farmer missed him and fell on his back. He got up and looked out the window. The farmer said, "Lord! Don't he look like the school teacher." GAELIC OF 17. (INTERRUPTED DINNER) An thuathauach agus a seoildeir.l Sha tuathauach ann uair bha e thre cheud mille bho uisque sailt. chan fhac e seoldear. Dfhag e'n'tigh s bha e gu bhi air falbh thri latha. Choinich seoldeir ris gabhail a rathad ars an tuathauach chau eil fios agam nach seoldeir thu se sin mi ars a seoildir D'falbh mi on thigh gu bhi air falbh thri la chan eil an thigh agam as an so ach da thuathauach mille cum rothad gus an thig thu gus an dhrochaid nuair a theid thu seachad. Air an dhochad thigh agarus air cnoe aig ceau m drochad Is pillidh mise agus bidh sinn cuideachd a nochd agus Insidh thu dhomh mu shortheachau agus mo seoildearcaue agus mu mluir gun theagaunh thug a bheau dha a shuipear Ach bha dorus fosgoilt do Ruim na hith as thug e fainear gu bord air a shuidheachadh le soitheachadh riomhach agus thug e fainear gu robh duine ogg air a chnomhdach le eudach grinn. agus Bottle of Brandy air cean a bhurd agus bha e fas dorch Choimhead iad a mach air an uineag agus bha an thuathauach 1Dictated by Informant 89, and copied by Informant 90. Folklore from Nova Scotia 37 a toir na Shrian as an each aig an am sin a thanig an thuatanach stiaeh don an thigh agus squab lad na Soitheacheau bhar a bhuird s chuir iad a Bottle of Brandy arm an sean chiste agus an duine bha aig cean a bhurd chuir e steach ann a Sheau cupboard e ann sin a shuidh iad a stigh s an thigh comhladh an sin thoiseach an thuathauch cuir ceisdean air an seoldear Nuair a bhios thu ann a meadhon a chuain s nach faie thu fearan ceamar a bhio fios agad cail am beil thu Tha uidheann aginn ris abair sinn compaist innsidh dhuin cait bul sum. Sin a fhreagair an thuathauach cha ne amadan mise idir gu n creid me a luthid sinn fhreagair a Seoilden mas deid an oidheach sheaehad chan eil fios nach fosgal so do shuleau tha an a combaist ag insidh dhorrh gu beil Bottle of Brandy anns a chiste fhreagair an tuathanach cha' n'eil Brandy so idir fosgal thus a an chiste gu mise dheananih breugach a thighearna saoil thu an e Brandy tha ann thubhairt an thuathach an gabh thu glainn dheth thoiseaeh iad an sin air ol s bha an oidheach dol seachad Thubhart seoldair ris an thathauauh gu robh an dheauehen a stigh s thigh cait am bul ars an thuathauch tha e as a cupboard ars an seoildear Thubhart seoldear faigh thus dha maid fear dhomhsa agus fear dhust fhun fosghas mise donis do cupboard seas thus a aig an dorus a mugh agus buail e ach be cunteach gu lig thu mach e thaing an donas mach as an thigh agus ruith e sios dhiomsadh a rathad seal an thuathauch as a dheigh bha n oidheach soilear thubhart e nach e tha coltach ris a mhaighstir sgoil again agus a chaochal an tuathamach agus a bhean na crios duidhur chuir an lighearna a seoldear thre cheud mille gus Ise a bhrath se sin a bha a naidheachd acantinn. 18. THE GOOD BOY AND THE BAD.1 Once upon a time a woman had three sons. Jack was the youngest. So times got hard in this place an' the mother say, "I can't afford to have all you boys home now. One of you will have to get out." So the oldest boy was going to leave first. Mother said, "You take this riddle an' go to the brook an' fill it with water." So he went to the brook, an' he met a bird singin'. The bird was singin': Stuff the holes with clay, Then the water won't run away. So he threw stones at the bird an' filled the riddle with water. He came back and home by the time he got there all the water had run out. So he went away. His mother gave him some cheese, bread, and a lot of things to eat. He want along an' he met an old lady. She was hungry. She said to him, "Won't you please gimme some 1 Informant 30. Cf. Micmac Tales, JAFL 28, No. 3 (page 55); Cape Verde, MAFLS 15, No. 40. 38 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society of your bread an' cake." But he said to her, "Go an' work for it, same as I did." Then he continued on his journey. So he met an old horse layin' in the road. The horse said, "Will you please help me up," - cause his master had turned him away. But the son wouldn't help him. So at last he come to some joint (giant). The joint says he would give him a job; if he couldn't do what he give him in a day, he would cut off his head. The old fellow said, "All right." So he stripped off and started to work. Be jabbers he couldn't finish in a day. So the joint killed him. So the second son started off, an' the same things happened to him that happened to the oldest son. At last Jack started out. He took the riddle to the brook, an' he heard the bird singin': Stuff the holes with clay, Then the water won't run away. So he filled the holes up with clay and brought the water home to his mother. He told his mother all that had happened. She says to him, "Well done, my son, you shall have good luck." So he started out on his journey. His mother gave him some things to eat. When he had gone a little distance, he came to the old woman. She said to him, "Won't you give me something to eat?" He said, "Sure, grandmother." So he gave her some meat, crackers, and a whole lot of things to eat. So the old woman says to him, "When you leave here you will meet a joint. He will holler at you; you just holler right back at him." Jack said, "All right, grandmother." So he set off. On his way he met the horse. But he was different from his brothers an' he helped the horse up. So pretty soon he come to the joint. So the joint hollered at him, "You want a job?" Jack hollered right back, "Yes, I want a job." So the joint said, "Softer. Remember, if you don't do what I give you in one day, I'll cut your head off." So Jack said, "All right." He started to work. The old woman was a witch, an' gave him some power to help him out. He did all the work. Then he killed the joint. He got his mother, an' they lived happy on the joint's place. Variant.' Once there was a woman had two sons, Tommy and Jack. She was very poor, so Tommy said, "Mother, I'm goin' away an' get some work, so I can make my own living." The mother said all right, so he said, "Bake me a cake, so I won't bother people on the road." She said, "All right, an' I'll give you a bottle of milk too." So he started off, as happy as you please, an' he travelled, an' travelled, till he met an old woman an' a little dog on the side of the road. The woman was lookin' at her head. He said, "Good 1 Informant 38. Folklore from Nova Scotia 39 day, granny." She said, "Good day, my son. Will you look in my head an' see what's the matter with it? It itches." He said, "Oh, the devil, I ain't goin' to look through your head. What you think I am?" She said, "You won't look in my head?" He said, "No." She said, "No? Well, you got bread an' milk there. Give my dog a little piece of bread, an' some milk. He 's hungry." He said, "What! Give your dog some of my bread an' milk? You must think I'm crazy!" She said, "All right, you'll have luck, go on." So he went every place, an' he yelled, "Do you want to hire a man?" An' everybody told him, "No, no, we don't need nobody." At last he came to a big farm. There was one big old man by himself standing in the fields. So Tommy hollered, "Need any help?" An' the joint said, "Yes, come over to the fence." So Tommy said, "What wages do I get?" The joint said, "What do you want?" It's according to how'ell you work." Tommy said, "I want you to give me my grub four times a day, an' lunch at six in the evening." The joint said, "You rascal, you want too much. All right, I want this field cut down before three o'clock tomorrow." So Tommy said, "What you talking about, all this field cut down by three o'clock?" The joint said, "Sure." So they agreed, an' Tommy started to work. The joint said, "Now you've got to do it or lose your ears." All right, he hired with him. The joint said, "An the first one that grumbles gets his ears cut off, too." So he went to work in the morning an' evening come an' he didn't get nothin' to eat since dinner. So he said to the joint, "Didn't I tell you you'd have to give me four meals an' a lunch. You ain't givin' me enough to eat." The joint said, "Yes, remember, the first man that grumbles gits his ears cut off. You got to work better than that." So first thing tomorrow they got to fix the cart up. Tommy said, "We ain't got nothin' to fix it with." The joint said, "I'll find something. You go an' ask the wife to give you an auger an' a handsaw, an' some nails, an' bring them to me." So Tommy went an' seen the lady. An' while he was there he got smart, an' took the old man's place where the old man slept at night. So he was a long while comin' back. The joint said, "What kept you so long?" He said, "Your wife couldn't find the things." The joint said, "Aw, you're always having an excuse." So Tommy said, "But you shouldn't grumble. Maybe you'll get your ears cut off."... He didn't finish his work, so he had his ears cut off. So he said, "Well, I'll go home, an' come back an' fix it tomorrow." The joint said, "All right." So he went home an' he was miserable, an' he had a handkerchief around his ears. His mother said, "Aw, Tommy, you're no good. I knew it. I just knew you'd come back this way. Ain't you a pretty sight!" So Jack he wanted to go out an' make his fortune. His mother didn't want him to go 'cause she was afraid the same thing would happen to him that happened to Tommy. But he said he was 40 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society goin', so finally his mother let him go. He said he wanted a cake too, but she was short of flour, an' so she took a big flat stone an' mixed some dough, then she put it over this flat stone an' baked it. That made it very heavy, an' Jack thought he had a lot of cake. "That'll last you," his mother said. "It ought to," Jack said, "It's solid enough." Then his mother gave him some milk.... So Jack went on the road an' pretty soon he met the same old lady. He said, "Good mornin', grandmother." "Good morning, my son," she says, "fine day." Then she asked him to scratch her head. Jack said, "Sure, I'll scratch your head. That ain't nothin'." So he put his cake down an' took her handkerchief off her head an' commenced to scratch it. She said, "God bless you, my son. You'll have good luck." So then she said, "Jack, my dog is awfully hungry, an' he wants some milk. Will you give him some of yours?" Jack says, "Sure, where shall I put it?" She said, "See that black stone in the hollow? Break the cake and put it in that, an' put the milk over it." So Jack started to break the cake. Then he found out it was a stone. He said, "I know how it happened, my mother wanted me to come home, and so she only gave me a little cake." But he divided it with the dog anyway. So the old lady said, "God bless you, my son, you'll have good luck. Before this day three years you' '11 be a rich man..... You'll see an old joint over in that field. You holler to him first, good and loud. He won't offer you much wages, but go with him anyhow." So Jack went over to the field an' he hollered loud as he could. "Want to hire a man?" And the joint answered in a weak voice, "Yes, I'll take you." So the joint told Jack he'd cut his ears off if he didn't have the field mowed by the next day, an' the first one grumbled would have his ears cut off. So the next day Jack had the field all moved. Then the joint sent Jack home for a backsaddle for his horse. Jack did just like his brother, and went to bed with the joint's wife. When he come back the joint said, "Well, did you get the backsaddle? What kept you so long? I could make a saddle in that time." Jack said, "I couldn't find it." So the joint commenced to grumble, and Jack said, "You're grumbling." The joint said, "It's enough to make you grumble. I know what you been doin' back there with my wife." So Jack cut the joint's ears off for grumbling, an' then he kicked him off the plantation. Very good. Then a woman come along. She told him there was two beans over there, an' to pick them up. So he picked them up, an' they grew way up into big tall beanstalks. Then he got his brother an' his mother an' they went to the joint's house an' lived there happy ever after. An' I was there when he picked the beans, an' they turned to gold, an' he had gold an' wealth, an' he gave me some of his gold. An' he had a big gate, a swing gate, an' I got pinched by it, but I got through it, thank the Lord. Folklore from Nova Scotia 41 Variant. Jack Proves He Killed the Dragon.1 There was a fellow named Jack. He was a very poor boy. He had his mother to maintain. In those days they didn't know very much about white flour. So Jack thought he would go one day up to his uncle and pay him a visit. His uncle had some white bread. Jack got some. It took his attention so that he was more than taken up with it. He had some cows home, and his uncle had none. So Jack said, "How I wish we had some of that white bread home." His uncle said, "Jack, I'll give you some white flour for one of your cows." Jack said, "All right, that's fine." So he started home. He told his mother he was going to take one of his cows up to his uncle to get some white bread. So he muzzled one of the cows with a rope, and up he starts with the cow. He met a man (it was a fairy) on his way. So the fairy said, "Jack, what are you going to do?" Jack said, "I'm goin' to take her up to my uncle's to get some white bread." The fairy said, I'll tell you what I'll do. Here's a table cloth I'll give you if you'll give me the cow." Jack said, "What good is that table cloth?" The fairy said, "Well, I'll tell you. That table cloth, anything that you so mind to wish for, you can get. Now to prove this, I will spread the table cloth on the ground. You wish whatever you like." So he spread it out, and Jack wished. Everything come lovely. All he wished for come on the table cloth. Jack said, "That is just the thing I want." So he continued to his uncle. His uncle said, "I thought you were going to bring me the cow." Jack said, "I was, but I have something better than what you could give me." His uncle said, "What might that be?" Jack said, "A table cloth. If you want me to show you, it's pretty near tea time, I'll show you." So Jack spread the table cloth on the table. He wished for food to come. Everything come as nice and beautiful as before. After supper Jack folded the table cloth up and took it in his room with him. During the night his uncle slipped in and substituted one of his table cloths for that one. So Jack in the morning started for home. So he got home and he put his table cloth on the table and wished. His mother said, "Well, Jack, that's a pretty good howdy do. We have dear knows how many table cloths now. And you take one of our cows for just such a table cloth, as we have already got!" Jack said, "Mother, I'm bound to have some of that white bread." So he muzzled another cow and started off with her. So he met the same fairy. The fairy said, "Jack, what are you goin' to do?" Jack said, "I'm goin' to take her up to my uncle's to get some white bread." The fairy said, "I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you this belt and stick." Jack said, "Oh, no you won't. You fooled me on the table cloth, you'll not fool me on the belt and stick." So the fairy said, "Jack, I'll tell you all about that table cloth. Your uncle stole that while 1 Informant 9. Cf. Cape Verde, MAFLS 15: No. 35 and note. 42 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society you were asleep that night. He gave you an old one in its place. Now you take this belt and stick. You go to your uncle and demand your table cloth. If he refuses to give you it, you say: Belt clinch! Stick play away! And you'll find that that will do its work." So Jack said, "All right." So he let him have his cow again, and up Jack goes to his uncle. He said, "Uncle, I want my table cloth." His uncle said, "What table cloth?" Jack said, "The table cloth you stole from me last night." His uncle said, "I got no table cloth. Get out of my house." Jack said, "I won't until I get my table cloth." So his uncle started towards him to put him out of the house, and Jack said, "Belt clinch! Stick play away!" So the belt clinched the old fellow and downed him. The stick commenced to pound him. So he called out, "Oh, wife, fetch Jack his table cloth." So Jack got his table cloth and started for home. "Well, Jack, you're back with another table cloth?" his mother said. Jack said, "Yes, but not like the other one. Let's try this one." So he put it on the table and he wished for food to come. Everything come lovely on the table that could be mentioned. "Now," he says to his mother, "you have all you need. I'm going to seek my fortune." So off he starts. He went on and on. At last he came to a farm. He hired with this man to do the work around. This farmer said, "Look, I've had a good many hard men. One difficulty they had. When they take cattle out in the morning they would never return at night, simply because there's two joints out here. If you let the cattle feed out on their land, they certainly will kill everything that comes in contact with them." Jack says, "I'll go out and try it." He took the cattle and started off with them. He let them feed on the gi'nts' land o' purpose. Out comes the gi'nt and he says, "Git those cattle off o' there, or I'll put my little finger on you and squash you to death." Jack said, "Oh, I don't think you will." So he made for Jack. Jack said: Belt clinch! Stick play away! So he killed that one. He went home that night and the farmer was awful proud to see him come back, 'cause he was the first to do so. He said, "Hello, Jack, how did you come back? How did you get along out there?" Jack said, "Oh, there were fine people out there. I got along in the best kind o' way." So the next morning Jacl took the cattle out to pasture as usual. He let the cattle feed on the gi'nt's property and watched. So the other gi'nt came out and Jack did him the same as he did the first. After that he had the old woman, the gi'nt's wife, to contend with. The next day he went out again. So the old lady she come out at him. She says, "Git those cattle off o' there, or I'll put my little finger on you and squash you to death." So Jack said, "Oh, I don't think you will." So she made for Jack, and Jack said: Belt clinch! Stick play away! Folklore from Nova Scotia 43 So the gi'nt's wife said, "Oh, Jack, oh Jack, don't kill me!" So Jack called off his belt. Then she said, "You come with me," and she took him in the castle. She showed him all through the castle. It was very beautiful. She took him way up. Then she said, "Oh, Jack, I will kill you." But Jack said: Belt clinch! Stick play away! So the belt clinched and it killed her. So Jack went to the stable. So he found some horses there that ran very nigh to the wind. So he says, "I'll keep that all to myself." He had a disguise. No one knew who he was. He would come so quick and go so quick that no one could catch him. So one day he came to a king's country. The king was in trouble. There was a dragon there would eat one of the best ladies of the land. So the king's daughter was offered to save the city. So Jackfound out what time the dragon was due. They told him that anyone could have the daughter and the kingdom if they could kill the dragon. So that looked good to Jack. He waited till the time he thought the dragon would be there. So he went on with his work. So when he knew it was time he jumped on his horse and he got right there just as the dragon was going to eat up the princess. Everyone was crying. Jack said: Belt clinch! Stick play away! The belt clinched and killed the dragon, and the princess was saved. But Jack did not wait, but he went back like the wind. Then, when he got back he asked some one, "What news?" They told him about the rider who had killed the dragon and then run away like the wind. So the princess wanted to find the man who had saved her. They had a big tournament. So the first day Jack came along and he took his part and ran right off, and they could not tell who he was. He did the same thing on the second day. On the third day the same thing happened, but when he turned to go the daughter cut a lock of his hair off and put it away. So she said, "Any one who fits into this lock of hair will be the one who is the instigator of killing the dragon." So all the dukes and nobles of the land came there and tried to fit into the hair. So they had a great ball. Everybody went to it. So Jack waited till the last minute. Then he walked in and claimed the girl. She walked around to him and said, "Yes, this is the man, father. His hair fits into this lock of hair." So Jack showed all his implements that he had killed the dragon with. When I left there they was having a great time there. They was dancing You Tell 'Em. 19. THE SLAVE TAKES HIS MASTER'S PLACE.1 Once there was an old slave and his master man pretend he was goin' to town. He went out the back door an' come in the front door an' went upstairs an' got under his wife's bed. Nine o'clock 1 Informant 35. 5 44 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society came, an' this old slave he said to his master's wife, "Time for bed." He puts on his master's nightclothes an' he jumps in bed. So the lamp goes out. His master crawls from under the bed with a big whip. He struck the slave with the whip. The slave say, "Must be mosquitoes here." So the master strikes again. The slave jumps out of bed an' the master stopped whipping him with the whip. The slave hollered: Sky come down an' cover me, Ground open an' swallow me, Where the doors was once is all growed up. The lamp was out an' he couldn't find the door. 20. MASTER DISGUISED.1 There was an old slave, his master was goin' to Philadelphia one time. So Pompey was goin' t' have a good time. He took a whole sheep, a ham, a lot of butter, an' everything that was down in the cellar, an' was goin' t' have a big dance. So while the party was goin' on, in comes his old master all dressed in rags. Pompey didn't know him. Master said, "Got any place for me to stay?" Pompey said, "This ain't no place for people like you. Gone over dere in de corner." So all during the party, Pompey said, "Master done gone to Philamajinks.... Master done gone to Philamajinks." So the master he sot up in the corner. Every once in a while Pompey would go over to where he was and say, "Set up in there in the corner, you damn rag man." By an' by Master goes home, an' bid Pompey good night. So the next day Pompey was back home working. His master came to him and said, "Pompey, you had a good time last night, didn't you?" Pompey said, "How you know?" Master said, "I was here." Pompey said, "I thought you was in Philamajinks!" Master said, "No, I was there at your party... You sure had a great time... You had a whole tub of butter, a whole sheep, a whole ham, an' a barrel of flour... Now where did you git it?" Pompey said, "Massa, I got it from your cellar." Massa said, "You're goin' t' git somethin' else, too....." An' Pompey got a good beatin'. 1 Informant 48. Cf. Virginia, JAFL 32: 362; Sea Islands, S. C., MAFLS 16: 76 - 77. Folklore from Nova Scotia 45 ANIMAL TALES. 21. TAR BABY.1 Once upon a time Brer Nancy and Brer Tacoma lived together an' was supposed to be pretty good friends. Brer Nancy was very lazy and didn't intend to do anything. Brer Tacoma was industrious. Brer Tacoma had a field of corn. Brer Nancy thought to do by Brer Tacoma by waiting till he went out, to rob his farm. Every night Brer Tacoma go away, Brer Nancy always go an' stole his corn. Brer Tacoma missed his corn, an' he went up an' put a tar man. In the night Brer Tacoma stood by an' watch out to see who was goin' to steal his corn. Brer Nancy came along an' seen the man, an' before stealin' the corn he wanted to know what man was it. So he holler to the tar man, "Hello, there." He got no response. So he holler again, an' he get no response. An' he holler the third time. Still no response. So this time he say, "By God, I'll make you know who I am." So he ran over in two pins an' struck the tar man with his hand. His hand stuck. He said, "Goddam it, let go me hand." But it was stuck. He got mad, so he struck the tar man with the other hand. This one stuck too, so he say, "Goddam it, you son of a bitch, let go me hand, I tell you." He gone kick this time. He kep' up kickin' an' yellin'. After while he say, "I kick you." An' he did, an' that stuck. He got mad, an' he say, "If you don't turn me loose, I'll kick you with me other foot." In two two's both hands and feet got stuck. Then he begin to plead. He say, "Good God, I was jus' makin' a little 'port wid you, an' you ain't 'bliged to hold me two hands an' two foot. Let me go, man, please let me go." While he tried to plead, the tar man turn over. Brer Tacoma got out. He got his man now. He took a torch an' lit it, then he goes up to Brer Nancy. He say, "Brer Nancy, that you! What you doin' here, boy?" Brer Nancy say, "I come to watch your corn.... I see dis fellah here, an' I want know what he doin'. First thing I know he catch me, an' he wouldn't let go. I been here fightin' an' kickin', an' pleadin', but he jus 'won't let me go." Brer Tacoma say, "I bring this torch for a purpose, an' so I guess I may as well use it for that purpose. Best thing I kin do is to light the tar wif fire." Brer Nancy say, "Don't do dat, Brer Tacoma, don't do dat. You light me too." But Brer Tacoma go 'long wif de torch an' light de tar, an' Brer Nancy he scream an' holler some more. I stepped on a bit of lead, The lead bend, and me story end. 1 Informant 27. For bibliography, cf. MAFLS 13: 12 (note I). See also MAFLS 16: 13 (note 2), page 25. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35, No. 5, and note. 5* 46 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant.l Once upon a time there was Jack Rabbit and Peter Rabbit. An' so Peter Rabbit he dug a well. So Jack used to steal water out o' the well. So one night Peter made a tar baby, an' he stood it up in front of the well. So that night Peter came to steal water, he had his pails with him. He told the tar baby to move. Tar baby never budged. Peter Rabbit said: "If you don't move I'll hit you wif dese pails." So he fired the pails and they got stuck to the tar baby. Peter Rabbit said: "If you don't gimme back my pails I'll kick you." So he kicked the tar baby, and his foot stuck. Then he kicked wif his other foot, an' de other got stuck. So Peter Rabbit said, "If you don't let me go, I'm goin' t' give you a punch in the mouth." So he punched the tar baby in the mouth and his fist stuck. He said, "I'm gonna punch you in the eye wid de other one." So the other got stuck. Peter Rabbit said: "I'm gonna butt you." An' his Fords (?) got stuck. He said, "If you don't leggo I'll bite you." So he bit the tar baby an' his mouth got stuck. That was the end. 22. MOCK PLEA.2 Rabbit came in man's house of a bluff to worm himself. The man knowed what he was up to, an' said to him, "If you come in to warm yourself, when the cold comes I'll throw you out into the snow." Rabbit said, "Oh, don't do dat." Man said, "I will." Rabbit said, "No, don't." Man said, "I will." Den de man got mad, an' he throwed him out, Rabbit all the time hollerin', "For God's sake, whatever you do, don't put me out of a frosty night." After he throwed him out, Rabbit said, "Ho, ho, I was bred an' born in de snow, didn' you know dat?" 23. INCRIMINATING THE OTHER FELLOW RABBIT BETRAYS BEAR.3 There was a man had a field of oats, and every morning he'd go out and see a track. He said, "It's too big for a rabbit track and mos' too big for a bear track, too." But there was a big bear down there in the field, eatin' an' eatin' down there. The man said, "I think I hear sumpin'." Just then along came an old lady, and she said, "I think I hear sumpin' down the way." The man said, "There's some one eatin' up my grain." So he went down to where the noise was and he saw this big bear eatin' his grain. He said, "What you doin' here, Mister Bear?" Bear said, "I was hungry, I was just getting a bite to eat." The man said, "Just for that, I'm goin' to do away with you." But the bear said, "Please don't do 1 Informant 35. 2 Informant 17. 3 Informant 38. Cf. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35, No. I, a, and note. Folklore from Nova Scotia 47 that, 'cause last night I saved your grain from a man who was goin' to set your field on fire." The man said, "Yes? Goin' to set my field on fire!" The bear said, "Yes, so I thought I could have a little bite." Just then Rabbit jumps out an' says, "Don't you believe him, don't you believe him, he's lyin' for sure. It was me saved your field. I come up here las' night, an' Bear was jus' eatin' away for all he was worth an' I said to him, 'If you don't go away from here an' stop eatin' this man's grain, that man's goin' to come along here an' kill you with his gun."..... So along came the man and shot the bear. Variant.' Brother Wolf, he was a very greedy man. So Rabbit had a great dinner one day. Wolf come along and he said, "Brother Rabbit, gimme some dinner?" Brother Rabbit said, "Sure, come along." Get a fork and knife and sit down." So he got a fork an' knife an' set down. He ate a whole lot, and after while he commenced saying, "My stomach hurts me, I think I et too much." Brother Rabbit said, "You go into the briar bush, you'll find an ox there. You blow your breath in the ox's face, and you'll be all right. That'll take the pain out o' you." So sure enough, he did go to the ox, and he blew his breath in his face. The ox said, "Oh, your breath ain't sweet enough." So Brother Wolf come back to Brother Rabbit and Brother Rabbit said, "You go down there to the low briar bushes and do what I tell you and you'll be all right." Brother Wolf said, "You tell me when I'm sweet enough." Brother Rabbit said, "All right, I'll tell you when you're sweet enough." So Brother Wolf went down to the low briar bushes. Brother Rabbit said, "Stay there till I tell you to come out." A little while afterwards Brother Wolf started hollering, "Oh, I'm sweet enough, I'm sweet enough," but Brother Rabbit said, "No, you'll have to stay in a little while longer." By and by a man come along, and he said, "Some one killed my ox yesterday." Brother Wolf said, "I didn't do it," but Brother Rabbit said, "Yes, he did, mister. Brother Wolf did it. He's fixin' to lie about it. He blew his breath in Brother Ox's face and killed him. I saw him do it." Brother Wolf kept saying, "I didn't do it, I didn't do it." Brother Rabbit kept telling the man, "Yes, he did, mister, yes, he did. I saw him with me own eyes." So the man took a big stick and started pounding on Brother Wolf. Brother Wolf yelled, "Stop till I tell you, stop till I tell you," and Brother Rabbit he kept yellin', "Hit him in the mouth, hit him in the mouth!" So the man beat the wolf so bad he killed him. Then Brother Rabbit said, "Just the place I want to git you, just the place I want to git you." 1 Informant 38. 48 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 24. BRAGGART AND THE BEAR.1 Braggart took his friend and went bear hunting. When the bear came along, Braggart ran up the tree. The other man was down on the ground holding his breath. Bear came up to him, smelled him, went away. Braggart came down the tree and said to his friend, "What did the bear say to you?" - He said, "Never put faith in them that's boasting." 25. FOX AND APE: DECEIVING THE FARMER.2 Brer Fox and Brer Ape went in partners. They were going to steal lambs. Ape was a shepherd, and Fox was his dog. So Ape goes to a farmer for a job. He walked on all fours till he saw the farmer. Fox said to him, "Straighten up, Ape, you got to start something now." Ape said to the farmer, "I heard you needed a shepherd." The farmer said, "Yes, would you like the job?" Ape said, "Yes, I've got a good faithful dog here." So they agreed on wages. The farmer said he had a lot of lambs and he'd like for him to take particular care of them. Ape said, "Oh, yes, I'll take particular care of them." The first day everything went all right. The second day the farmer began to miss his lambs and wondered what was the matter. The Ape didn't understand either. The farmer thought he'd watch. He found Ape and Fox eating his lambs. The farmer shot Ape, but Fox escaped. 26. BRER NANCY AVOIDS TROUBLE.3 Once upon a time Brer Nancy an' Brer Goat went fishin'. They come to a big shore rain, an' they start an' get wet to de skin. Brer Nancy tell Goat, "You better le's go home". So dey start for home in de rain. In goin' dey see a light. Dey started to go in towards dis light. Arriving there, dey met Brer Dog, an' his wife, an' his family of eight make ten. Jes' as soon as ever Brer Nancy get in an' had a warm, Brer Dog begin to say: "Fat is runnin' off his chin, What you say for his skin?" Brer Goat beg for excuse. He went out an' never returned. Dey kep' up desingin' all along, an' after BrerNancy see he was cornered, he rehearsed: "I killed a hundred yesterday, I killed a hundred yesterday, Only ten I see today."..... I stepped on a bit of lead, The lead bend, me story end. Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 7. 3 Informant 27. Folklore from Nova Scotia 49 27. WHY DOG IS SO SLIM AROUND THE BAND.1 Once upon a time there was a dog an' Anancy. An' so Nancy said to Dog, "Let's go crab huntin'." So they took bags an' went crab huntin' in a boat. They got two bags full o' crabs, an' so they took 'em home. They made a great fire an' put 'em on to cook. So the dog said to Nancy, "You go outside an' cut some kindlin'." So while Anancy was cuttin', Dog took all the crabs an' went upstairs to a cubby hole. An' so when Nancy come in Dog looks down an' says, "See that bell on the table? You ring that bell three times." An' so Anancy rings the bell. So Dog chucked him down a few crabs. So that come off all right an' Nancy didn't say anything. Another time they went out fishin'. Nancy wanted to get even with Dog, an' so Nancy said to Dog, "Our bait is all gone. The only way we kin git bait is for you to git inside this bag." So Dog got in the bag. So he goes down to the bottom of the river an' he gits some bait. So they fish an' they catch a great deal of fish. An' so when they got the fish they said it was time to return for home. So they came home. An' another time they went pickin' apples. So Nancy say to Dog, "You go up an' shake the apples down." Dog say, "I'm too big. You better go up. You're the smallest." So Nancy goes up an' shakes down a great deal of apples. So Dog eats up all the apples an' Nancy calls down to Dog, "Got enough?" Dog say, "Shake some more." Nancy keeps on shakin' till all the apples are off the tree. Then Nancy comes down to git his share. Dog ate all the apples up an' dug a hole an' got in. So he went down the hole head first. So Nancy come down from the tree an' looked all aroun' for dog. So he spies Dog's tail. So Nancy grabs Dog aroun' the waist an' squizzed Dog. That's what makes Dog so slim aroun' the band. 28. THE SMARTEST MAN.2 It was Brother Nancy and Brother Rabbit had an argument about the smartest man. Nancy told Rabbit that he could eat the hottest thing that ever boiled in a tache.3 Rabbit did not agree to this and say he can't. Rabbit say he could eat more hotter than he could. So they get to boil some corn meal porridge. Nancy told Rabbit to t'row his own out into a dish and put his own out in the sun and let it get hotter. Rabbit's own will stay on the fire. When it come to the arrangement to eat at a certain hour Nancy he will eat with his fingers, and Rabbit he is to eat with a spoon. When they started to eat, Nancy was able to eat two bags of corn meal boiled into porridge, when Rabbit was just cooling one spoonful of his. That will show you the sense of Rabbit and Nancy. I Informant 35. 2 Informant 26. 3 West Indian term for sugar boiler. 50 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 29. BRER TACOMA'S HEAD IN A PUMPKIN.1 Brer Tacoma planned on stealing some pumpkins out of Brer Nancy's garden, but Brer Nancy had some dogs continually on the watch for thieves who would enter and carry away the things that he depended on for a living. But Brer Tacoma made up his mind that he had seen these lovely pumpkins and that he would get them at any cost. That night after supper he gathered up all the bones and remnants of meat that was left from the table and took them in a calabash with the surety that by throwing the food to the dogs it would prevent them from barking while he was getting into Brer Nancy's field and steal his pumpkins. When he got to the place the dogs began to bark and he quick left go the bones and the meat that he had in his calabash to the dogs. They stopped their barking and were silent while they enjoyed thepumpkins Tacoma brought them. But Nancy had heard the barking, and seeing this figger crept into his garden and hid among some of the plants that were there. Brer Tacoma entered and while trying to pick the largest pumpkin that Nancy had in his garden, Brer Nancy fell upon him with his ax and cut off his head from his body. He cut a hole into that pumpkin and placed Tacoma's head in it. Then he sealed it up and stuck the pumpkin to Tacoma's body and dragged him several yards from his house and stuck him up. Several persons passed by and recognized the body of Brer Tacoma but wondered where his head was. One of them, Brer Goat, seeing the lovely pumpkin, started to eat it and out fell Brer Tacoma's. head. Brer Goat took the news to the other villages that he had found Brer Tacoma's head in a pumpkin. 30. LAZY NANCY GETS HIS SHARE.2 Brer Nancy and Brer Goat were supposed to do a little errand for the governor. They said they wanted more help. So the governor got Brer Rabbit and six others to help. They then went out to do this little trick for the governor. They were supposed to catch one hundred bunches of banana for the governor to ship away. There was supposed to be nine of them working. The governor said, "To pay you, I will give you a bunch of banana each." Nancy he say he too small to carry a bunch of banana; but he let the others take a bunch each and one hand off his bunch. So Nancy didn't do no work as usual, but he got his share just the same. 31. BRER LION INVITES DOG AND GOAT TO DINNER.1 Brother Lion one day made up his mind to have a feast and ten — dered an invitation to Brer Dog and to Brer Goat to dine with him.. 1 Informant 6. 2 Informant 27. Folklore fron Nova Scotia 51 When they reached his home, knowing that Dog could easily get away from him, he invited him out to see his garden that had just been cleaned and weeded. While Dog was looking on he sprang upon him and killed him. Then he returned to Brer Goat and told her that Brer Dog had stayed behind, and so he had come along for her to join them in looking at the way in which he had pruned his garden. While she stepped along, thinking that everything was all right, Brother Lion sprang upon her and devoured her. Then he went on to where Dog was lying dead and ate him also. He then went back to his den quite fat in his stomach. That was the end of Brer Dog and Brer Goat. 32. MONKEY AND PARROT IN BUSINESS.1 There was a monkey and a parrot in the bread business. So there was a man used to keep a bake shop, used to sell bread. He would leave the parrot to watch. So the monkey come to the shop to steal. When the master come back the parrot squealed on the monkey. The monkey was mad, and said, "I'll get you." So one day the monkey got the parrot and slapped him. The parrot drew up his wing and flew away. The monkey threatened to kill the parrot. Monkey got him afterward and threw him in a brook nearby. The parrot was very tired, and caught on to a snag and drifted. Pretty soon a dead hen came down. The parrot said, "What brought you here, that bread business too?" 33. THE SICK MONKEY.2 There was two monkeys. One went around at night and steal, and the other watch out for him. So the fellow who goes roun' at night became very sleepy in the day. He would go to the butcher's and fall asleep. He became sick, he had cutting in his bowels all the time. He didn't know what it was. So the other monkey gave him some oil. That was no good. So he gave him some henna. That didn't do him any good. Then he gave him some laudanum, and he started to throw up. He threw up a lot of tins, and bottles, and sheet iron, and all like that. So the other monkey said, "Where did you get all these things in you?" So he said, "I was in the bushes sleeping some time ago, and a woman came along with a basket of rubbish. I was sleeping with my mouth open, and she dumped all this rubbish in my mouth. So I got up in a hurry and swallowed. That's why I had that cutting in my bowels." 1 Informant 7. 2 Informant 24. 52 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 34. THE TUG OF WAR.1 You must come to understand that the whale and the elephant are the largest animals on sea and land. The elephant feeds on meats. So this elephant got in touch with another elephant and they made a machine. So one fellow visits the whale on visiting day. He went as one fellow and had a large hawser. The elephant said to the whale, "I have a cow just stepped in a big pool. I can't get him out, and I would like your help." So he put the hawser around the whale and secured him firmly. Then he make the other end fast to the machine. Then he says to the whale, "When I give two pulls, you must know I'm ready." So he went back the third time to the whale. He said, "Now I hope you'll be able to pull that cow out." The whale said, "Oh, yes, I could pull a hundred cows out." So this elephant goes back to the other elephant, and the two of them pull the machine so as to draw it ashore. The whale pulls and strains on the hawser. The elephant gives him another visit. He give the signal and feel no return. The whale say, "Well, that must be some cow. I been pulling here for quite a while and I don't feel no results." So the elephant says, "I will go back and pull for real." So he turns 'round an' pulls with the other elephant, and pulls the whale right ashore on dry land. Then he turned to the second elephant and said to him, "That is a friend and a good friend." PAT AND MIKE STORIES AND TALL TALES. 35. TAKE ONE FROM THE BOTTOM.2 One time Pat and Mike tried to reach the moon. So they piled some boxes on top of one another. They got so far and they didn't have no more boxes. So Mike said, "Take one from the bottom." So afterwards Pat said, "Are you hurt, Mike?" Mike said, "No, but I'm speechless." 36. RIDING INTO HEAVEN.3 Pat and Mike were working in the mountains blasting. Pat was a religious fellow, he never got scared. They were blowing up a great big rock and Pat blew up with it. He knocked at the door of heaven. Peter said, "Who's there?" He said, "Pat." Peter said, "That you, Pat?" He said, "Yes, Peter." Peter said, "Are you on 1 Informant 24. Cf. Louisiana, MAFL 2, no. I; Cape Verde, JAFL 15, no. 27. 2 Informant 34. For bibliography see Bolte v. Polivka 2: 506 - 511. Also Cape Verde Isles, MAFLS 15 Pt. 1: 11. 3 Informant 10. Folklore from Nova Scotia 53 horseback?" Pat said, "No, Peter." Peter said, "Then you can't come in. Good-bye, Pat." So Pat went away, and on his way he met Mike. He said, "Hello, Mike, where you goin'?" Mike said, "I'm goin' to heaven." Pat said, "You can't get in." Mike says, "Why?" Pat says, "I was just there myself and I was turned back because I didn't have any horse." Mike says, "Bejabbers, we'll both get in. You get on your hands and knees and we'll both get in. I'll ride on your back." So Mike rode up to the gate on Pat's back. He knocked on the door and Peter said, "Who's there?" Mike said, "It's me, Mike." Peter said, "Are you mounted?" Mike said, "Yes." Peter said, "Tie your horse outside and come on in." Variant.1 Bob Ingersoll when he died went to heaven. He knocked at the gate. Saint Peter said, "Who's there?"....... "Bob Ingersoll."...... "Oh, is that you, Bob? What do you want?" Bob said, "I want to get in." Saint Peter said, "Have you got a hoss with you?" Bob said, "No."..... "Well, you'll have to get a hoss."..... So he went away to get a hoss. On his way he met Fred Douglass. "Hello," said Bob, "where you goin'?"..... "To heaven."..... "You haven't got a hoss;" said Bob, "you need a hoss. I tell you, you get down on all fours, I'll get on your back, an' old Saint Peter will think you're a hoss, an' we'll both get inside the gate." So Bob Ingersoll got on Fred Douglass' back, an' they started for the gate. Bob knocked at the door. "I'm back," he said, "an' I've got a hoss."...... "That so?" said Saint Peter. "Well, hitch your hoss outside an' come on in." 37. THE RIDDLE TEST.2 There was an Irishman out looking for a government job. So he went up to one fellow, an' he said, "Look a here, I've been voting for you all me life. I ought to get a job of you." So the man said, "I guess we've got something for you to do, but before I give you the job you have to answer three questions. Now you go home and consider the questions, then come back tomorrow with the answers. And if you answer them correctly you get the job." Pat said, "Go on with your questions." The man said, "The first is, the weight of the moon. The second is, how many stars are in the sky. And the last is, what I'll be thinking on when you come." So the next morning the Irishman come back. He found the old fellow in. He said, "Well, Pat, I guess you thought of what I told you. Now let's hear your answers. The first question was, 'How 1 Informant 12. 2 Informant 20. Cf. King John and the Bishop, JAFL 21: 58; Cape Verde, MAFL 15: No. 31, 32 and note. 54 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society much does the moon weigh?' Well, how much?" The Irishman said, "One hundred weight."... "One hundred weight! Why how do you make that out?" Pat said, "Well, the moon has four quarters, and four quarters make a hundred, don't they?" The man said, "I guess you're right. Well, now, answer the second question. How many stars are in the sky?" The Irishman said, "Seven billion, eight thousand million, four hundred and fifty-two thousand." The man said, "How now, how do you make that?" "Well," said the Irishman, "if you don't believe me, you can go count them yourself." "That's right, that's right," said the old fellow. "We'll let that pass. But how about the last question. What am I thinking?"..... "Well, you think that I'm Pat, but I'm his brother Mike!"... It wasn't Pat. He had sent his brother Mike to answer the questions. Variant: The Riddle Test.l A man was telling about how much the moon weighed, and how many stars were in the sky, and how many quarters are in the moon. He said the moon weighs four quarters; there is only one star, that's the evening star, all the rest are planets. 38. THREE DREAMS.2 It seems there was an Irishman, an Englishman, and a Scotchman. They made a plot, all the money they could get hold of was a penny. They considered what they was going to do with the penny to get something to eat for the three of them. So they sat down, thought a while, said, "We'll get a penny token" (small loaf of bread.) Scotchman wanted to divide up. Englishman said, "No, too small, won't be enough for three of us. We'll hide the bread and go to sleep, and whoever dreams the truest dream will have the penny token." So they went and had their sleep and when they woke every fellow had their dream to tell. The Englishman said, that he saw a bell that would cover Scotland over. The Scotchman said, that he saw a pot that would cover over Ireland. Said, "Paddy, what did you dream?" Said, "Dreamt I got up in the night and eat the penny token." So when they went to look, he had. Variant.3 Three Irishman traveling, Pat, Mike and Beattle. They was following along the road. They come to a house and went and asked 1 Informant 13. 2 Informant 46. Heard from parents as a boy, also from Munro, a White Scotchman, in a lumber woods. Recorded by E. C. P. For bibliography See JAFL 30:378. Also Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:68 - 69. 3 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 55 a woman to give them something to eat. She gave them a loaf of bread. It was not enough for the three of them. One said, "Now, fellows, whoever can tell the nearest story to a loaf of bread, has it." So they all lay down and went to sleep to dream. While Mike and Beattle was sleeping, Pat got up and ate the loaf. The others woke up. Mike said, "My dream was, I would like to have a chunk." Beattle said, "My dream was, I had to have a chunk." Pat said, "My dream was, that I was hungry and got up and ate the loaf." Pat got the loaf. Variant.l Two fellows met a mail driver. "Where are you going?" they ask, "Can you give us a drive?" - "Yes, I can take one, I can't take two." They said, "Whichever fellow can tell the nearest story to a drive, he will get it." One said, "Here we sit under the shade of the tree listening to the gentle breeze." The other said, "Here we sit under the shade of the tree listening to the gentle breeze when the mail driver came along and said he could take one, but not two and I was the one." So Pat had to walk. 39. PAT AND THE CLOCK. An old man put up at a hotel one time. He wasn't used to a clock. So this clock started to alarm in the night and woke him up. He told the clock if it didn't stop its noise he would throw it out the window and break its back. There was a policeman passing and as he threw it out the window it struck the policeman on the back. The policeman said, "Oh, my back!" The Irishman said, "I told you I'd break your back." Variant.2 Pat and Mike went down to a restaurant. They had no money. They asked the proprietor if he'd give 'em some soup on tick. So he did. They went home, went to bed. Olock went "tick, tick". Thought he was saying, "Pat and Mike got soup on tick". So they told the clock if he didn't shut up would throw him out the window and break his back. So the clock kept on. Pat grabbed the clock, threw it out the window. Struck a cop on the back, who yelled his back was broken. Pat says, "Didn't I tell you I'd break yer back." 1 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 18. Recorded by E. C. P. Recorded in New Glasgow, from informant 34. 56 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: The Talking Clock.' Pat and Mike and the clock. Pat asked Mike to take the clock downtown when he went. So as he was going down the street, his motion started it a goin'. Pat looked at it an' said, "By God, if you can talk, you can walk." Then he set it down in the'street. 40. DEAF AND DUMB.2 Pat and Mike, they were travelling along the road and they come to a farm house. So Mike says to Pat, "Pat, you'll have to make believe you're deef and dumb, so we can get somethin' to eat." So they went to the door. Mike said, "Madam, will you please give my brother and me something to eat, he's deef and dumb." The lady says, "Why sure. It's too bad your brother is deef and dumb." Pat spoke up and say, "Be jabers, madam, it is that." 41. GOAT STOPS THE TRAIN.3 Irishman had a red shirt, hung on line, goat ate the shirt. He lashed the goat to the track, vomited up the red shirt. Stopped the train. "Faith and be God, if you can stop a train, it's more than I can do." 42. THREE TAILORS.4 Three man who were tailors, Scotchman, Irishman and Englishman. Scotchman said, "If I seen a man just once, I could make a suit of clothes for him. Englishman said, "If I seen a man coming 'round that corner, I could make a suit of clothes for him. "Irishman said, "If I seen the corner the man came around I would make a suit of clothes for him." 43. MIKE SHOOTS PAT ASHORE.3 Pat and Mike were on a boat and had a scheme rigged to get ashore, "Faith, Mike, I know how to get ashore. You put your leg in the muzzle of that big gun and I'll shoot you ashore." Pat's leg was shot off. Mike said, "Faith, Pat, I didn't make a good shot, I didn't shoot you all ashore." 44. TRIMMED TO SUIT.5 An Irishman one time went over to London. He was going along the street, an' come across a man with one leg, one arm, an' one eye, standing on the corner with a card in front, printed: 1 Informant 18. 2 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 4 Informant 59. Recorded by E. C. P. 5 Informant 27. Folklore from Nova Scotia 57 Pity the poor cripple. So Pat walked over, an' put ten shillings into the cup. Then he walked up the street an' had a few drinks. Then he returned back, an' put five shillings more in the cup. He went down the street, had a few more drinks, an' come back an' put two more shillings in the crippled man's cup. At this moment a lady was standing there waiting for a car. She seen how charitable he was to the cripple, an' she applauded him of his gratitude by donating so much as he did to the poor man. When Pat responded the reason why he did it, he said, "It's the first time I ever seen an Englishman trimmed to suit me." Variant.1 After the war there was soldiers with arms and legs off. So there was a soldier with both limbs off, standing with a box in front of his chest. So a man comes up, looks at him, sizes him up, and puts a dollar in the box. The soldier says, "Thanks." The next morning he comes up and does the same thing and gives him a two dollar bill. The next morning he comes and takes a terrible look at him. He says to him, "What countryman are you?" The man said nothing. So he gave him five dollars. So after he gave him the five dollars he said, "I'm a Jew, why your question?" The other man said, "That's what I thought. Well, you're the first Jew I've seen trimmed to my liking." 45. WHY THEY WERE COLD.2 There were two Irishman, Pat and Mike, travelling out one day. Night came on, and there was no house near by. So Pat told Mike, "We got to sleep somewhere." Mike said, "I was just thinking about it." On and on they walked, and finally they decided to sleep in the fields. So they went to a field, and went to sleep. It was the spring of the year and quite cold. So Pat woke up and said, "Mike, I can't sleep, it's too cold." Mike said, "Neither can I." So they decided to get up and walk so they wouldn't freeze. Pretty soon they came to a gate. Mike turned to Pat and said, "No wonder we were cold. The gate was open." 46. PAT PUTS ON AIRS.3 Pat and Mike came over from the states. When they got here they separated. Pat got way up an' married a rich widow. One day he met Mike. Mike was street cleaning. Mike said, "Hello, Pat, how are you? You look good. Must o' fell into luck." Pat said, 1 Informant 20. 2 Informant 27. 3 Informant 19. 58 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society "Yes, Mike, I struck it rich." Then he told the whole story. Afterwards he gives him a nickel to get a glass of beer, an' says to him, "Say, Mike, bring a cart load of night soil over to my place, will you? I want it for my garden." So the next day Mike goes with the cart load of stuff over to Pat's house. He goes up to the front door, an' raps on the front door. A servant answered. Mike says, "Is this where Pat Murphy lives?" The servant says, "This is no place to ask such a question. Go around the back door." So Mike went around to the back door. He rapped on the door an' says, "Is this the place where Pat Murphy lives?" The servant said, "No such man lives here." So Mike went away. He was puzzled. So he tells a cop the story an' tells him all about Pat. The cop tells him yes, Pat lives in that house. So Mike went back, an' this time he drove right up to the front door. He rapped on the door, an' when the servant came he says, "Does Pat Murphy live here?" The servant said, "No, Pat Murphy does not live here. Mr. Murphy lives here." Mike said, "Well, you just tell Mr. Murphy Mike was here, an' he dumped a cart load of shit in front of his house." 47. PAT DOES PENANCE.1 There was an Irishman in Dartmouth. He was a half-baked Roman Catholic. He got awful hard and did something bad. So he had to do an awful penance. The priest said, "You've been moonshining, that's very bad. You must walk around the church for ten days, ten times each day, with beans in your boots." So Pat did this, and the last few days he was pretty tired. The priest said to him, "You'll do it again, will you?" The last day Pat walked around straight and well. The priest called him. He was surprised. He said, "Have you got beans in your boots?" Pat said, "Yes." He said, "Let's see. How is it that you can walk so straight? What did you do?" Pat said, "I boiled them." 48. FAST TRAVELING.2 Pat was shingling a roof. He turned around to look at the priest coming up the road. He lost his balance and fell. So the priest said to him, "Did you hurt yourself?" He said, "No." The priest said, "The Lord must have been with you then." Pat said, "He must have been going some, because I come down there pretty fast." 49. ALL DRESSED IUP AND NO PLACE TO GO.3 Mike died and Pat and his wife went over and seen him whilst he was laying in his coffin. All of a sudden, Pat give a great big roar of laughter. His wife asked him the reason why he was laughing. He hesitated a few minutes, then his reply was, "Mike all dressed up and no place to go." 31Informant 19. 2 Informant 34. 8 Informant f 27. Folklore from Nova Scotia 59 50. PAT'S PRAYER.1 Pat and Mike went out in a row boat. A heavy sea came up. They didn't make any progress at all. They gave up getting back. Pat said, "Mike, do you know how to pray?" Mike said, "No, do you?" Pat said, "It's so long I've forgotten. I'll try something." So he said, "Oh, Lord, it's been thirty years since I asked you for anything. Jf you help us out of this predicament, it'll be another thirty before I ask you for anything." 51. LET ME SPIT IN MY HANDS.2 They was traveling along. Wanted some water, came to a well. Pat was holding the other man by his legs. "Let me spit on my hands," says Pat. He let go to spit on his hands to get a new hold. And the other fellow went down head-first into the well. Variant.3 A colored man always used to working on the ground, pick and shovel. So he stepped aboard of a vessel and it was very rough and he had to go aloft to tie up a topsail. So the mate sings out to him, "Hurry up!" He says, "Wait till I spit on my hands." 52. WHAT WILL COME UP?3 Colored man had a piece of ground, awful fertile and rich. Talking to one of his friends one day, say, "'Rastus, I got a piece of ground, anything you plant, bound to come up." So 'Rastus looked at him, says, "Yes, here's where I got you, Eef. What if you plant a box of tacks, what'll come up?" - "Crossbars will come right up," he says. "Here's where I got you, Eef. What if you plant a bullfrawg?" "Cow frawg will come right up," he says. "'Rastus, here's where I got you. What if you plant a bottle of rum. What'll come up?" "You'll come up for a drink if you're anywhere's around." 53. CUT A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FENCE.3 Woman wanted to know how to keep a hen from flying over the top of the yard. Pat got his breakfast and told the lady to cut a hole in the bottom of the fence and the hen would crawl out. 1 Informant 18. 2 Informant 62. Recorded by E. C. P. For bibliography see JAFL 35:302 n. 2. 3 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. 6 60 60Memnoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 54. ROOSTER, CAT AND JACKASS.' There was two neighbors, one Irishman, one Englishman. Englishman was a great worker, had a big garden. Irishman lazy. Irishman's wife had a rooster, cat, and a jackass. They were always going in the Englishman's garden, destroying his stuff. He cut the rooster's head off, and he singed the cat and painted the jackass blue. The Irishman sued him, and the Judge asked what made him go to law? He said, "He cut off my cock's head, and he singed my wife's cat, and paint her ass blue; if that wouldn't send a man to law I don't know what would." 55. FENCaE UP AGAIN.2 Two Irishmen bought a farm. There was a line between land up to a stone wall. Row who was to own it. They chucked down the wall. Each went to a lawyer. One fellow could read, one couldn't. The lawyer gave them a note to another lawyer. The fellow who could read opened the note and read, "Two fools, you skin one, and I'll skin the other." - "Faith, my skin is thin enough now without being skinned again, we'll put the fence up again." 56. COMERS AND GOERS.3 It was an old woman and her husband and a boy. They lived in the city, and rented a house on the outskirts. The landlord, he would just walk in. This day the landlord said, "Hello, boy! What are yer doing?" The boy was standing to a pot, full of water, stirring with a spoon. He said, "I am catching comers and goers." The landlord said, "Where is your mother?" The boy said, "Mother went to town to buy honey, to buy sweeter." - "Where's your father?" - "In the woods. What he kills he leaves there, what he don't kill he brings home." The landlord asked the boy to come down next day to the office to see him. When the boy came there,. he asked him, "What do yer mean by saying 'I am catching comers and goers'when yer are dipping into that pot and doing something? " - "It was beans in that pot, the bean come up, I ate it, if I didn't catch it, it went down." - "What did yer mean by your mother going to town to buy honey, to buy sweeter?" - "She went to town to buy salt, salt will keep what honey won't."- "What did yer mean by your father being in the woods and what he kills he leaves and what he don't kill he brings home." '"My father said his shirt was lousy." - "You're a smart boy," said the landlord. "Tell your mother to send you to me. I'll send you to school, and give your mother her rent for nothing." ' Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. Cf. Bolte & Polivka, CXII, also Cape Verde Isls., MAFLS 15 Pt. 1:62, 320 - 322. Folklore from Nova Scotia 61 57. FIREFLIES.1 An Irishman came to England. He went to a hotel to sleep. It was very hot and the mosquitoes came biting him, and he had to scratch a lot. Pat said, "My goodness, I don't know what to do." So Mike said, "Blow out the light and put up the window." Pat did this, and five minutes later a lot of fireflies come in. Pat said, "Oh, Mike, there's the darn things and they've brought their lanterns with them." Variant: MOVING HELL.1 There was two Irishmen, Pat and Mike, in the woods, beatin' their way through. They came to an old lumber camp, they got into bed. Bed bugs. "Faith, Pat," said Mike, "the devil is in here." - "We'll get out. Beat 'em out." So they got into another bunk to hide. Lightning bugs. "Wake up, Pat," says Mike, "they're coming with lanterns." They go out and went to another shack, and went to sleep. A big fire broke out. "Got to get out of this" said Pat, "they are moving hell, there was one load gone by and we're right in the middle." Variant: MOVING HELL.1 Pat and Mike, it was the first time they ever went to New York. Mike, he was tired of the long train ride. But Pat wouldn't go to bed. Mike was soon sound to sleep snoring. Pat, he sat up at the window an' watched. Pretty soon a whistle blew for fire. Pat sees an engine rush down the street full of fire an' smoke. He ran over to Mike an' says, "Mike, Mike, wake up." Mike turned over an' said, "I wouldn't wake up for hell," an' went back to sleep. Pretty soon another engine went by. This time Pat rushed over to Mike an' shook him an' said, "Mike, Mike, wake up. They're moving hell an' two loads have just gone past." 58. LOOK OUT! Pat and Mike were coming through a tunnel. The conductor came round and hollered, "All look out, coming through a tunnel!" Pat put his head out and got it bumped. He said, "Bejabbers, I thought you said all of us should look out." Variant.l Pat one day was working up on a brick building. There was a man below. Pat dropped a few bricks and told the man to look out. Man looked out and of course the bricks came down on his head. 1 Informant 29; 62 and 18 recorded by E. C. P. 1 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 1 Informant 16. Informant 18. Recorded by E. C. P. 6* 62 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 59. COLT AND WHEELBARROW.1 Pat stole a horse and wagon, policeman came after him. "Where did you get the horse?" - "Had it every since it was a little colt." - "Where did you get the wagon?" - "Had it ever since it was a little wheelbarrow." 60. GETTING EVIDENCE.2 One time in the country, there was an Irishman doing sentry duty. There was an order that no man to come in the gate smoking. So the colonel came up to Pat and said, "Mind you, Patsy, don't let nobody come in and smoke, don't care who it is." "All right," said Pat. So about midnight the colonel came along and he had a cigar in his mouth. The colonel said, "Hello, Patsy." Patsy said, "Halt! Put that cigar out." The colonel said, "It's me, Patsy." "Yes, yes," said Patsy, "put it out."..... "Do you know who this is, Patsy? This is the colonel... I am the colonel.".... Pat said, "I don't give a damn who you are. My orders are not to let any one, no matter who, come in the gate smoking. Now get rid of that smoke." So the colonel threw the cigar on the ground, and then he patted Pat on the back, and complimented him for obeying orders so well. Then he went on. As soon as the colonel had left, Pat ran over and picked up the cigar, and went over to the sentry box and started smoking it. He was having a good time all to himself when the colonel sneaked up on him and caught him. "Aha," he said, "I caught you that time, Patsy." Patsy said, "Oh, no, Colonel, I'm not smokin'. I'm only keeping it lit as evidence against you." 61. THE MOTHER OF GOD.3 Pat was an awful drunkard. The priest was always getting after him. One day he saw him drunk and he said to himself, "The rascal, he hasn't been to church for six months, an' he's always soused up." So he went up to Pat an' says to him, "Say, Pat, when you goin' to stop gettin' drunk, an' comin' back to church?" Pat pulled out his watch an' said, "I'm goin' t' pawn this, father, an' pay off an I. 0. U. Then after I do that I will change an' become a good man." The priest said, "Why don't you go in church and pray to the Blessed Virgin, maybe she'll send you the money." Pat said, "That ain't bad. All right, I'll do it, father." So he went in church an' he prayed to the Blessed Virgin for ten dollars. He prayed so hard the priest thought he really meant it. So he got up on a balcony and dropped down a five dollar gold piece. "There, 1 Informant 18. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 23. 3 Informant 19. Folklore from Nova Scotia 63 now," he said, "maybe that'll cure Pat." But a few hours later a boy came up to the priest an' said, "Father, father, shure an' Pat is comin' up the road beastly drunk." The priest said, "The rascal, gone an' took my five dollars an' got drunk off'n it. I'll fix him." So he got a big sheet an' wrapped it around it. Then he hid behind a thorn hedge. Just as Pat come up, he jumped out an' said, "Hello!" Pat looked at him an' said, "An' who are you, begorra?" The priest said, "I'm God." Pat said, "Begorra, I've been lookin' for you all day. Your mother owes me five dollars." 62. SMARTEST SON.1 These two fellers were arguin' about their sons, which one had the smartest son. Scotchman said he had a son so smart he hit at a man and missed him, the wind from his hit turned the man blue in the face. The Irishman said, that was nothing, his son was so smart he hit at a man one time and missed him and had to pick up his body with a putty knife. 63. "TOO HOT FOR ME".2 This man's house was haunted. He give it out he would give the house to anybody who would live in it. This fellow said he could stop in it all night. "I'll give you $50.00," said the man. First thing, something coming, it was a bull. "Ah go away," said the fellow, "I've met bigger bulls than ever you dared to be." Next came a rattlesnake. He said, "Ah go away, I've met bigger snakes than you would dare tie your necktie to." Next was a dawg. "Ah go away. I've killed bigger dawgs than you." Next came bed bugs, Fellow said, "Ah, I've got to leave now." He told the man who owned the house," The bed bugs were too hot for me." - "They never bother me." - "No," he says, "cause you were never there after the bull come." 64. "THE NIGGER INSTEAD OF ME."3 Irishman was traveling alone, came to a house, asked if they could keep him all night. They said, "No, filled up." He coaxed 'em hard. "Well, I oblige you if you consent to sleep with a colored man." He agreed. Told he wanted to be called early in the morning. Fellows to play a joke on Pat came up and blacked him all over. Pat got on his way. He came to a stream, leaned over to take a drink and saw his face. "Pat," says he, "I'll go back and give them fellows the devil; they called the nigger instead of me." 1 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 33. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 62. Recorded by E. C. P. 64 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 65. GOOSEBERRY GALLOWS.1 Three men were going to be hung, Englishman, Irishman, Scotchman. Judge says to the Englishman, "What kind of a tree do you want to be hung by?" The Englishman says, "A willow tree." He asked the Scotchman, "What kind of a tree do you want to be hung by?" The Scotchman says, "A maple tree." He asked the Irishman, "What kind of a tree do you want to be hung by?" The Irishman says, "A gooseberry tree over a brook." He says, "Why do you want to be hung by a gooseberry tree over a brook?" - "So my sins can be washed away." Variant.2 Pat and Mike and an Irishman, they did a murder, so they were going to be hung. So they went to select a tree to be hung on. Pat said, "I'll take a maple tree." Mike said, "Well, I'll take an apple tree." The Irishman, he looked around and he saw a little spruce tree. He said, "That'll suit me." The judge said, "That's not big enough." The Irishman said, "All right, I'll wait till it grows." 66. COW IN PARTNERSHIP.3 Pat and Mike bought a cow, Pat bought the head part, Mike bought the hind part, got all the feedin'. Pat said, "That part I bought is no good. I'm goin' to kill my half, and there's no doubt your half will die." 67. ON THE ROOF.4 Pat, Mike, and Ginger were on a roof. They began sliding. So Pat was first and he held on to a pick in the waterspout. Mike grabbed Pat's feet, and Ginger grabbed Mike's feet. Pat said, "Let go, or I'll hit you in the head with this pick." 68. MONEY IN THE GROUND.5] Pat and Mike came over from England. They read about New York, such a prosperous town, money all around, piles of it. So they saw a fifty cent piece on the ground. Pat goes to pick it up. Mike says, "Leave that there, I wouldn't trouble pickin' that up, wait till we come to a pile of 'em." 1 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. Cf. Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:92. 2 Informant 27. 3 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. Cf. Sea Islands, S. A. MAFLS 16:139. 4 Informant 34. 5 Informant 18. Cf. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35:305 No. 90. Folklore from Nova Scotia 65 Variant.' When Pat first came out from Ireland, he was going along the street, seen a piece of gold. Another fellow saw it, said, "Don't you touch that, that is red hot, it will burn you." Pat was telling another fellow about it. The fellow said, "You lost five dollars." Pat saw another piece, said, "Bejabers, you can lay there, I lost five dollars on the other piece." 69. WAITING FOR MIKE TO WHISTLE. Pat and Mike read about a fellow that was hanged for murder. Pat had never been hanged, and he wondered what it felt like. So he said to Mike, "I want to be hanged. When I wave my hand, let me down." So Mike did that, and when Pat waved his hand, he let him down. So Mike said, "I guess I'll be hanged too. When I whistle, let me down." So Mike was hanged, and Pat waited and waited for the whistle. He got tireqc and went home. He came back in the morning, and still there was no whistle. So he came back a couple of weeks later. No whistle. A year later he came back and the wind was whistling through his bones, so Pat said, "By God, before I let you down, I made you whistle." 70. MISSING WORD. Pat and an American had a fight. So they agreed the first one who got beat should holler out. "I got enough." They went at it. The Yankee knocked Pat down in no time. He beat him so much that he got tired and sat down. While he was sitting down Pat came along and started beating him up. So he yelled out, "I got enough." Pat said, "By God, them's the words I been tryin' to remember for the last half hour." 71. WHAT DARKENS THE HOLE? Two Dutchmen were out hunting. They came to a cave an' thought a bear was in it. They looked an' saw some tracks. So one of them said, "I'll go in. I'll get the traps." So he went inside. He only looked one way. Meantime the bear came back. The other man stopped him in the hole an' held him by the tail. So the Dutchman who was inside said, "What stops de light?" The fellow outside said, "You'll know what stops de light if de tail breaks." 1 Informant 62. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 18. 3 Informant 19. Cf. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35, No. 104. 4 Informant 52. Cf. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35:No. 54, and note. 0 66 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant.1 Two black fellows went bear hunting. They came to a hole, one went in, "Sam, what makes it so dark up there?" - "By goller, if this tail comes loose I guess you'll know what makes it so dark up here." 72. JUG A RUM.2 Irishman lived out in the wood. He was a great fellow for his drink. He had to go by a big pond, with a jug of rum. Heard, "Jug a rum, jug a rum." - "It's none of yer damn business, whether it's rum or not, I paid for it." - "Jug a rum, jug a rum." He took the jug and threw it. Another Saturday night, the keg fell out of his hand and rolled away, saying, "Gooty goot, Gooty goot," the sound it made running out. "Ah, faith, I know yer good, but I can't get to you." 73. RUNNING THE BEAR IN.3 My brother and I were out hunting small game. They showed us where to go so we wouldn't get lost. So one of the fellows said, "Let's go in camp and get dinner." I said, "Where's my brother?" They said, "He's about five miles back in the woods." So we sat down, and we were just finishing dinner when we heard a thumping in the road. We looked out the tent and there was my brother coming down the road for all he was worth with a bear close behind. Just as he got to the tent, he turned 'round an' took a chance shot at him. He shot the bear dead. I ran out to him and said, "My sake alive, was you runnin'?" He said, "Sure, d'you think I was goin' to carry the bear in? I run him here a purpose." Variant.4 Was a fellow always bragging about huntin' and he never shot no big game. So they was always teasin' him. "Well, you'll see some day," he says. So one day his friends met a bear. They asked him to go shootin' and he said he had no gun. They said they'd lend him one. He started in the woods. He shot a bear and the bear ran away. He started after the bear, he shooted, so the bear turned and came after him, and he ran. And his friends say. "You coward, you! I thought you was such a great hunter." - "Well, I wouldn't shoot him when he was after walking down himself." 1 Informant 62. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 33. Recorded by E. C. P. Cf. Sea Islands, S. C., MAFLS 16: 66. 3 Informant 14. 4 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. * Folklore from Nova Scotia 67 Variant.1 Pat bet Mike five dollars he'd bring a lion home. So he goes out to the woods an' meets a lion. He drops his gun an' starts to run. He runs home, chased by the lion. When he gets to the house he yells, "Open the door, Pat, I'm bringin' home a lion!" 74. THE FAMOUS WEDDING.2 A famous elder's daughter got married. The chief diet at the wedding was dough. They were cooking the dough three months before the wedding. Along with that they were catching a fish by the name of Jack. On the wedding day the dough was put on the table. It was so high that the guests on the high side couldn't see the low side.... Then they carved the dough. The guests on the low side cut so fast that they beat those on the high side an' the dough toppled over and ran out through the door, into a field of cane. It smashed up about four hundred young canes. The cane was the property of one Penney's estate. The owner immediately put in a suit against the wedding couple. To stop the suit, this is what they did: They asked the owner to take manure in payment for his cane. This manure consisted of hauling the heads, scales, and so forth, of the fish called Jack, and the remainder of the dough for six consecutive weeks, six carriages, making twelve trips a day. 75. CATCHING RABBITS.3 One time Abe Jones went huntin' rabbits. He took a lantern with him, an' put it on a stump. Pretty soon the rabbits came along, an' they saw the light in the lantern, an' they started to stare at it. It was very cold, an' the light was so bright that water came to their eyes. It was so cold that the water in their eyes froze an' closed their eyes. The rabbits couldn't get away, an' Abe picked up thirty-two of them that night. 76. HARNESSING A BEAR.4 San Dutcher of Martland said that once when he was going for the doctor at night in a hurry, his wife was sick, he began to put on the harness, and when he came to the crupper, he found he was harnessing a bear. 1 Informant 34. 2 Informant 27. 3 Informant 34. 4 Informant 61. Recorded by E. C. P. 68 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 77. THE GREAT CABBAGE.1 Two men were coming on a boat. One was an Englishman, the other was a Scotchman. The Scotchman was telling about his country. He said, "We grow cabbages in Scotland so large that a whole army can camp on one side of one of them." The Englishman said, "In my country they have pots so large that a whole army of soldiers can get in one of them and they can pound on one side of the pot and the soldiers on the other side can't hear them." The Scotchman said, "My, what do you want with pots like that?" The Englishman said, "To boil your cabbages in." Variant.2 There was a Californian and a New Englander talking together. The Californian said, "We grow apples so big in California that a regiment of three thousand soldiers can camp around one of them. The New Englander said, "We make kettles in New England so big that each man riveting on one of them is so far away from another man that they can't hear each other." The Californian said, "What's the idea?" The New Englander said, "To cook that apple of yours." Variant.3 One day Pat an' Mike was travelin' together. Dey was pals, but dey got busted up. Pat says, "I go east an' see what de worl' give," an' Mike say, "I'll go west." Dey say, "We'll meet back in de nex' six months to see what we seen." So after six months dey greeted each other an Pat say, "What you see Mike?" Mike said, "I seen that I was workin' wid a farmer. We was growin' cabbages. I seen one cabbage dat was so large it take twenty teams of horses to pull it." Pat said, "Dat good, Mike. I tell you what I seen. I been to de Bethlehem Steel Plant, an' dey was buildin' a tache there. I take four t'ousand tons of steel to make de tache." Mike said, "What do dey do wid a tache so big?" Pat said, "Dere goin' t' cook dat cabbage you seen." Variant.4 Out in California we had a cabbage so big that all the people in Los Angeles and Frisco could sit under one leaf like an umbrella. So one day my mother called us children and told us to cut off two leaves from the cabbage. She put it in a pot and boiled it three years. We had cabbage all that time. So my father wanted to take 1 Informant 29. Cf. Guilford Co., N. C. JAFL 30:191. 2 Informant 34. 3 Informant 26. 4 Informant 49. Folklore from Nova Scotia 69 the cabbage to Chicago. It took him two years and six months cutting the cabbage down. They had to use every engine on the Santa Fe to haul it. It weighed billions and billions and quadrillions of pounds. So my mother spit on the stalk. In three days a big cucumber sprouted out. It weighed ninety five million pounds and there was only two seeds in it. Variant.l Father got an orange farm. He raised one orange. It was so big that millions of people sucked the juice through a pipe. He had a lemon tree too. Grandmother pinched one of the lemons. The juice went in her right eye and come out the left. It hit all her children, and made her blind. 78. THREE MEN IN SHIPWRECK.2 Three men went to a shipwreck. One man was blind, another had no arms and no legs, and the third one was naked. The blind man saw a duck, the man with no arms and no legs ran after it and shot it, and the naked man picked it up and put it in his pocket. 79. HAY.3 This one's about an Irishman an' a Scotchman talkin' about raisin' hay. Scotchman said he seen the grass so tall when he turned the cow around in the pasture, sometimes the cow would be lost... Irishman said, "I believe you. That's nothin'. In Ireland, the grass grows so tall, even in the fall feed, the roots are so toughyou have to let the cows walk around on stilts an' eat the tufts." 80. INSIDE OUT.4 Fellow moved down South. Talking about stormy weather down there. That night it was an awful storm. The next mornin' he said to his hired man, "Who started to build that mill up there on my land?" - "Never seen it before, we'll go and have a look." The wind had blown the well wrong side out, they thought it was a smokestack. Variant.3 Irishman an' Scotchman talkin' about wind. The Scotchman seen it blow so hard.... I was comin' back from the barn with a milk pail, an' it blowed it inside out."..... Irishman says, "That's 1 Informant 49. 2 Informant 39. For bibliography see Bolte & Polivka 3:115; also Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:107. 3 Informant 2. 4 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 70 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society nothing. I had my men in the fields digging trenches, an' the wind blew so hard I thought they were digging post holes. The wind had blowed 'em upended." 81. RAIN.1 Two colored fellows down South. First fellow said, he'd seen it rain so hard down in his house, it drownded a gold fish settin' in the back porch. Second fellow said that wa'n't rain hard. "It rained so hard in my home every drop would dig a well." Variant.l Two fellows talking, one was named Horan, one was named Zeke. Well, Horan said he had seen it rain so hard, he was rowing across in a little boat, with a cask with two bung holes out, rained so hard, kept it full all the day. -Zeke said, that was nothing, he had to send his men out, they dumped the water out of the hay racks, they was all full. 82. COLD WEATHER.2 This is about cold weather. One fellah said in his country it was so cold, when you woke up in the morning your breath would make the quilts freeze together. Other fellow said, "That's nothing."..... Lots a times he had to walk down the stairs on stilts so he couldn't freeze his feet on the cold floor. Variant.l Two men braggin' about how cold it was in their country. One man says, "Pretty cold in my country; words, you have to pick 'em up and thaw 'em out before the sounds come." The other man says, "That's nothing. In my country, so cold you carry milk from the cow in sticks, like you do kindling wood." 83. THE BIG TREE.1 They was loggin'. Two fellows one time was talkin' about the biggest tree he'd seen. One was a Scotchman. He said he went into the woods one time with his axe, and started to chop on a big tree. Well, he chopped on it five hours and sat down and had a rest. Chopped again for two hours and sat down, an' the tree fell over. The tree was so big, another man on the other side was choppin' and he couldn't hear his axe. 1 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 2. Folklore from Nova Scotia 71 Irishman spoke up. Says, "That ain't nothing. I chopped a tree down myself," he says. "After the tree fell, got up on the stump to look around. Three hours walkin' round, looked down, been walkin' only on the bark." 84. THE MARVELOUS GALE.1 A vessel left Yarmouth. She got out in a gale. It blowed so hard, the captain come up on the bridge an' said to the mate, "If you don't shift that wad of tobacco, I'll shoot you, 'cause the boat'll capsize." It listed so far on one side that the crew went down an' painted the keel. Then the captain tacked an' had the other side painted. A ton of coal washed overboard, an' twenty miles further on the sea washed it back. Variant.2 My uncle went out to sea. His ship was driven in a heavy wind for five days. The ship's name was the Brig Alice. Well, sir, the seas were so great that time, that they drove the vessel so far up on the beach, that her bows pailed, and my uncle went down to the fo'castle, got his carpet slippers and put them on, then he walked ashore and didn't get his feet wet. Variant.3 Vessel left Yarmouth. She got off in a gale. It blowed so hard it blowed her sails off. The captain put his log out. She was goin' a hundred and ninety miles under the bare poles. When the wind died down she was going the same speed three days, under her own headway. 85. LIGHTNING.4 I shipped on a three master one time. We left a place called Port Medway (south shore, Nova Scotia). Had quite a breeze of wind. Started in thunderin' and lightnin'. The wind kept breezin' up. Got real stormy. Mate says to the captain, "How fast do you think she is goin'?" She was goin' so fast, there was an awful flash of lightnin'. The captain says to the mate, "Heave her to! Heave her to! So we can see whether the lightnin' has stopped or not." 1 Informant 2. 2 Informant 22. 3 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 4 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. 72 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 86. FOUND ANOTHER.1 Time Pat joined a vessel. Lovely evening, stars all shinin' bright. Captain says to Pat, "Pat, you see that star right dead ahead." Pat says to the Captain, "Begor! yes, sir, I do." - "Pat, steer the vessel right dead for that star." Pat says, "Sure I will, sir." So bimeby Pat dozed off at the wheel. When he came to himself the vessel was off her course. Captain came on deck, says, "Pat, I thought I told you to steer for that star dead ahead." Pat says, "Divil take you, Captain, I lost that star, but I found another one." 87. THE WONDERFUL CATCH.2 There was a man in Musquitoboit River his name was Crawford. There was also four or five salmon fishermen in Halifax. They got together in Mr. Power's barroom and started an argument about fishing. So one of them said he had caught a fish that weighed forty pounds. No one believed him. So it was left to Mr. Crawford to settle the argument. They came to him and said, "Mr. Crawford, we've got a little argument to settle. What is the largest fish ybu ever caught there?" He said, "It was when I was twenty-five years old. When I pulled it out, the river fell two feet." 88. THE RETURNING BULLET.3 An American came over to the hunting ground. He saw a bear coming. His Indian guide tried to tell him how to shoot the bear. The bear came up with his paws in the air, walking on his back feet. The man shot the bear through the mouth. When he struck the bear, it took a somersault, and the bullet came right back and shot the man and killed him. Variant.4 This is about an Irishman an' a Scotchman. They were two sharpshooters. The Scotchman said he could take his rifle, stick a knife in a log two hundred yards away, an' split the bullet every time. The Irishman said, "That's nothin'..... My father was ninety years old. He'd bore a gimlet hole in the barn to aim through, an' put a rubber bull's eye in it, an' he'd fire seven shots out of a repeating rifle, an' each one would hit the target an' bounce back into the barrel of the gun so's he could shoot it off again." 1 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 15. 3 Informant 4. 4 Informant 2. Folklore from Nova Scotia 73 Variant: KEPT ON GOING.1 A fellah went in the woods one time rabbiting. He chased the rabbit so fast the rabbit tore into a snare. He skinned himself, an' was goin' so fast his skin kept on goin'. He fired at the skin. It was ten miles away... An Irishman said, "That's nothing. In my country the rabbits are so thick, we have to take a stick to fad (?) them out of the way." Variant.l Two fellahs was talkin' about huntin' out in Africa. One fellow said he was elephant huntin'. He fired all his ammunition an' missed. At last he got right down an' out..... He had a spike to hold his coat together..... He loaded up with powder-caps - that was all he had. Sohe waited till the elephant got to a tree. Then he shot the elephant. The elephant left his hide there an' kep' on goin'. 89. BUGS.2 A few years ago a steamer got lost on Sambro Lake. Two of the crew got ashore and they went to a farmer's house. They asked him if he would keep them overnight. He said, "Yes, but I've only got an attic mattress for you to lay on." So they said, "Any place will do for the night." So they set around the house till dark. Then they went to bed. After a while the Irishman said, "Begorra, something's eatin' us." The Scotchman said, "What do you mean?" The Irishman said, "There's something eating me." So they got a candle and looked around. They found the mattress full of bugs. So the Scotchman said, "We got to make the best of it." The Irishman said, "There's some cans of tar in the stern of the boat. Run down to the beach and get them." So they got the tar and they made a round ring of tar around the bed. The Irishman said, "Now I guess we can sleep all right." A little while later he woke up again. He said, "Look at them bugs. They're carrying sticks to make a bridge to come over to us." Variant.2 Some years ago there was a shipwreck off Samro. The sailors all got away but two. One was an Irishman, the other was an Englishman. So they waited for the tide and they got on some wreckage and got ashore. So they took some tar and paint with them. They said to a man, "Are there any hotels here?" He said, "No, are you ship sailors?" They said, "Yes, but all therest have goneto town, can Informant 2. 2 Informant 15. 74 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society you put us up?" The man said, "Yes, I can put you up in the attic." So they went up in the attic and in the middle of the night Jim said, "There's something eatin' us. Go an' get the candle." They got the candle, and Jim said, "Look, they're bleedin' you, look at your shirt. Bedbugs." So Pat said, "I'll fix it, you stay here." So he went and got some tar and put a tar ring around the bed. He said, "It's all right now, put out the lights forawhile." So about a half a hour later Jim put on the lights sudden. He said, "Look, Pat, they're carrying sticks to build a bridge to carry themselves over to us." 90. ALBATROSS.1 Me an' Bailey used to go on board the Yankee Loosa. Just as we got in Cape Hatteras one time, we shot a bird. It was an albatross. We shot it on Sunday. The cook started to pick the bird. Some one said, "What you goin' to do with the feathers?" He said, "First t'ing, we'll make some pillows for the hospital over there. They've got t'ree hundred and sixty-five patients, and each'll take a pillow." They cooked the bird on Monday. It was a part of the wing they cooked on Monday. The boys said, "Where'd you get the steak?" I say, "It ain't no steak." On Tuesday they asked, "Where'd you get the veal?" I say, "It ain't no veal." On Wednesday they say, "Where'd you get the fresh pork?" I say, "It ain't no fresh pork." On T'ursday they asked, "Where'd you get that mutton?" I said, "It ain't no mutton." On Friday dey imagined dey had fish. Dey asked, "Where'd you get the fish?" I say, "It ain't no fish."... It was the same bird dey been eatin' since Monday. Do you want to know de measurement and weight of dat bird..... From de tip of one wing to de tip of t'other, it was t'ree hundred pounds. An' de circumf'rence aroun' de bird's waist equal t'ree hundred sixty-five feet. 91. ARMFUL OF EELS.1 Two fellows talking about swimmin' one time. One fellow said he bet he could swim faster than the other could. First fellow saw a smelt coming by. He jumped overboard, came back in fifteen minutes with the smelt. "Can you beat that?" Other fellow jumped overboard, came back with an armful of eels. 92. OLD TIME SKATING.1 Farmer one time was telling his son. He said the skating in olden times wasn't like it was now-a-days. When he used to work in the lumber woods, Sunday he'd take his skates, skate twenty-five 1 Informant 26. Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. Informant 1. Heard from an old Frenchman. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 75 or thirty miles. He'd take seven of double blankets, and spread 'em seven feet apart, he'd jump over. (These old fashioned skates with the wood reachers.) The skate broke and drove the steel up in his boot, an' he hasn't been able to skate since. 93. RAILROADS. An Irishman and a Scotchman were talking about rough railroads. The Scotchman said, "In my country, the railroads are so rough and crooked that men have to go out to hold the train on the track." The Irishman said, "In my country, the railroads are so crooked that a snake will break his back tryin' to go down the railroad track." 94. SMOKESTACK LASSOED.1 Out in the prairies I was a cowboy. There was a railroad track nearby and I saw a baby sitting on it. There was a train coming real fast, an' it was goin' to kill the baby if I didn't get there in time. Well, I couldn't make it, so I just lassoed the smokestack of that engine and pulled the train off the track. I killed two hundred and sixty-five people to save that baby's life. Variant.2 There was two Irishmen one time was talking about gunnin'. This first Irishman was Mike. He said he went gunnin' one time and he seen a flock of ducks. He had one of those old fashioned muskets, and he had it loaded with a ball. Somehow or other a deer came along. He wanted the deer and he wanted the ducks. But he fired at the deer and the gun kicked and he was standing agin a rock, and the rocks flew and killed the ducks. Pat said that was nothing. He said he used to go rabbit hunting and where his camp was, the rabbits were so thick that he used to cut a hole in the wall and send this one in to coax them all in to browse, and he had to shoot 'em. 95. TROUT, PARTRIDGE AND BEAR.3 I had a pair of copper-toe boots, flappin' tops. Started in wood with old musket, to see if I could shoot something. Saw a brook, salmon trout in it, like to have my fishin' pole. Four fingers of powder and shot, and wadded down good. Look up in the tree. Many pa'tridges, must have been lot of them. Turned around, there was a bear, right behind me. Aimed for the bear, the gun flew up. The stock flew up in the tree and killed the pa'tridges, barrel 1 Informant 56. 2 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. Cp. Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:93. 7 76 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society threw me into the brook. I looked down and there was my boots full of trout. Went to the bear and he was dead. Went and picked up all the pa'tridges. My mother told me never to go into the woods again alone. 96. ONE SHOT.1 Fellow went pa'tridge huntin' one day in the fall. He was all day long, fired at pa'tridge and missed, never got one all day. That night on his way home he went through an apple orchard. He looked up an apple tree and he seen a limb that was split the whole length of it. He only had one shot, about forty pa'tridge sittin' on this limb, with their toes hangin' down in the crack. It was a sliver holding the limb apart. So to get all of them pa'tridge he fired at the sliver, cut the sliver in two, the limb came together and caught the pa'tridges' toes. He crawled up in the tree, out on the limb, took the pa'tridge one by one, cut their necks, put them in his bag, and went home - one shot. Variant.2 A man went duck shooting. Fired all his shot away. 'Round edge of lake he saw an awful flock of ducks. He had a little powder, o shot. He put his ramrod down in to the muzzle, fired off at the ucks, the ramrod went right through the ducks, strung 'em right on. Killed them all. 97. ONLY LEGS.1 An Irishman and Scotchman was talking about shootin'. Scotchman said one time he went snipe shootin'. Flock was so big it darkened the sky. "When I fired, one fell." He was surprised, followed the flock along, began to fall, got a whole bushel basket full, in one shot. Irishman said, "That's nothing, I went snipe shootin' one time myself." He said, "I seen a flock of snipes, so big, darkened whole sky, almost like midnight." He said, "I aimed at the snipe, friend went to pick 'em up, picked up only legs. Friend came along with a wagon full of legs. Ain't been snipin' since, sin to see so many snipe flyin' aroun' the world with no legs." 98. PUPS CATCH DUCKS.3 There was a fellah, one time, went gunnin'. He fired at everything he could see, and missed everything. He had a old-fashioned musket..... He didn't have no shot left.... He saw some rocks an' decided to fill the gun with them....... If he shot the ducks 1 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 67. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 2. Folklore from Nova Scotia 77 he couldn't get it without a dog. So he went to a farmer an' got a dog. It was a female dog, an' goin' to have pups. Farmer said, "Don't make that dog jump up - it will hurt it."...... So he went with the dog..... There was six ducks... He waited till he got close up, then he fired. The ducks dove in the water, and the dog jumped. By an' by up come the pups, each with a duck in his mouth. 99. DUCK STEW.1 In the old times they used to live in log cabins. Had old-fashioned fireplaces....... The ducks fly overhead..... All you have to do is have the fire high up in the chimney an' a pot on the stove full of water. Then you shoot the ducks an' they'd fall right down in the pot, an' you have duck stew for supper. 100. THE SOLDIERS WHO SWAM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.2 Our company was sent to Amiens to do construction work. The Germans had vacated this town previous to us. We were working with pick axes and shovels. After we were there and working, we looked over the bow of a hill and we see a thousand Germans coming over the Marne. The major, not knowing what to do, said, "Every man for himself, God for us all. Boys, double!" The colored boys ran. Some dug into the sand. They just flew...... It was eleven days before the company was got together again. There was three boys missing. About a month later they were discovered in England. No one knows how they got there. They never told us. There was nothing to take them across. They must have swam the English Channel. WITCH, DEVIL AND GHOST TALES. 101. THE TRANSPARENT DOG.3 I was a boy about eight years old. On the other side of that well over there, there was a great big rock the size of this room. Oh, I guess it was about fifty feet by twenty. It stood out of the ground about eight feet. It sloped down to almost nothing. We used to run up on it and play. I was coming down one Sunday night, ma, myself, my sister, and another lady. It was warm weather, nice and pleasant. Just as we got to this rock a dog just as perfect in form as could be came up to my shoulders. I could look through it. I said to 1 Informant 2. 2 Informant 5. 8 Informant 12. 7* 78 Memoir8 of the American Folk-Lore Society my mother, "Look at that dog there." No one could see it. It was just a form. There was nothing in it. Maybe it was dust. It was most peculiar. I never saw it again. 102. BALL OF FIRE.1 Papa was coming home from lodge. He got on Hop Toad Hill. He saw something that looked like a rabbit. It got under his feet. He kicked at it. It turned into a ball of fire. It didn't have any substance. His toe went through. Then a heavy weight loaded on his shoulder. He carried it to the next comer. Then it left him. He saw nothing more of it. 103. THE MYSTERIOUS CAPE.2 A lot of us young fellows and girls were going down the road. We were going west. Going down a hill I seen this great big thing comin'. Must have been for me.... We got pretty near the top of the hill, this big thing come along all spread out, looked like a cape... It was the mother of the girl who was with me. 104. A DANCE AND THE DEVIL.3 A lot of our colored people were very reckless in their living. They didn't care what they did. This was down in Shelburne. They were drinking and dancing, night after night, especially Sundays. Things were very bad. This was years ago, back in my grandmother's time. One Saturday night, down in Shelburne, they got dancing. There was a girl there called Jennie Messer, - she was dancing. She was a very wicked woman, but a very good dancer. About one o'clock in the morning a stranger walked in and asked her to give him the next dance. He was all dressed in black broadcloth. He was a fine looking man..... They got dancing on the floor. Pretty soon the girl got swinging, and took up all the room there was. The people noticed, after they got dancing, that the stranger had a cloven foot. They got dancing so hard, and all of a sudden he said, "Here goes Jennie Messer." Then he flopped his wings and carried her right out the window. They all said it must have been the devil. The old folks tell this a lot. They believed it, too. 105. RED DIAMONDS.4 That land that Sam Woodman got belonged to my uncle. He lived in, a little ways from the road. Uncle Tom lived up there. I left Digby about twelve o'clock midnight one night in March. 1 Informant 11. 2 Informant 51. 3 Informant 12. 4 Informant 54. Folklore from Nova Scotia 79 The moon was shining. I met a woman way down the road. I heard her feet coming along, bram, bram, bram. I said to her, "Good evening." She didn't say a word. I kept on. I said, "That's all right." I kept on and I saw a light in my uncle's house. I said, "Hm, they're not in bed yet." I got closer and I heard a violin and dancing in the house. It sounded like blull, blull, blull, blull, blull. I ran down the road, trying my legs, getting them ready for the time on the floor. I knocked on the door. My uncle was in bed. He called out, "Who's there?" 1 said, "Peter." My uncle said, "Why, it's most one o'clock. " I said, "Yes, been to bed long?" He said, "Yes, since nine o'clock." I said nothing more, but I felt scared. I had a pack of cards in my pocket and I tore them up and threw them in the fire. Red diamonds jumped all up in my face. 106. SELL YOURSELF TO THE DEVIL.1 Old people say you could sell yourself to the devil. You go to a four-cross road. Certain thing you have to say and the devil himself will come to.you. So they went to this cross roads. Twelve o'clock o' night. Bimeby a warm breeze of wind come up. Got a little scared, still they stuck there. As the breeze kep' getting closeter they could hear the sound of chains rattlin'. The chains got clost enough to scare them. An' they broke clear and run. One man's father was a cripple. This man he run home, busted in the front door, and jumped in bed, boots, hat, everything on, on top of his father. This other man fainted. A black dog chased the second man home, and the third man when the black dog chased him, instead of runnin' to his own house, he run in an empty house. It was a tramp sleepin' in this empty house and he broke in thru' the door of the empty house and woke the tramp up. The tramp and the man stuck together, one tryin' to get in, one tryin' to get out. Took them other two men pretty near a half an hour to pry the two apart, that scairt, they wouldn't let go one another. Come to find out the truth, 'twas the [second] man's wife who helped to scare them. My mother was that one and my father was the other man. 107. THE DEVIL'S VISIT.2 One night the devil come in my shanty. I had a pail of water in the corner. The devil stayed right over the pail. I looked at him an' I said, "Old boy, you can't do nothin' with me." Said I, "Get out!" I opened the door. When I opened the door it was just like smoke alongside of me. I looked in. It was all gone. 1 Informant 1. Heard from his father. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 3. 80 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 108. THE DEVIL'S BOOK.1 There was a woman. One night she had the devil's book. She come in this room an' filled the room chock full of snakes. I got up an' I done something. I done something an' I said to her, "I'm goin' to make you sick all summer an' winter."......... She was sick, too. 109. JACK AND THE DEVIL.2 Jack sold himself to the Devil. Any three things Jack wished the Devil had to do before he could take Jack. Jack was in a shoemaker's shop the first time the Devil came to take him. Jack said, "You set on this bench until I tell you to get up." The Devil stuck fast to the bench. "If you give me another year off, I'll let you go." So the Devil gave him that year. Next time the Devil come, he said, "Come on, Jack." - "All right," said Jack. "They are some nice pears up there. Pick them until I tell you to stop." The Devil started to pick, his hands stuck to the pears. "If you give me another year off, I'll let you go," said Jack. Next time the Devil come back, he met Jack in a dry-goods store.Barrel of grass seed there. Jack said, "You got to jump over the counter, pick one seed, jump back, put that in and take another until you empty the barrel." The Devil said, "Jack, you are too smart for me." He got mad, reared out of that and tore the shop all to pieces. He gave Jack a lantern and told him to always travel. 110. CHARMS.3 Take a hop toad. Tie him so he can't hop and put him in an ant's nest, not too deep. Run away fast, so that when he hollers you won't hear him. If you hear him, you'll get death. Twelve hours later go back. Take the hopping bones of the frog, (the hind leg) and go to a stream. Throw the bones in, and whichever one will stem the current, you keep, and whoever you want to entice take this bone, get close to the person, and fasten it in her clothes for a few seconds. That will draw their mind to you. Variant.l Kill seven snakes, take out the stingers an' put them in the river. One of them will go against the current. Take that one to bed with you, say a certain prayer backwards. Then take it to the crossroads an' say the same prayer backwards. A devil will 1 Informant 3. 2 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. For bibliography see MAFLS 15 Pt. 1:182 n. 1. 3 Informant 1. Folklore from Nova Scotia 81 come to you. Tell him what you want. He will do it. - When you tell the devil, you have to take a little stick an' sharpen it, then prick the middle finger of your left hand an' write with the stick your name on his book, using your blood as ink. Variant.' I can take a hop-toad - take a box an' bore holes in it - (have to put something over my head to keep from being deaf) dig a little hole in the mire bed - put the box in an' cover it up with dirt. In seven or eight hours I dig out the box an'thehop-toad is all ate up; Then you find two bones in the box. One is like a hook, the other is like a shovel. Den you kin go along, jest touch a woman with that hook, throw it over your right shoulder an' she will follow you anywhere. When you get tired of her, an' want to get rid of her, take the shovel an' touch her an' throw it over your left shoulder. - - If you take that hook an' shovel an' throw it in the river it will go right against the current, even if the current is fifty miles an hour. Variant.1 I know a man he was poor. He liked a girl who was rich. He done a certain thing. He come to me an' he said, "I'll give you ten dollars if you tell me how to get this girl." I laughed an' I said, "You would?" "Yes," he said, "I'll give you ten dollars." So I took the ten dollars an' I told him what to do. This girl had three fellows before, rich fellows, but he married her. An' now she's crazy over him. 111. THE FAIRY AND THE BABY.2 Once upon a time there was a woman. This woman she had a little baby. So this little baby never used to cry. So one day the woman took the baby in the room, an' she came out an' the baby started in cryin'.. So she went in. She fed him an' he wouldn't stop cryin'. An' so she went up to the henhouse an' she got a lot of eggs, an' she broke the eggs an' put the shells of them on the stove full of water, an' then the baby stopped cryin'. When the baby stopped cryin' she looked in the room to see what he was doin', and here it was a fairy an' he had the baby 'neath the bed. An' he was the fairy. So the woman snuk in an' grabbed him, an' she bet him, an' she bet him, an' she bet him, an' he cried to go, an' he,said, "Oh, Missus, please let me go, oh, missus, please let me go," an' the woman let him go an' he never come back no more. 1 Informant 3. -2 Informant 42. 82 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 112. BORN WITH A CAUL.1 Mamie Abanion was born with a caul. She was going to a concert. She went to the third floor to rest. She was lying in there and something seemed to say to her, "Look up." She looked up and saw a man dressed in black with a beaver hat and a broadcloth coat. He had his hands at her throat. Something seemed to say, "Get up." She ran downstairs and fell in the cellar. When they found her she was black in the face. The landlord didn't want colored people in that house. This man had been killed by a fall in the house when he was drunk. 113. JIMMY ALLEN'S GHOST.2 I was working one summer up at Lockeport. There was a fellow there by the name of Allen. He was a very bad man. He died and was buried nearby. His house sat right on the corner, and you had to pass it to get to the boarding house. I used to go out in the morning, and then wouldn't come back till late at night. Sometimes I was very late getting in. Usually the boys would come home by two's and three's, - they were so scared of that house. One Saturday night I came in about 11.30. When I got home the fellows were all sitting around. They said, "Hagen, which way did you come?" "Around by Allen's corner," I said. "Well, didn't you see anything?" "No," I said, "nothing except my shadow." "That's funny," they said, "we all saw Jimmy Allen's ghost when we came by. Strange you didn't see it." And there they were, all scared and frightened....... But I told them nothing doing. I didn't see anything. 114. DRESSED IN WHITE.3 In January the snow was awful deep. I saw a man, he was six and a half feet tall. A woman said she saw this man all dressed in white. I went out at eleven o'clock. I met him face to face. He was dressed in a military suit. He had his gun and all like that. So I followed him across the court-house square. He got over the board fence to the graveyard, and I got over. He got in the middle of the yard. I stuck on one of the pickets. I looked and he had gone. I tread all over the ground, and followed his tracks in the snow, but I never saw him again. 115. TALL AS A TELEGRAPH POST.4 One time when I first came here I was called away one Sunday night about ten miles. I took a pick, shovel, ax, and a bag, and went through the woods. I also had a lantern. When I come over 1 Informant 55. 2 Informant 12. 3 Informant 46. 4 Informant 3. Folklore from Nova Scotia 83 there, there was a man come from the road, an' he was as tall as a telegraph post. He had on gray clothes, an' the rim of his hat was two feet wide. He slapped my lantern with his big hands, and it went all to pieces. I looked at him. I say, "You son of a bitch," and then I had to stop, and he followed. He followed me up the road, clear up to where I was going. I had to pick up the pieces of my lantern and put them under the railroad. I took the railroad, and when I got there the tide was just comin' up. I saw three lights about as big as a water bucket. They went up and come down three times, and when I went there, I said, "I can't do nothin', the tide is raisin'." In fifteen minutes the tide was right over it. I left and the money is there yet. When I come back from there I went to the railroad crossing, put the pieces of my lantern together, and lighted it. I got to the lake and I saw a man all in red. I looked at him. He went on the other side, and put his back to the fence. I said to him, "I know you, you can't scare me." Then there came a fog up. It stayed till I got to.....Then there was a 'man walkin' 'round side of me, all in black clothes. He had on a big beaver hat. I said to him, "Who in hell you followin' here?" It was about three o'clock in the mornin'. Well, he never spoke. Well, he followed me on the other side of the road, till I got to Churchill Corner. I turned aroun' and then it rained and snowed. When I got home there wasn't any rain or water on me. There was an unseen umbrella over me that was the reason why. Some one here said, "You're all wet." I said, "Feel my clothes." They were just as dry as they are now. 116. THE HAUNTED ROOM.1 My uncle was travelling from Halifax to Windsor. He stopped at the Half-way House. He' asked for a room, but they told him they were all filled up except for one room way at the top of the house which was haunted. They said that this room never was occupied, because a peddler had been murdered there for his money, and the place was haunted ever since. My uncle said he wasn't scared. He'd sleep there. So they gave him the room, and he went to bed. He blew out the candle and started to go to sleep. He heard something walking underneath the bed. It sounded as though it was shoveling and throwing pitch gravel under his bed. So he lit a lamp and looked, but he didn't see anything. So he,put the light out again and went to sleep. Pretty soon he was awakened by the same noise. He looked some more, but he couldn't find anything. But he said damn the bit of sleep did he get the rest of the night. 1 Informant 22. 84 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 117. THE HAUNTED ATTIC.1 I went to work for a doctor. He had a lot of skeletons in there and I used to go in and stand them up in rotation, the big ones first, then those that were bigger, and the biggest ones last of all. Then I'd take a stick and knock them over. I thought one of them looked at me. One night the doctor put me asleep along side of this room. About midnight some one came out of that room and walked by me and round me and in back of me. The sweat came all over me. I told him I wouldn't sleep there any more. They told me I could sleep up in the attic. There was a low bed in there. A little after ten o'clock one night I came in. The girl said, "Hold on, they haven't made your bed yet." I waited a while. The missus was making Johnny cakes. I went up and took off my clothes. I got in bed. Something got on my right leg. It got to my knees. I gave a kick. It fell down like an animal, bam! The missus came up with a candle. She said, "What was that?" We looked around and couldn't see anything. I struck for the road after that. That house is in Digby, just above the Baptist Church. 118. THE HAUNTED HOUSE.2 When we children lived in Yarmouth we moved in Weyman's house in Milton Stair's Roads up to the mill. We always heard that the house was haunted. People said, "You can't live in that house, it's haunted." At Trinity Church they had a bazaar. Mother was the matron. My two sisters and myself were left home alone. We were in the front room. It was a warm room, that's the reason we were in there. About eight o'clock at night all of a sudden we heard a noise like a whistle in a bottle. It grew louder and louder. At first we didn't think of it much. We heard it right by the window, outside the wall. We told ma afterwards. She said nothing. We ate and went to bed. That night she heard it. We heard it one night later. It was awful. It really scared us that night. We stuck it out, though. One day we went hunting for it in the cellar. They used to mortise the frames and put them together with wooden pegs. They had done one of these that way and left a big hole there. A carpenter had put a bottle of rum in this mortise hole. The air would get in the nozzle of the bottle and that made the noise. 119. RACING A GHOST.3 There was a ghost in the graveyard at three o'clockin the morning. A colored man was walking through, whistling and humming., A cold spell came over him. He looked at his hands and feet and 1 Informant 54. 2 Informant 53. 3 Informant 19. Cf. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35, No. 34, and notes. Comparative, JL 34:368-370. Folklore from Nova Scotia 85 saw no one. He looked around and saw this coming. He couldn't walk, he couldn't run. So the ghost said, "Where you goin'?" The colored man said, "You follow me, I'll show you." So he ran for three miles till he got tired. Then he sat down. The ghost said, "Some race we had." The colored man said, "Yes, goin' to race some more." So he ran some more a mile. The ghost said to him, "My golly, that was some run." The colored man said, "Look here, man, leave me alone. I never done nothin' to you. My dogs is gettin' tired." Variant.1 The man that owned the house would pay the feller five hundred dollars to stop in that house over night, and they was to come at six o'clock in the morning to see if he was there all right. So he went in the house and lit the lamp, barred the doors, laid down on a couch. 'Bout twelve o'clock the door opened and this ghost walked in. The fellow jumped thro' the window an' ran, the ghost after him. They run about five miles. The fellow looked behind and the ghost was still after hm. Sat down on a rock to get his wind. The ghost come up to him and said, "That's going some." The fellow said, "Yes and when I get my wind it's goin' some more." 120. "RABBIT, IF YOU CAN'T RUIN, GET OUT DE ROAD."2 A man wanted a servant. So a colored fellow heard about it and he goes to him. So the man says, "Now look, I want you to be of good courage and have good nerves." The colored fellow said, "Oh, I've got good nerve." The man said, "They claim this house is haunted." So this night this man had to go to town. He said to his servant, "Haul up your chair to the fire and make yourself comfortable." So the servant thought he was all alone. While he was setting there he heard a slight noise. His hair stood up on end. He thought he would turn around and look to see anything was around. He. sees an object standing in the door. He grabs his hat and ducks the object and runs out the other door. He had to go through a strip of woods. A rabbit jumped in ahead of him. The colored man said, "Rabbit, if you can't run, get out de road." 121. OUTRUNS HIS SHADOW.3 A fellah went by a graveyard one night. He thought he heard a ghost. He started to run. Had a little rabbit hound wid him. He runned about five minutes an' had to pick up his dog an' lug 1 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 1. Comparative. FL 34:368-370. 3 Informant 2. 86 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society him under his arms. He run for about a half hour before he got home. When he got home he sat on the doorstep for an hour an' a half, waitin' for his shadow to ketch up to him. Variant." Fellow one time was goin' by a graveyard, thought he saw a ghost. He ran so fast, sat down to rest, waited there five minutes for his shadow to get up to him. 122. OVER THE CHtURCH.2 One time there was a man went by a woods and there was a church there. So a big ghost was coming by the woods near to him. So he jumped clear over the church and he never touched bottom yet. 123. THE UNSHAVED GHOST.3 There was an old gent, he had a wife and two sons. The old gent died and they buried him. A little later he appeared to his son. The son seen him and was frightened. He laid there until the ghost left. So the next morning he told his mother and his brother. So his brother said, "Well, tonight I'll go up there and sleep." So he went up that night and his father appeared to him. The brother was frightened too. So the old woman said, "There's something wrong. I'll go and see the minister." So the priest said to them, "If he visits either one of you boys tonight, you say to him, 'In the name of God, why do you trouble me?'" So that night the father came again. This time one of the boys said, "In the name of God, why do you trouble me?" Their father said, "I'm not at rest. I went to the gates of heaven and tried to get in, but Saint Peter wouldn't let me in because I'm not shaved." So one boy lathered him and the other boy shaved him. So their father went away, and they didn't have no more trouble. 124. GHOST IN BED.4 One time a man was going to bed, and his name was John. So when he got in bed he heard something on the stairs. He covered his head and got frightened. He thought he heard something outside the door. The thing opened the door and came in the room, and John took the quilts off his head and saw it was a ghost. The 1 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 33. 3 Informant 20. 4 Informant 31. Folklore from Nova Scotia 87 ghost jumped in bed with John. John started to say, "Father and Son, and Holy-" The ghost said, "Don't you say it." Then he said, "Ghost." So the ghost began pulling the quilts off his head and beating him. So John said, "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," and the ghost disappeared. 125. WOMAN-CAT.1 Uncle Charles Francis' wife was quite miserable a good many years ago. One night in the old house up there a black cat come in the house. She couldn't get him out of the house. So Uncle beat the cat out of the house. The next day he saw a woman with her face all beat to pieces. 126. WOMAN HEN.2 There was a drover with two dogs. He was well armed. This night, he went astray. He found a log house, he went into the house. He loaded his revolvers and took in the dogs and shut the door. He was building a fire when a hen came in. She was awful wet, it was a rainy night. He said to her, "Why don't you come nearer to the fire and dry out." She says, "If you tie the dogs, I'll do so." He says, "I have nothing to tie the dogs with." - "Well, I'll give you a hair. If you tie the dogs with this hair, then I'll sit in to the fire.' He said, "Oh, no, I won't tie the dogs with that hair." Then step by step she went nearer to the fire and commenced to pick his things. He said, "If you don't stop that, I'll put the dogs on you." She was getting bolder and bolder, and at last he told the dogs to go. Herself and the dogs went right out the door and you never heard such a screeching in your life as was outside. He thought the dog was having hard times, so he let out the other dog, and the screeching was going on outside. Then the screeching stopped and the two dogs turned back to the hut. Morning come, he took up his duds and he got home. And his wife told him that his neighbor's wife over there was fearful sick. "Well," he says, "I'll go to see her." His wife says, "You needn't go, there's nobody seeing her." - "I got to see her." He went to the house and asked the old man was his wife very ill. "Oh, yes." - "Well, I'd like to see her." The old man didn't want him to see her. "I got to see her before I leave." He went down to see her. He says, "Are you very sick?" - "Yes," she nodded her head. "Oh, you weren't very sick when you pretty well killed my two dogs last night." And I left then. 1 Informant 53. Cf. Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35:No. 42, and notes. 2 Informant 57. Heard from his father at Merigowach, twelve miles from West Bay, west of Marble Mountain, Cape Breton Isl. Recorded by E. C. P. 88 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 127. BLACK CAT.1 Colored fellow worked as a servant down South. He was one night in there alone. Black cat came and knocked something down. He got scared and run in the closet and locked the door. The boss came home, looked for him, hollered, he answered. The boss opened the door, "Come out." - "No, Boss, I stay right here. I sure did see that ghost. I'm going to stay right here 'till my feet sprout." 128. BEWITCHED BY A LIZARD.2 They used to have these high cupboards. Down in Salmon River in gran'ma's home all the girls were home. Gran'ma had been miserable, - lounging around. The girls started to clean house for gran'ma. This old closet hadn't been pulled out for years. Gran'ma was miserable in bed. Finally they pulled this old closet out. They saw a pile of froth just like soapsuds on thefloor. It scared the girls to death. Aunt Alice got some cold water and threw it over. There was a green lizard, something not known here. They had a big fireplace. They were just done making it. Gran'ma was spry and she hollered and run out of the bedroom. She said to put some salt on the lizard and dig a hole in the hot coals. Then she put the lizard there and covered it up. After that gran'ma was all right....... A woman by the name of Tish Miller had tricked her. 129. THE ANNAPOLIS WITCH.3 When I was a boy in Annapolis there was an ol' black woman we thought was awful ugly, we boys thought she was a witch. One morning Bill and I was going in one side of her house where she couldn't see us no how. I says to Bill, "Ain't she an ugly ol' black nigger!" When we was coming back we went into her house. She says to us, "If you say I'm an ugly ol' black woman, git out of my house." Now, how could she know that? One morning big black cat came to her door, an' she cussed it out. The next morning comes a big black dawg, nothin' but fire comin' from his eyes. She cussed it out, too. Dawg said, "I told you so." True story, anybody in Annapolis will tell you 'bout it. TALES OF TREASURE. 130. MONEY UNDER A TOMBSTONE.3 When we was all sittin' in office of a stable real late, about eleven or twelve at night, one feller tells this story. He went into graveyard with a man to dig up some money buried under a 1 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 53. 3 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 89 tombstone. And as they was diggin', they heard a voice say, "Where's my golden iron? Where's my golden iron?" Feller telling the story 'ud talk easy, then holler right hard, "Where's my golden iron?" Then you won't want to go home - so scared. 131. LEPRICORN.1 I was passing from Lisbon to Hillsboro. I seen a little fellow about two feet, two inches high. He had a little green coat on him, and a little red skull cap. He had a stick in his hand. So I wondered who he was, and where he came from, and what his name was. Then I remembered about the lepricorn. He is the fairy guardian of all buried treasures and money. If you can look him straight in the face, and look him square in the eye, you'll get a lot of money. But you must never take your eye off him. I followed him I said to him, "Take me to a pot of gold." He had to take me, because I had my eye right on him. So we went on, but just then a noise in the thicket made me withdraw my gaze just for a moment. When I looked again, the lepricorn was gone. So was the money. 132. BALL OF FIRE.2 There were two brothers by the name of Sognai. These fellows and myself went up to - - - - one night. First we dug a hole in Jim Lynch's pasture. We dug about one and a half feet. Then we saw a big ball of fire. We touched it and it all went to pieces. We went back the next morning. There was nothing there. Variant.3 In 1901. It was in May. Me an' John Johnson, an' Leander Keeland started to go into the woods to get some money. Leander wasn't supposed to go. We came to a fork in the road an' Leander was struck by an Indian. He knocked him right down so he couldn't walk. We had to pick him up an' it took him five weeks to get well. He insisted on goin' along, so we got to a place an' we dug. There comes up a voice as plain as I'm talkin' now an' it said, "You've lost it." Said I, "No use to do any more, we've lost it." When we come home, I laid down after a while an' there was a ball, a foot in diameter, struck on the back of the door over Leander's head. The ball was all afire. I said, "Leander, did you see that?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Do you know what that was?" He said, "No." I said, "That's what the Indian woman hit you with. You wasn't to be there, an' she just wants to show you what she struck you with." That night he dreamed it was so. Oh, those Indians are savage, they don't want you to go. 1 Informant 19. 2 Informant 46. 3 Informant 3. 90 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 133. DIGGING MONEY.1 One time I was digging money at eleven o'clock at night. I was a long ways from Boston, United States. There was an Indian come, an' he looked at me. I was about a foot deep. He took me up in his arms and put me on the ground. Then he was gone. I went down again. The same thing happened. After the Indian went I stopped two minutes and took a chew of tobacco. I went down again. Then the fellow come and he threw me about thirty feet. Then I got angry. I didn't like it. I didn't know what it meant. He come back an' he went after me. I said, "You son of a bitch." I took my finger and took my tongue, an' say, "You done it." I went to bed and went into a doze. He come to me an' says, "This has got to be done." I took a vow. He said, "There is nothing to hurt you, it must be done." I haven't been there since. 134. BURIED TREASURE.1 In the middle of June I said to Charley, "We'll go down to San Francisco and stay a few weeks. Then we'll take a boat and go to the Suez Canal." So we stayed three weeks in San Francisco. Then we took a boat and went to the Suez Canal. It cost us fifty dollars apiece to go. In six days we arrived in New York. It was half-past nine when we arrived. We asked for the train to Boston. They said one o'clock. Five o'clock we were in Boston. Six o'clock I was in my house. The next day I was in my house up here. Then I saw a light. It went up and come down three times. I dug about two feet deep and I found a can containing money all rusty. 135. DREAMS OF TREASURE.1 I dreamed three times to go to San Francisco. There was a pot of gold under a big tree there. So I drew every dream down on a piece of paper. It took me three weeks to get to San Francisco. Then I had to go fifty miles to the tree. I got on a train and went there. There was the tree. I saw a camp with a stove in it but no door. The station master lived there. I said to him, "Can we live there?" He said, "Yes." So we bought some grub at his store and I said, "Charley, you cook the supper and I'll cut wood." While I was cutting wood, we saw a light. So I put a stick across the door of the camp and went in. Next Tuesday at nine o'clock we saw the light again. I said to Charley, "You stay here, and I'll go dig where that light is." So I went and dug about one foot and we got eleven hundred dollars apiece. That paid us for our trip and we had a good time all winter. 1 Informant 3. Folklore from Nova Scotia 91 Variant.' There was Mrs. Milner - she was colored, an' she dreamt seven times where there was three crops of money buried on her land, cross the road where she lived. An' one was a crock of guineas, the other two was five dollar an' ten dollar gold pieces. An' there was an' Indian was killed to mind them, an' he was Catholic, an' he had a prayer bib put on his neck. So there was several people wanted to go there to see if they could git it, so they go there. When they get about ten feet from the road where it was, they see a tall mantcomin'. They get scared an go back. So one day there was an old man, his name was Sol, lived down at Birchtown an' he said, "Mrs. Milner, I'll go an' dig your money." She said, "All right." So he took a gun an' lashed it on his back, an' a pick an' shovel, an' went on. An Indian come along an' he said, "Where you goin' " Sol said, "I'm goin' to dig some money." The Indian said, "Did I give you any money?" He said, "No." The Indian said, "Well, you'll turn back." Four times he says it an' the man says he will go. So the Indian struck him stiff. About four o'clock in the morning Mrs. Milner said to two men, "You better go an' see where Sol is." So they went there an' found him stiff. They rolled him an' he come to after three hours. They put his horse in the barn, an' his brotherin-law heard the horse squealin'. He went to the house an' found the blinds down an' the door locked. He burst the door in. There he found Sol dead. He called the doctor. The doctor said he was dead five days. He went to the horse an' gave him a drink, an' the horse died right away. 136. DISAPPEARING TREASURE.1 There's a lot of gold buried where the battle of Richmond was fought. Big snakes there too. We went there, me an' Deacon Johnson, one spring. He had a brother there. Right alongside a tree was a bag of gold that no one could get, so we tried to get it. There was a woman there an' she heard Deacon Johnson going there on her land to dig money. Her house was no farther than from here to the road. She was watching. We went there, me, the Deacon, an' his brother, about one o'clock at night. Sure enough, we struck it, an' she hollered, an' we never got it. It disappeared. Variant.' One time we went down an' dug money. An old fellow from the old country, no one knows how old, was lookin' for fellows to go with him. He knew about a chest that was buried and had five 1 Informant 3. 8 92 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society million dollars in it. So we all went, two colored fellows, (father an' son) me, an Irishman, an' the old man. Course he didn't do anything. The old man said, "Don't none of you speak till I speak." I was workin' with a colored fellow. I was the first one to strike on the chest. We got tired an' we come up, an' we let another go down there. He said, "Be Jesus, we've got it!" It was jest the same as if you took a hogshead an' bring it from the sky an' filled it with a chain. The old man said, "Too bad, too bad, the fortune's gone for seven years an' a day." If it hadn't been for one of the colored fellows he would have shot that Irishman. Variant.l One time a man dreamt that there was money down there in the field. So he went out to dig. He had a milling rod and he made a big round circle. He had to dig inside that circle. And so they dug quite a long while when they seen a chest. You're not supposed to speak when you see it. But one man said, "Sammie, hand me the crowbar." They heard rattling of chains and the chest disappeared. After while they traced it way back. 137. TREASURE AND LIGHTS.2 There was an.old man in Beech Meadows always talked about money, and lights burning. He would go out digging for money. They say if you throw a coat or something on the flame and smother it, you can get the money. So one night the old man saw a flame and he took his coat off and he covered the burning money and went home. The next morning he went back. He didn't see either his coat or the money, only the buttons off his coat. Must have been a trick of the boys. 138. DIRECTIONS TO TREASURE.3 The Healies in Yarmouth were very rich. They organized a company in Yarmouth when they were young men. They were going through the woods. An Indian goes to a tree, pulls out a block, reads a cane an' puts it back in the tree. They go in an' do the same thing. They pull out the block, read the cane, and follow the instructions. They got the money. 139. THUNDER BOX.4 Cy Perkins used to take Indians up to - - - - -on bright nights. They would go where a certain box was. Then one of them would take hold and there would come on a thunder storm. Informant 32. 2 Informant 12. 3 Informant 53. 4 Informant 46. Folklore from Nova Scotia 93 140. THE MILKMAN'S LIUCK.1 A milkman when I lived in Dorchester had twelve horses, an' a nice house an' a barn. He lived on Quincy Street. He come to the house one day an' he was a nice man to talk to. I said, "Don't you think it's better for a man to be born lucky than rich?" He said, "There ain't no such thing as luck. My learning got me twenty-five thousand dollars an' my houses an' everything I own." A few days after that everything he owned burned down an' he wasn't worth twenty-five cents. PREACHER TALES AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES. 141. ONLY IN FUN.2 A minister was preaching in the church. He was always saying, "Oh, Lord, if I'm not telling the truth, let a brick fall on my head." A lot of boys got on top of the church. So when he said this, they et a brick come down and hit him on the head. The minister said, "Oh, Lord, don't take everything in earnest, I was only in fun." Variant.3 A preacher was preachin' a sermon in a crazy meetin'. They were all jumping up, giving their testimony, an' prayin' an' hollerin'. Everybody got excited. So there was a ventriloquist present an' the minister said, "Father in Heaven, come down, come down." So this fellow was goin' to have some fun. So he threw his voice an' said, "Yes, brother, I will be right down." So the minister grabbed his hat an' ran out of the building. The congregation followed him an' when they got outside they asked him why he ran. He said, "He ought to know better than that, I was only fooling." Variant.4 One time there was a good old man in New Brunswick. He was colored. He had an old fashioned fireplace built in his frame house. He used to go out to pray, so this day he stuck his head in the stove-pipe, and he prayed, "Lord, Goddy, if old Philip isn't doin' right, hit him on the head with a brick. Den will he know he ain't doin' right." So some rascals got on the top of the house and threw a brick on his head. The old man said, "Lord, Goddy, you can't take no fun, you always take it in earnest." 1 Informant 3. 2 Informant 39. 3 Hold to him by 8. 4 Informant 22. 8* 94 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 142. EXPLANATIONS LATER.1 There was a preacher one time living in a certain village. He stole something, so they fired him out of church. He had to leave that city. He went to another city and got another church. So the first Sunday he was giving a service at this church, he had a special sermon made up from the Crucifixion. He went to get up in the pulpit, and looked out over his congregation. He saw a man who looked like the chief of police from the old city. He said, "Brothers and sisters, I was about to speak on the Crucifixion this mornin', but I think I'll change and take my text from the thirty-third chapter of Isaiah, which reads as follows: If thou seest me, and thou think thou knowest me, say nothing, and verily I say unto thee, I'll see thee later." Then he went out the back door. 143. BLOW YOUR TRUMPET.2 There was a minister once who was always preaching about hell, the world, the flesh and the devil. He kept talking about hell-fire. The people of the village got tired. There was a big ditch nearby. The young people knew that the minister had to go across the ditch and they planned for him. But that day he changed his course. He preached his usual sermon, and it sounded great. He talked on and on about hell. All the people were scared. But before his sermon everybody had got horns and trumpets and placed them in the belfry of the church to surprise him with. He was preachin' away: Lord God, if you would only blow your trumpet. Lord Jesus, please blow that trumpet. He waxed warmer and warmer. He called out again: Lord God, if you would only blow your trumpet, Lord Jesus, please blow that trumpet. This time the people blew their trumpets and horns and made a grand racket. The minister got scared and commenced to run out of the church. He ran down, across the fields. When he got to the ditch he stumbled and fell in. Then he cried out, "Goddam it, in hell, just where I expected to land!" 144. WHAT GABRIEL SAID.3 One time there was a black preacher. He was an awful drunkard. He sent a boy for rum to a man named Gabriel. In his sermon 1 Informant 28. 2 Informant 4. For bibliography see MAFLS 16:57 n. 3; JAFL 35:295 n. 1. 3 Informant 34. Cf. Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:127-128. Folklore from Nova Scotia 95 he was talkin' about Gabriel. The boy was to meet him after church an' give him Gabriel's answer. So while'he was preaching he yelled out, "And what did Gabriel say? And what did Gabriel say?" The little boy was in the church an' he called out, "Gabriel say he ain't goin' to give you any more rum till you pay for what you already got." 145. "BE THE DEVIL.'1 He was a minister, he took a walk in the woods and got lost. He had a colored fellow with him for a guide. When they got lost, the colored fellow said, "Boss, I don't know where I am." They came to a robber's camp. The minister said, "We'll lay down under the bed to have a nap." Bimeby the robbers came. They sat down around the table and commenced to gamble. They began to dispute. One said, "If that ain't right what I say about that money, then I hope the devil'll come and take the business." The minister said to the colored fellow under the bed, "You rush out and be the devil, and take it all."He rushed out and turned over the table.The robbers were scared, they ran out, and left it all. 146. WHY JESUS WALKED ON THE SEA OF GALILEE.2 Some men went to the sea of Galilee where Jesus was. They thought they would like to row about on the water. Finally they located a man with a boat. One of them said, "Say, what would you charge to take us around the sea of Galilee." The boatman replied, "Thirty dollars." The man said, "Thirty dollars! No wonder Christ walked." 147. JUST IMAGINE.3 An Irishman came to New York. There was an epidemic of smallpox. Pat got it. He sent word to the priest, "I'm gonna die. Please come around right away." The priest took no notice. So Pat got worse. He sent for the priest again. He said, "If I get better I'll give you the first five dollars I make, if you'll come." So the priest came. Pat went downstairs to open the door. The priest said, "Shut the door. Go around to the window." Pat thought this was strange, but he went around to the window. Pat put the window down. The priest said, "Get down on your knees." Pat did so. The priest said, "You've been a bad fellow. Now you're going over in the state you're in. See this sacrament in my hand. Imagine that you are swallowing it, then all will be well." Pat let on he was swallowing the sacrament. The priest said, 1 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 4. 3 Informant 19. 96 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society "If you prepare for death you will be sure to get better. Now, don't forget your promise." So the priest went away. Sure enough Pat got better. He got drunk after the first week. The priest heard about it and sent him a note. He told him that he had broken his promise and was committing sacrilege. Pat sent a note to the priest begging his excuse. He said: "Dear Rev... Come down to the house. I want to settle a little account." So a little while after, the priest came. He knocked at the door. Pat came down and said, "Would you mind going around to the window?" The priest thought that this was strange, but he went to the window. Then Pat said, "Do you remember a few weeks ago when I was sick. You held the sacrament in your hand and told me to imagine that I was swallowing it. Now Father, do you see this five dollarbill? Just imagine that I gave it to you. All will be well... Just imagine......" 148. THE BAPTIST.1 There was a man, he was supposed to be able to tell the denomination of anyone in a crowd. He got up before an audience and said, "I can just look at a man and tell what church he belongs to, just by looking at him." Then he pointed to a man. "Now you are a Baptist. Tell the truth, now, aren't you a Baptist?" The man said, "Yes." Then he pointed to another, and he said, "You are a Baptist too, aren't you?" and the man said, "Yes." Then he looked at another fellow, and he said, "You're a Baptist too, I can tell it -aren't you?"...... The man said, "No, I ain't no Baptist. You're wrong. I've been sick for six months and just look that way." 149. BELIEVE ANYTHING FOR RUM.2 There was a colored deacon. He had a great friend, a colored man, who always thought he was a bad man, too bad to go to church. One day the deacon asked him to come to church. He said, "No, no, I couldn't do that." Then he went away for a number of days. He came back a little later, and he met the deacon again. This time the deacon told him he must come to church, but the man said no, he could not, he was too bad. So the deacon said to him, "Do you believe that the Hebrew children went through the fiery furnace, and let the flames lick all around them, and then come out without being burned?" The man said, "Yes." Then the deacon said, "Do you believe that Daniel entered the lion's den, and that he come out alive, and the lions didn't eat him?" The man said, "Yes." "And do you believe that Jonah swallowed the 1 Informant 23. 2 Informant 20. Folklore from Nova Scotia 97 whale?" the deacon said. The man said, "No, Jonah didn't swallow the whale." So the deacon went off. Pretty soon he came back. He called to his friend and touched his hip pocket. Then he drew out a flask of whiskey. "Want some?" he said to his friend. The man said, "Sure," and took a nice long gulp. The deacon said, "Now, do you believe that Jonah swallowed the whale?" The man said, "Yes, an' if you give me some more of that rum, I'll believe anything in the world." 150. WHY HE WENT TO CHURCH.1 One time there was a man. He belonged to the First Baptist Church, an' so this minister he belonged to the Presbyterian Church. So this man that belonged to the First Baptist Church, he kept his cow in this minister's pasture. An' so the minister come up one day an' said, "Why don't you go to my church?" An' so he said, "If you don't go to my church, you'll have to take your cow out of my pasture." The man said, "All right, next Sunday I'll go to your church." An' so next Sunday come. He went to the Presbyterian Church. But the next Sunday he went to the First Baptist Church. So the next Sunday when he went to the Presbyterian Church, the minister asked him, "Why do you go to both churches?" The man say, "I'm goin' to the First Baptist Church for the good of my soul. I go to yours for the good of my cow." 151. FOLLOWING THE LORD.2 There was a country minister going along the road. He had a team with him. So he came along some boys playing baseball, and he asked the road. The youngsters didn't pay any attention, but sized up his horse. Then one of them said, "Who are you?" He said, "I am a follower of the Lord." The boy said, "I don't give a damn which road you take, you'll never catch him with that horse." 152. DISAPPEARING PREACHER.3 There was a minister once, he was a short man. He wanted to be heard in a camp meeting. He stood on the top of a hogshead. The head of the hogshead was rather weak. He stamped around and said, "You see me now. In a little while you'll see me no more." Bam! went the hogshead, and he disappeared in the barrel. 1 Informant 35. 2 Informant 20. 3 Informant 4. Cf. Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:127. 98 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 153. BY GOD!1 A minister had a boy who used to swear. He said to the boy, "Be like me and don't swear. See who goes the longest. If you swear you don't get none of mama's apple pie, and if I swear I don't get none." The boy said, "All right, papa." So the next Sunday the boy was in church. His father was preaching the sermon. So he got to the place where he said, "By God we live, by God we die." Then the boy chimed in, "By God, you've lost your apple pie." 154. FLAPJACKS.2 A little boy stole his mother's flapjacks. He was almost caught in the act, so he stuck them down in his bosom. His mother said, "David, come on, let's go to church." David didn't want to go, but there was nothing else to do. So the minister started preachin.' He cried aloud, "David, what hast thou in thy bosom?" David said to himself, "I wonder if he's talking to me?" Then the minister repeated it, "David, what hast thou in thy bosom?" David said to himself, "If he asks again I'm goin' to tell him." So the minister cried out again, "David, what hast thou in thy bosom?" David called out, "Flapjacks, you damn fool. If you hadn't said anything, I'd a give you some." 155. THE BEST WHITE HORSE IS DEAD.3 Y' know there was a man named Mather, an' there was a bear in his corn, an' there was a man named Sam, an' he said, "Sam, go out an' git that bear out o' my corn." So Sam went out an' he hollered. "Who that out in my corn?" Then Sam made a rush through the corn. The bear runned after Sam, an' Sam runned down the street. Sam runned through the church an' Sam locked the back door. So Sam runned around an' locked the front door. Then he runned home an' he said, "Mather, I caught that bear, Mather, I caught that bear." So Mather said, "Where's it at, Sam?" Sam said, "I got it locked in the church." "Well, go git him out."..... "Oh, no, I had a hard enough time to get him in." That night Sam said, "I think I'll go over to the graveyard." When he got there, there was a policeman chasing some boys an' Sam thought it was the dead people talking. Sam came back to his master an' said, "Mather, I can make skeleton heads talk." So the next day Mather went out with him to hear the skeleton heads talk. They didn't hear anything, so Sam said, "Excuse me, Mather, but they're a little bashful today." 1 Informant 50. Cf. Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:136. 2 Informant 4. 3 Informant 43. Folklore from Nova Scotia 99 The next night there was goin' to be a big dance, an' Sam wanted to go. So he said, "I'm tired, I'm goin' up to bed an' sleep." But instead of goin' to bed he went out to the barn an' got Mather's best white horse, hitched him up an' went over to the big dance. After while he got dancing an' drinkin' an he didn't care about nothin'. So the master's horse got sick, an' they come to him an' said, "Sam, your master's horse is sick," an' Sam said, "Let him be sick." So the horse fell down an' they come to Sam an' said, "Sam, your horse has fell down," an' Sam said, "Let him fall down." So a little while later they come to him an' said, "Sam, your horse is dead." An' Sam said, "Oh, my, that's my master's best horse!" An' so Sam had to find some way out of it...... Sam used to have dreams, an' his master kind o' believed in 'em. So the next morning he come to Sam an' said to him, "Well, Sam, what did you dream last night?" An' Sam said, "Oh, Mather, it's so bad I hate to tell you." Mather said, "Go on, go on, tell me," but Sam kept sayin', "Oh, it's so bad I hate to tell you." But Mather made him tell. An' so Sam said, "Oh, Mather, I dreamt that your best white horse is lyin' out in the stable dead." 156. THE FIRST STEAMER.1 It was the first steamer that come to Shelburne. The first old boat was the Sabbagotha. There used to be an old lady down the street named Mrs. Densett. In those days they used to make their own vinegar. She had vinegar setting out on the doorstep, and she was upstairs doing her chamber work. When she heard the steamer blow she said, "Oh, dear me, my vinegar jar is busted!" She flew downstairs, and she found, her vinegar jug just as good as ever. I thought it was a good joke. 157. THE LAZIEST MAN.2 Once an expert professional lazy man put on his window the sign: Pupils Needed. So one day a fellow walks up and applies for a job. The man says, "Do you think you could be lazy enough to take the job?" The fellow says, "I am sure." So he takes the pupil under an apple tree and the two lay on their backs with their mouths open. At this time an apple dropped into each one's mouth. So the boss chewed his apple and ate it. After he got through he turned his eyes over to the boy and saw his apple in his mouth unchewed. He asked him why he didn't eat his apple. The boy said, "I'm too lazy, will you turn my jaws for me?" The boss found him more lazy and gave him the belt and declined. 1 Informant 9. 2 Informant 28. For bibliography see Bolte v. Polivka 3:379; also Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:112. 100 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 158. BLUFFING DEATH.1 There was a very old lady and a gent. They were very poor. The old man wished that he would die. The old lady said that it would be better for her to die, he being a man could get along in the world better. The old man said he would rather the old lady would live. Some boys overheard them discussing the question. They stole a turkey and picked it. There was only a little fire in the fireplace. The old people were on either side of the fireplace, still talking about who should die. The boys pushed the turkey in. The old people thought Death was coming. The woman said, "Well, Death is here, I'm willing to go." But the turkey went toward the man, because he saw a light there. The old man said, "Death, go to her, she wants to go. Don't take me, go to her, she wants to go." 159. BLACK.2 She was awful black, the blackest you could see. This day her brother was walkin' down the street, and he was real black. So a white man met him in the street, said, "Excuse me, Mister, you'se about the blackest man Iever seen." He says, "That's nothin', I got a sister, she's so black when she wash her face we sell it for ink." So he wanted to see that man's sister. He took him down to his house. When he went in the house, he said, "I want to see you wash yer face, lady, to see if it's ink." She say, "I'm sorry, Master, I jus' wash my face, but I can spit you a box of shoe blackin'." 160. THE RUNAWAY SLAVE.3 Box Brown was a slave. He was bound to run away. One time they was chasing him. One of his comrades got a very large box an' put airholes in it, an' nailed him up in it. Then they put him on a sailing vessel for North Africa. When he got there he made up this song: Don't you remember the promise that you made To me old dying mother's request. I were never to be sold nor for silver nor for gold Whilst the sun rolled from east to the west. Soon as she was dead an' the grass had not grown on her grave, I was advertised for sale, An' I would now been in jail If I hadn't a crossed the blue rolling waves. Don't you remember, tol-lol-le-lol, Where I put on my last forty-four, 1 Informant 7. For bibliography see MAFLS 16:57 n. 3. 2 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 46. Folklore from Nova Scotia 101 Just behold where I bled, Just remember I'll be there no more. Mr. and Master, don't grieve after me, For I cannot be a slave anymore. I'm beneath the tiding waves or beneath the lion's paw, He will growl if you come near the shore. 161. cow GUT RIVER.1 A coolie stole a man's cow. He killed her. The owner got on his tracks and caught the coolie's son. He said to the son, "Where is your father?" The boy said, "He went down to the river to wash cow guts." The owner knew he had his man, and went to the river. The son got down to the river by a short cut and warned his father, so the coolie threw the cow guts in the bushes. When the man got there he said, "Say, where's the cow guts?" The father said to his son, "Turn your tongue." The boy said to the man, "I didn't say wash cow guts. I said he was going to Cow Gut River." 162. TNT: TRAVEL NIGGER TRAVEL.2 A colored fellow went in an office. He sees different kinds of signs, like SOS, and so forth. So he asked what they meant. And they told him. So he walked through one office and he didn't see a sign on the door. When he got inside he sees TNT. He says, "Boss, I know what that means, 'Travel, nigger, travel,' and believe me, I'm goin' to travel." Variant.2 This fellow was working during the war in Buffalo. Ie was a half shine, and it was in an ammunition factory. He asked the foreman what did T. N. T. mean. The foreman said that it was a high explosive. Every day for six days he asked the same question, and every day he got the same answer. The seventh day was pay day. Eight o'clock in the morning he asked the same question, and he got the same reply. Four o'clock in the afternoon he asked the question again.This time he said that he had made a resolution to know what T. N. T. means. So the foreman said to him, "You want to know what it means? It means, Travel, nigger, travel." And so he went. 163. JUS' PLAYIN'.3 A feller went to a neighbor's house. Man and his wife got a-rowing. Stove shovel and flat iron was flying around. He said, "What are you up to now?" - "Jus' playin'." - "Come on now, stop yer foolin' before yer get mad and start a row." 1 Informant 7. Cf. Martinique (Parsons in ms.) 2 Informant 25. 8 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 102 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 164. PICKING TOWSER'S BONES.1 Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife. Her name was Nancy. So they had a dog named Towser. The man was very lazy. He tells his woman, "Look-a here, Nancy, go out an' git sumpin' to eat." So anyhow she goes out an' hunts all day, an' she can't find nothin'. So she comes home an' meets Towser. She kills him an' skins him an' fixes him up. Then she cooks him an' gives him to her husband for supper. So when the man finished eating his supper he takes the bones up and calls, "Towser, Towser!" So his wife says, "Look-a here, nigger, what you callin' Towser for an' just pickin' his bones?" 165. CLEVER AB.2 The colored people came to Liverpool soon after the Revolutionary War. Whole ship loads of them came from the northern states, and some of them did quite well. There was one of them, his name was Ab Croxton. He owned a house, and a nice big farm, and quite some property about town. He was a smart fellow, and held his own with the best in the community. Next door to him was a Scotchman whose name was Shand. Shand had a bull, and this bull used to cross over into Ab's yard and eat up the grass, and plow through his garden. This made Croxton angry, and he told Shand to tie up the bull. But Shand took his time, and Ab had to ask him over and over to tie up that bull. So finally one day Shand got a chain and stake, and fastened the bull. The old bull just pulled up chain, stake and all, and went right back into Croxton's garden. Croxton was so mad he didn't know what to do. He finally decided to kill the bull. So he did kill it and took it to town and sold it. Old Shand didn't know what became of his bull. But he heard rumors of some beef that had been sold downtown, and that it tasted rather strong, and so on. He began to suspect that Ab Croxton had killed him. He decided to do his best to find out. So every time he would meet Ab on the road, he would murmur, "Ab, Ab, bull, bull." At first Croxton didn't pay any attention to his mutterings. But it happened so often that one day he said to Shand, "What are you talking about? - Ab - bull. I don't know anything about your. old bull." Finally Shand came out with it. He said to Ab, "Ab, just give me the ball and chain." But Croxton was as clever as the Scotchman. He answered, "Ah, then you would have me, wouldn't you!" 166. THE COMPOSITE PICTURE.3 There was one time an old bachelor and an old maid, sister and brother. They kept house together, Mary and John. A man who 1 Informant 78. For bibliography see MAFLS 16:115 n. 1. 2 Informant 12. 3 Informant 40. Folklore from Nova Scotia 103 enlarged pictures knocked at the door. Mary come out to the door and he said, "Well, I'm goin' around enlargin' pictures." She said, "We have no pictures, we don't want any enlarged." He said, "Wouldn't you like to take your father's picture?" "Yes", the lady say, "I like it all right. Come on up, John, here is a fellow says he will get us our father's picture enlarged." Of course John went out to the door. He said, "What's the price of this?" The man said, "Nine dollars." "Oh," John said, "it's too dear." "Oh, well," he said, "it's life size." So John said, "What do you think, Mary?" She said, "Oh, I don't know, I'd like to see the picture." So they said to the agent, "Come on in." They both went in, and the agent set down, and made the writings. He give the time to be delivered, and then said, "Well, give us your father's photo, a little one." Mary said, "My father never took a picture." Of course the agent was anxious to get the nine dollars, so he said, "Well, it's pretty hard to get one without a little one, but let's see what we can do. What kind o' lookin' man was your father?" She said, "He was a red-headed fellow up in years." He said, "What kind o' clothes did he wear?" She said, "He weared a homespun suit and a jumper." The agent said, "What kind o' shoes did he wear?" She said, "He wore knee boots, and the part inside o' the knee boots. He wears a Scotch bonnet." Of course the agent went away and in time he come back with the picture, and of course knocked at the door. He leaned against the house, the sun was showin'. it looked a little better, so they walked out and looked at the picture. Then Mary turned to her brother and said, "Great Lord! Didn't father change since he died!" 167. ROBBERS' HOUSE.1 Old lady taking her journey, one night she came to a robber's house. He used to kill people. He said, "Missus, where did you come from? " - "Oh, I came from the country." - "I suppose you are tired. Better go to bed." So the woman went to bed. The robber said, "Well, now, the best thing we can do is to kill her." — "Well," one of them said, "you go up, if she's asleep, sound asleep, take a darn needle and put it to the eye in the bottom of her foot. If she's asleep, she'll never move." He went up, she was lettin' on she was sound asleep (she was listening to him). He put the darn needle up to the eye in the bottom of her foot. She never moved. They said, "We'll not kill her. She has no money anyway." The boss said, "Take up that big chest till we count all the money we steal today." The woman was listening. In the morning the woman got up, got breakfast. "Well, did you get good rest last night, Missus?" She said, "Very good, but the bottom Informant 57. Heard from John Jackson of Marble Mountain, Cape Breton Isl. White. Recorded by E. C. P. 104 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society of my foot is sore, I suppose from the walking yesterday." She left, she was not long on her journey when she met a man on horseback, and she knowed him. He was one of the robbers. He was trying her to see did she know anything. "Good morning," he said,"where was you last night?" - "I was in a house not so far." - "Good house?"- "Yes, good house, all right." So they passed one another. The old lady kept on walking, another fellow meet her. "Where was you last night?" he said. "Up in a house, good house." The first city she got into she told what happened, she told she went to this house, and went to bed, and the robbers put a darn needle to the eye in the bottom of her foot to see if she was asleep, then they got out a big chest to count the money they stole that day, then they came after her on the road to see what she would say about the house. A constable went with her to the same house, they got a lot of money and they put the robbers in prison. And I left then. 168. COUNTING SOULS.1 There was a couple young fellows used to go to the store. They always bought a bag of peanuts between them, and they always jangled over them. They never missed a night. So this night they got the bag of peanuts and they started quarreling. So one of them said, "Let's count them out. One for you and one for me." The other fellow said, "All right. Where shall we count them.".., "Over in the graveyard." So he said, "All right." So they went over to the graveyard. They dropped two peanuts going over the iron fence. So one of the fellows said, "What was that just dropped?" The other one said, "Two peanuts dropped. We'll get them when we come back." So they dropped over in the graveyard and started counting the peanuts. They got behind a tombstone. So one of them would say, "You take one, and I'll take one." Then he'd stop a minute.... "You take one, and I'll take one."... So by 'n by a colored fellow was comin' along, runnin' to beat the band. He heard the sound of voices. He listened, and stopped a while. Then he broke into runnin'. He goes to a neighbor and says to him, "The devil and the Lord's over there." The neighbor says, "Oh man, oh man, what you talkin' 'bout?" The other one said, "Hear that noise. That's the devil and the Lord." The neighbor said, "I hear it all right." So the first one said, "Come on over." So they went over and stopped just where the two peanuts dropped. Just as they got there they heard one of the voices inside say, "But there's two outside the gate. You take one, and I'll take one." The colored men said, "No you don't, no you don't," and they flew for their lives. 1Informant 46. Cf. Cape Verde, MAFLS 16:No. 58, I, II, and notes. (page 68); Elizabeth City Co., Va., JAFL 35, No. 65, and note; Ontario, JAFL 31, page 80. Folklore from Nova Scotia 105 Variant.1 Three little boys picked up some chestnuts. They was in the graveyard one night counting' em. They had dropped two chestnuts outside the fence when they was goin' in. Two colored felows was goin' by. They heard one say, "You take this one, I'll take that one. There are two more outside." They run and got the minister, said, "The Devil and the Lord are counting souls." They come back to the graveyard, heard 'em say, "Oh! yes, there are three on the outside we've got to get yet." That started them all travellin', the minister, and the two men, too. Variant.2 There were two fellows down in the South. Went to stealing oranges one night. One was wearing big blouse, and filled them up. This went into a cemetery, big wall around it. They began to count the oranges. "I'll take this one, you take that one." They dropped one. "How about that one outside the fence?" Fellow outside heard them. He ran away, met a man and said to him, "The Lord and the devil are in the cemetery sorting out the dead." 169. THE' DISINTEGRATING HUSBAND.3 I got married the other day. I took my husband up to a high cliff an' let him look over an' he almost fell. If it hadn't been for me, I grabbed him by the coat an' saved him. But I was sorry afterwards, because when it became time for us to retire he took out his false teeth, an' put them in a bureau drawer. Then he took out a false eye an' put it in the bureau drawer. Then he took off a false arm an' put it in the bureau drawer. He took off a false wig an' put it in the bureau drawer. Finally, he took off a false leg an' put it in the bureau drawer. When it came time for me to git in bed, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if to git in bed or in the bureau drawer. 170. THE CONTENTED OLD LADY.4 An old lady was digging potatoes in her field for her dinner. Her hoe struck in a piece of iron, she dug around and found a pot of gold. She was very contented. She started for home. When she looked at the pot, it was after turning into silver. Still she was very contented. She went on, she sat down, she looked at the pot again. It was after turning into copper. Still she was very contented. She 1 Informant 2. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 39. Cp. Sea Islands, S. C. MAFLS 16:103-104. 4 Informant 58. Heard from teacher, Miss Mac Askill, at Marble Mountain. Recorded by E. C. P. 106 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society reached her door step, and looked at the pot, it was after turning into stone. She was contented for the stone to keep her front door open. She was just going to lift up the stone when it turned into a big insect. It knocked down a lovely pot of plants and jumped into a field of cabbage to eat up the insects in the cabbage. Still the old lady was contented, to have the cabbages cleared of insects. 171. THE CLOTH MAN.1 Once there was a man used to plant a lot of carrots and so on. Now and then he miss a bunch or two. He was unable to hire a watchman, so he got to work an' made a cloth man. He put a hard-crowned hat on him, an' midday, he was so sensible this man, an' he stick de man up between de bed of some carrots wid de understandin' to be there at night, an' de thief see it standing there take it for human. He put it there middle of day. He went to his bed. He had a little dog. Midnight he hears his dog barking. Now two thieves came up an' one took the hat off the cloth man an' put it on his own head. Then he stood in the same place. The other man threw the cloth man in the gully. The man opens his window an' sees the monument an' the man filling his bag with carrots. He came out of his house. The man drops the carrot bags and runs. This man follows with the understanding the cloth man was there. It was the other fellow. So he chased this first fellow, but he didn't get him. He comes back an' the carrots an' the cloth man are gone. He looked down the gully an' he saw his cloth man without a hat down there. 172. JIM GREY STORIES.2 I. His name was Jim Grey. He had a head as thick as a pot. They gave him an old grey horse. Bill McCarthy got hid in the woods. Jim McCarthy was going to buy the horse. Jim Grey was crazy for money. Jim McCarthy says to him, "Mr. Grey, do you want to sell your horse?" - "Sell him for $100.00, lovely horse." Bill McCarthy called out from the woods, "Forty-five and no teeth!" Jim McCarthy said, "I'll give seventy-five dollars for that horse." Jim Grey had eyes like a frightened cat, but said, "Take it or leave it." Bill McCarthy hollered again from the woods, "Forty-five years and no teeth!" - "That is a lie, about ten years old, Sir." - "I'll give you fifty dollars. Jim, his teeth are bad." Bill McCarthy called out again, "Forty-five and he's no good at all!" - "I'll give you twenty dollars." 1 Informant 24. 2 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 107 Jim McCarthy said, "A grey horse has more pearls in his head than any animal in the world." So Jim Grey takes his axe and kills the horse. He didn't find any pearls, so he was going to kill Jim McCarthy, but Jim McCarthy run him back home. He ran in calling out, "Oh, Becky, save me, save me!" II. They drug a lawg by the door and put four legs into it like a horse, wooden horse, and stood two legs up against the door and two legs on the ground. Jim Grey opened the door and the horse fell on him. He thought the devil was after him. He called out, "Dead -o, dead -o, Becky, save me! save me!" III. Used to play belly-post-butt. Two posts just wide enough for a head to go through by force, you stand in front of the two posts, the other fellow comes and butts you in the belly and shoves you into the crack. Carl Wesley was the belly-post-butt. He jumped aside and Jim Grey got his head in. They had to cut the post to get Jim Grey's head out. IV. Every day you could play a new trick on Jim. This was Skinningthe-cat. Used to have a ladder for to go up on and then turn a somersault on a limb of a tree. Jim Grey went up on the ladder. Got half way up and they took the ladder away, and he had to drop down. V. Jim Grey went out to shoot the decoy ducks in the lake, he crawled out on a rock, got close to them. Jim fired, singing out, "Dead oh!" All they saw was the water raise. They had cut the ramrod off, instead of four fingers, there was seven fingers of powder. VI. Old gun barrel, they plugged the end up, and stuck it in the fire. Jim Grey was asked to blow on it while they went across the road. He commenced blowing away. The gun burst. He called, "Dead oh! Dead oh!" All they seen of Jim Grey was a black streak going down the road. Nearly blinded him. They couldn' kill him, though. 9 108 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society VII.1 There used to be a fellow called James Gray. There was a man, who was a sailor, his name was Ed Watts, who ran away from a ship here. So he was always foolin' with this Jim Gray. This Watts used to be a painter. He had an old church where he did the painting. Ed pretended to be a great friend of Jim. He went in. Ed thought, "I'll have some fun with Jim today." So there used to be a turn buckle through the church, to hold the church up. He said, "Now, Jimmy, you go up there and show the people what you kin do." So up he goes, and he turns the turn buckle. Then Jim skinned the cat up there. After that he tried to get around straight. He couldn't make it. By and by he says, "Stand from under." He fell down and almost killed himself. 1 Informant 9. II. BALLADS AND SONGS 1. PRETTY POLLY.1 There was a youth, a fair well-loved youth, A rich squire's son was he. He courted her through one winter's night, And part of a hot summer's day. "Give me some of your mother's gold, Give me some of your father's too, Then we will go to some far coun-te-ree, And married we shall be." She went up to her father's stable door, There stood horses thirty and three. She mounted on her milk-white steed, He on the iron gray. They drove till they come to a broad river side, "Alight, alight!" cried she. "I have already drownded six maidens there, You the seventh shall be. Pull off, pull off your silk clothing, And lie there on the green." "For I don't think it's nice for a ruffian like you A naked woman to see." He turned his back towards her, She plunged him in the sea. "Don't sink, don't sink, you false young man, Don't sink, don't sink!" cried she. "If it's six pretty maidens already drownded here, The seventh you shall be." The parrot upon the window so high Heard those very words she did say. "Don't you pittle, don't you pattle, my polly dear, Don't you tell no tales on to me. For your cage shall be mated with those yellow-beaded gold, Your doors all of i-vo-ry." She mounted on her milk-white steed, And homeward she did go. She drove till she came to her father's stable door, Three hours before it was day. Informant 63. Cf. JAFL 23:374; also JAFL 43:254. 9* 110 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 2. RETURNING SOLDIER.1 As I passed by a flowery garden, A fair young man who was standing by, As I passed he seemed to know me, Saying, "Servant girl, won't you fancy I?" "Oh, fancy you, - I have a love of my own, sir, Seven long years he have been at sea, And seven more I shall wait ay-pon him, When he returns he will marry me." "I don't see how you can love a sailor, I don't see how you can love a slave, He may be dead, or he may be drownded, And the ocean may be his grave." "Oh, if he's dead, I wish him happiness, And if he's drownded, I'll wish him rest, And if he's not, I shall wait ay-pon him, When he returns he will marry me." "Oh, don't you see that lovely castle? That's where you and I must dwell." "What care I for your lovely castle, If my sailor boy shall e'er return!" "Oh, don't you see that flowery garden? That's where you and I must die." "What care I for your flowery garden, If my poor sailor boy shall e'er return!" He put his hand into his pocket, His fingers seemed gently and small, He drew a ring that were bent and broken, When she saw that she downward fell. He picked her up into his arms, He gave her kisses, saying, "One, two, three, It is your lovely, infectionate sailor, Who has come back for to marry thee." 3. BUTCHER BOY.2 In Jersey City where I did dwell, A butcher's boy I loved so well. He caught at me my heart away, And now with me he will not stay. There was an inn in this same town, Where my love goes and sat him down, He takes a strange girl on his knee, He tells to her what he don't tell me.. Informant 63. Cf. JAFL 22:67; 26:362, 363; 22:379. 2 Informant 63. Cf. JAFL 29:169. Folklore from Nova Scotia 111 Aggrieve for me, I'll tell you why, Because she has more gold than I. Her gold will melt, her silver will fly, In time of need she'll be as poor as I. Oh, mother, mother, you do not know What grief and pain, and sorrow, oh. Go get a chair and sit me down, A pen and ink, I'll write it down. On every line she dropped a tear, Was calling back her Willie dear. And when her father he came home, He asked "Where is my daughter gone?" He ran upstairs, the door he broke, He found her hanging upon a rope. He took his knife and cut her down, And in her bosom those lines were found, saying: What a foolish girl was I, To hang myself for a butcher's boy. Go dig my grave both long and deep, Place some oval stone at my head and feet, And on my breast place a turtle dove, To show the world I died for love. Variant.1 Must I go bonds, must I go free, Must I love a man that don't love me? And must I act the childish part, To marry a man that'll break my heart? Last night my lover promised me That he would take me across the deep blue sea. But now he's gone an' left me alone, I'm an orphan girl without any home. Must I go bonds, must I go free, Must I love a man that don't love me? And must I act the childish part, To marry a man that'll break my heart? There was a place in London town Where my true love sat himself down. He takes another girl on his knee, And tells to her what he won't tell me. Must I go bonds, must I go free, Must I love a man that don't love me? And must I act the childish part, To marry a man that'll break my heart? 1 Informant 4. 112 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society This world is wide, it has no end, How hard it is to find a friend! But when you find one good and true, Change not the old one for the new. 4. AS I WALKED OUT ONE MAY MORNING.1 As I walked out one May morning, Down by the river side, I spied a couple discoursing, That filled my heart with pride. "May the heavens bless you," said the young man, "Come sing me another song." "Oh, I'd like to be your lawful bride, But I'm 'fraid I am too young." "Oh, the younger the maid, the better for me," This young man he replied. "I'll marry ye, - the whole world may see,Make you my lawful bride." He took her by the lily-white hand, He kissed both cheek and chin, He led her in a marriage room, For to chat a while with her. And the first part of this evening, They had some sport and play, But now the latter part of this night Closed in their arms they lie. Oh, the night being gone, the day came on, This young man he rose up, When he rose up, put on his clothes, Says, "Fair ye well, my dear." "Is that the promise you made to me, Down by the river side, You promised that you'd marry me, Make me your lawful bride." "If that's the promise I made to you, That's more than I shall do, I'll never marry no any little maid So easily coaxed as you." Informant 48. Cf. JAFL 22:382, VI. Folklore from Nova Scotia 113 "There's a weed in my father's garding, They call it a bitter weed, When swallows dies an' fishes flies, All young men will prove true." 5. BARBARA ALLEN.1 In Scarlet Town where I was born There was a fair maid dwelling, Made every youth cry. "Wellaway," Her name was Barbara Allen. All in the merry month of May, When green buds there were swelling, Young Jimmy Grove on his death bed lay, For the love of Barbara Allen. And death is printed on his face, And o'er his heart astealing, Then haste away to comfort him, Oh, lovely Barbara Allen. So slowly, slowly came she up, And slowly she came near him, And all she said when she came there, "Young man, I think you're dying." He turned his face unto her straight, With deadly sorrow sighing, "Oh, pretty maid, come pity me, I'm on my death bed lying." "If on your death bed you do be, What needs the tale you're telling, I cannot keep you from your death, Farewell," said Barbara Alien. He turned his face unto the wall, And death was with him dealing, Adieu, adieu, my friends all, Adieu to Barbara Allen. As she was walking o'er the field, She heard the bells a-knelling, And every stroke did seem to say, Unworthy Barbara Allen. 1 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. Of. JAFL 42:268. 114 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society She turned her body round about, And spied the corpse a-coming, "Lay down, lay down the corpse," said she, "That I may look upon him,7' With scornful eyes she looked down, Her cheeksWhilst all her friends cried out amazed, Unworthy Barbara Allen. When he was dead and in his grave, Her heart was struck with sorrow, "Oh, mother, mother, make my bed, For I shall die tomorrow." "Hard-hearted creature him to slight, Who loved me O so dearly, 0, that I'd been more kind to him, When he was alive and near me." She on her death bed as she lay, Begged to be buried by him, And sore repented of the day, That she did e'er deny him. Farewell, she said, ye virgins all, And shun the fault I fell in, Henceforth take warning of the fall, Of cruel Barbara Allen. Variant.' It was in and about the Martmas time, When the green leaves were a-falling, That Sir John Graham in the west countree. Fell in love with Barbara Allen. He sent his men down through the town, To the place where she was dwelling, "Oh, haste and come to my master dear, If your name be Barbara Allen." Oh, slowly, slowly rose she up, To the place where he was lying, And when she drew the curtain by, "Young man I think you're dying." 1 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 115 "It's Oh, I'm sick, I'm very sick, And it's all for Barbara Allen." "Oh, the better for me, ye'll never be, Though your heart's blood were a-spilling." "0, dinna ye mind young man," she said, "When ye were in the tavern a drinking, That you treated all the other girls And slighted Barbara Allen." He turned his face upon the wall, And death was with him dealing, "Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all, And be kind to Barbara Allen." And slowly, slowly rose she up And slowly, slowly left him, And sighing said she could not stay, Since deyth of life had left him. She hadna gone a mile or two, When she heard the death bells ringing, And every jow the death bells gave, It cried "Wae to Barbara Allen." "0, Mother, Mother make my bed, And make it safe and narrow, Since my love died for me today, I'll die for him tomorrow." And from his grave there grew a rose, And from hers there grew a briar, They grew and grew to the churchyard steeple And then they could grow no higher. So they twined themselves in a true lovers' knot, The rose around the briar. 6. MY PRETTY MOHEA.1 As I went out walking, For pleasure one day, In the sweet recreation, To while time away, Informant 60. Heard from Myrtle McKay of Northeast Harbor. Recorded by E. C. P. Cf. JAFL 42:282-3. 116 M1emoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society As I sat amusing, Myself on the grass, Who should I spy, But a fair Indian Lass. She sat down beside me, And taking my hand, Said, "You are a stranger, And in a strange land, But if you will follow, You're welcome to come, And dwell in the cottage That I call my home." The sun was fast sinking, Far o'er the blue sea, When I wandered alone, With my Pretty Mohea. Together we wandered. Together did roam, Till we came to the cot, In the cocoanut grove. Then this kind expression She made unto me, "If you will consent, Sir, To stay here with me, And go no more roaming, Upon the salt sea, I'll teach you the language, Of the Lass of Mohea." "Oh, no, my dear maiden, That I have a true love in my own country, And I'll not forsake her, For I know she loves me, And her heart is as true as The Pretty Mohea." T'was early one morning, A morning in May, These words I did say, "I'm going to leave you, So farewell, my dear, My ship sails are spreading, And home I must steer." Folklore from Nova Scotia 117 The last time I saw her, She stood on the strand, And as my boat passed her, She waved me her hand, Saying, "When you have landed With the girl that you love, Think of the little Mohea, In her cocoanut grove." And then when I have landed, On my own native shore, With friends and relations Around me once more, I gazed all about me, Not one could I see, That was fit to compare, With my Pretty Mohea. For the girl that I trusted, Proved untrue to me, So I turn my course backwards From this land I'll flee, I'll go spend my days, With my pretty Mohea. 7. IT'S THE DANGER OF THE SEA.1 The sea's ruboreas, blusterin' railers, List you landsmen unto me, Shipmates hear another sailor Sing the danger of the sea. From bounding billows first in motion, Where the distant whirlwinds rise, To the tempest-troubled ocean, Where the sea contend the skies. Now all that's home in safety, Sheltered from the howling storm, Tasting joys of heaven-vowed safety, Off our state vain ocean forms. Round us roars the tempest louder, Think what fear each mind enthralls, Harder, yet it blows still harder, Now again the bo's'n calls. 1 Informant 64. 118 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Hark the bo's'n hoarsely bawling, "By topsails, sheets and halyards stand, Down top-gallants, quick behauling, Down your staysails, handboys hand! Fore and aft the spritsail yards get, Reef the mizzen, the seasails clear, Hand up each preventer, brace it, Man the foreyard, cheer, lads, cheer!" All around us one wide ocean, All above us one black sky, Different deaths that once surround us, Hark, what means the dreadful cry. "The foremast's gone," cried every tongue out, O'er the lea twelve feet above deck, A leak beneath the chestree's sprung out, Call all hands to clear the wreck. Quick the lanyards cut in pieces, Come, my lads, be stout and bold, Plumb the well, the leak increases, Four foot of water in the hold. O'er the ship wild waves are beating, We for wives and children mourn, Alas! From hence there's no retreating, Alas! To them there's no return. Still the leak is gaining on us, Both our chain pumps choke below, Heaven have mercy here upon us, Only that can save us now. O'er the lea beam lays the land, boys, Let your guns overboard be thrown, To the pumps come every hand, boys, See! Our mizzen mast is gone. The leak we've found, it can't pour fast now, We lightened her a foot or more, Up and rig a jury foremast, She rights! She rights, boys, we're off shore! Now once more peace on us beaming, Since kind heaven spared our lives, From our eyes joyous tears are streaming, For our children and our wives. Folklore from Nova Scotia 119 Graceful hearts may beat and wander, To Him who thus prolongs our days. Hushed to rest the mighty thunder, Every tongue burst forth in praise. 8. BLOW THE MAN DOWN!1 Yankee ship Coming down the river Blow boys! Bully boys blow! How do you know She's a Yankee Clipper, Blow boys! Bully boys blow! Knock him down With a marlin clipper, Blow boys! Bully boys blow! The shipper's got yer grog, In an old hand dipper, Blow boys! Bully boys blow! The cook is a Swede, And you want yer supper, Blow boys! Bully boys blow! The mate's arm, Is just like a hammer, Blow boys! Bully boys blow! 9. HOLD THE WOOD PILE DOWN!2 Steamboat comin' round the bend, 'Way down in Georgia Loaded down with colored men, Hold the woodpile down. 1 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 2. Heard in the South. Recorded by E. C. P. 120 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 10. THE OUTFIT.1 First thing they gave him, It was an old coat, With a piece of stiff buckram, Right under the throat. And our country so true, We'll all die defending, The red, white and blue. The next thing he gave me, It was an old horse, All sadcled, all bridled, With two legs acrosst, And back to the war, When he jumped on his back, He gave him the steel, An' Pat and bejabers he was right on his heel. And the next thing he gave him, It was an old gun, And on the trigger he placed his big thumb. First she caught fire, Next she struck smoke, And she gave his shoulder, The devil's own poke. 11. OLD UNCLE NED.2 There was an ol' man, an' his name was Uncle Ned, He died long, long ago, He had no wool on the top of his hand, Nor the place where the wool ought t' grow. He had no teeth for t' eat the corn cake, So he had t' let the corn cake go. His foot was a long as a Mississippi scow, His heel gave out no sound. His leg was placed in the middle of the foot, So the hollow made a hole in the ground. 1Informant 8, who said it was about an Irishman they were sending to war. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 48. Folklore from Nova Scotia 121 Hang up the fiddle an' the bow, Lay down the shovel an' the hoe, There's no more work for poor ol' Ned, For he's gone where the good darkies go. 12. WIFE'S COMPLAINT.1 When I was single I lived at my ease, Now I am married a husband to please, Three young, children all to maintain, Oh, how I wish I was single again. One cries, "Mother, I want a piece of bread." Other cries, "Mother, I want to go to bed." Wash them and dress them and put them to bed, Husband a scolding, I wish I was dead. It's nothing in the morning but up, up, up, Husband's breakfast to be got, Hurry, hurry, make the kittle boil, Husband a scolding all the while. Before I was married you were my little dove, Little darling, beauty, little turtle dove, Now I'm married there's no such thing, You nasty, dirty hussy, you good-for-nothing thing. 13. IN A LONELY GRAVEYARD.2 In a lonely graveyard, There's many miles away, There lies yer old, old mother, If you love your mother, It's wandering boy come home, Let yer manhood waken, If yer love your mother, Meet her in the skies. 14. OH BALTIMORE!2 I met the long tall brown-skin man, Where did he come from'? Baltimore, Baltimore. I met the long tall brown-skin man. He's on the road somewhere Oh Baltimore, Oh Baltimore! 1 Informant 65. 2 Informant 1. Recorded by E. C. P. 122 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 15. GOIN' TO DE SHUCKIN'.1 Goin' to de shuckin', goin' to de shuckin', Goin' to de shuckin' in de corn, Stay until the morning, Stop until the dawning, Stay until the broken of the day, Sure as you're born. Oh, the truth an' I laid out upon the table, An' the lovely locks a-hung upon the peg, Oh, I roared an' laughed as loud as I was able For to see my love screw off her wooden leg. Red hot, an' I guess not, An' I was the gayest little darky in the land, Please to gaze upon Josephus' orange blossom, I'se a red hot, hunky-dory contraband. 16. HAM FAT, HAM.1 Ham fat, ham, This old darky's always am, Won't you git out to de kitcher, boys, As quick as ever you can, 'Cause there's where your mutton chop An' your ham fat pan. I'm a simple little darky boy, I s'pose you all to know, I'm just from Alabama 'Bout fifty years ago. I used to pick the cotton whilst massa danced a reel, I'se simply is a nigger boy, lightnin' on the heel. Ham fat, ham, This old darky's always am, Won't you git out to de kitchen, boys, As quick as ever you can, 'Cause there's where your mutton chop An' your ham fat am. 1 Informant 48. Folklore from Nova Scotia 123 17. JUBA.1 Juba dis an' Juba dat, Juba roun' de kidney fat, Walk in some more, I'll be your frien', Long road to travel, Little money for t' spen'. I like gravy over sweet pertaters, I like gravy over sweet pertaters, Ram, dam, Davy Dutton Eatin' up a leg o' mutton, Walk in some more, I'll be your frien', Long road to travel, Little money for t' spen. Forty horses in the stable, Take one out an' grease his navel, Walk in some more, I'll be your frien', Long road to travel, Little money for t' spen'. I like gravy over sweet pertaters, Ruffle shirt an' standin' collar, Choke a nigger till he hollers, Walk in some more, I'll be your frien', Long road to travel, Little money for t' spen'. I like gravy over sweet pertaters, (Etc.) 18. HOBO TOAST.2 I was standing in the crossing, I was feelin' mighty tired. I was waitin' for a freight train, To bring along an empty car. I was feelin' mighty hungry, I was feelin' like somethin' to eat, When I begged an Irish lady, 1Informant 66. Cf. Negro Folk Rhymes, by Thomas W. Tally. Juba, p. 9. 2 Informant 1. Learned from a sailor in West Indies. Recorded by E. C. P. 10 124 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society To give me some bread and meat. She gave me bread and chicken, She treated me mighty fine, Which put me in the notion Of begging hand-outs' all the time. She said, "Mister, I know yer hungry By the way you eat, Your shoes they are mighty worn, And do they hurt your feet? There's an old pair hangin' in back, That's been there for some time, And I think they'll suit your business, In the Pennsylvania line." I says, "Madam, I've travelled this world all over, I've roamed from coast to coast, And there's not a farm-house gate In all these states, That hasn't got my mark. For tonight I may sleep in some hotel, But tomorrow night, the Park. But Bengor, Maine, is just the same, As Sunny Tennessee, And any old place, I hang this sky-piece, Is home sweet home, for me. 19. BALLAD TOLD AS PROSE: THE SCOTCHMAN WHO LOVED AN IRISH GIRL.2 Once there was a young Scotchman, an' he went to see an Irish girl. Her parents didn't like the Scotchman, because the girl was Irish, an' they wanted her to marry this Irish boy. So the Scotchman went away to make some money. The girl used to go to her bedroom, an' cry an' cry. She didn't want to get married to no Irish boy. What did she do? She set down an' wrote a letter to her Scotch fellow, an' said on such a day her father had appointed for her to be married, an' try to be there if he could, three o'clock in the evening. So he answered back: "I'll be there, Don't worry, I'll be there."..... The hour come. She had to dress. First thing here comes the Irish chap with all his grooms, an' all, an' all dressed, an' he set in the parlor waitin' for the clergyman. He looked out the window, an' then he said, "Oh, my, look at that crowd of people. Who are them? They're all dressed in green, an' on white horses. An' all the horses' heads is trimmed off in green an' flags.. 1 A feed. 2 Informant 38. Folklore from Nova Scotia 125 They're all men, too." So they rode up to the gate. It was a big, swing gate, an' one man opened it an' they walked in. They had swords on 'em, an' they glittered like new steel. So they come to the door an' rapped. Then the Irish fellow went to the door an' told them all to come in. They set chairs about, an' told them to set down. The marriage was halted a while, 'cause these fellows was comin' in. The intended groom come around with the wine, treating all the company. He treated the strangers first. Every man gave a toast. This was the Scotchman's toast: Here's to the health of the bonny bride, Who sets beside the groom, A man who loved her as well as I, Might take her from your side. The groom then kind o' saw what was up. He said: Was it for fightin' you come here? If it was for fightin' you come here, I am the man for thee. The Scotchman said: Not for fightin' I came here, But good fellowship to show, Give me one kiss from your bonny bride An' away, away, I'll go. He took her by the lily-white hand, An' led her out o' the room, No more for you an Irish bride, Away, away I'll go. Out he went, an' all the soldiers followed. They mounted on white horses, an' had a horse for her, all trimmed in green. The intended groom said: Come all ye noble Irishmen, Take warning now by me, Never go to Ireland To chose yourself a wife. For if you are served as I was served, All on my wedding day, A ketchin' frogs instead o' fish, I always got foul play. I had my drink with them, an' a piece of weddin' cake, an' I left the groom fine. 10* 126 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 20. BALLAD TOLD AS PROSE: THE SAILOR LOVER.1 Once there was a young man and he used to go see a young lady. He used to go sea into a bark or a brig. One day he told her he got to go away. He said, "I got to go away. The cap'n wants us to go tomorrow morning." She cried an' went on, 'cause she didn't want him to go away. But he said, "We got to hoist sail an' go out." What did she do? She went an' got a suit of sailor's clothes, an' had her hair cut, an' then went down to the ship. Down there they had to hunt a man, 'cause they was one short in the crew. She asked the cap'n did he want a man, an' he said yes, so they made their bargain an she shipped with him. They sailed seven years. Her best fellow didn't know her from a strange man.... So he went ashore. There was a party next evening and he was invited an' he could bring any of his men. So he went back an' told the other sailors, an' asked them all to go. Then he asked the cap'n if he would stay in port until they went to the party, an' asked him to go to the party..... So she was washing her neck, down in the cap'n's cabin, mind you. Her fellow passed by an' spied her an' he knew her. He didn't say anything at the party, though. She danced a man's dance, an' went around just like some man, like the rest of them..... Then they got married, an' Jack told the cap'n. I haa dinner with them the next day, an' I had my gold ring on my finger, an' I lost my gold ring. 1 Informant 38. III. GAME SONGS AND COUNTING-OUT RHYMES 1. On the green carpet here I stand, Take your true love by the hand, When he hollers let him go, Turn around, tell him he's too slow.' 2. Onery, ory, Hickery an, Philisy, Phalasy, Nicholas John, Queesy, quavy, Irish marriage, Frinkelum, frumpelum buck.2 3. Hickory, dickery dock, The mouse ran up the clock, The clock struck one, And down he come, Hickory, dickery, dock.3 4. High diddledee dumdee The cat ran up the plum tree, She caught a plum, And down she come, High diddledee dumdee.3 5. Hickery, dickery, dan, Sing high, sing low, for the gingerbread man, His frown so neat, His smile so sweet, And his gingerbread shoes, On his gingerbread feet.4 6. I wrote a letter to my love And on the way he dropped it, A little boy picked it up, And put it in his pocklet.3 1 Informant 68. 2 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 4 Informant 60. Read in an old paper. Recorded by E. C. P. 128 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 7. The farmer's in the dell High-ho! material. The farmer takes his wife, The wife takes the child, The child takes the nurse, The nurse takes the dawg, The dawg takes the bone, High-ho! material, The bone stands alone.1 8. Nine o'clock is striking, Mother, may I go out? All the boys are waiting, Just to get me out. First they gave me apples, Then they gave me pears, Then they gave me fifty cents For kissing on the stairs. I don't want your apples, I don't want your pears, I don't want your fifty cents For kissing on the stairs. I can wash the dishes, I can sweep the floor, I can kiss the Chinaman Behind the pantry door.2 9. Eeny, meany, miney, mo,3 Catch a niggerl by the toe, If he hollers let him go, Eeny, meany, miney, mo.4 -10. Nigger, nigger never die, Black face and shiney eyes, Thick lips and flat5 nose, On the head the wool6 grows.7 1 Informant 69. Recorded by E. C. Pa 2 Informant 70. Cp. JAFL 42:306. 3 Variant: Tinker, minker, miner, mo. 4 Variant: Black man. 5 Variant: Big. 6 Variant: Wooly. 7 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 129 11. Coon, coon, coon, I wish my color would fade. Coon, coon, coon, I wish for another shade. I'd rather be a white man Than a coon, coon, coon, Coon, coon, coon, Rubber neck balloon. I'd rather be a white man Than a coon, coon, coon. 12. Hitchey, pitcher, Dormer, nicher, High pan tippity, top Out goes y o u.1 13. A raccoon has a bushy tail The possum's sweet and bare The possum's tail is fair The rabbit he come skippin' by For he has no tail to spare.2 'Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 67. Recorded by E. C. P. IV. NURSERY RHYMES AND OTHER VERSES 1. Old Mrs. Pitter Patter Bought some bitter batter, And she had some bitter butter, She put it in her bitter batter, And it made her bitter batter bitterer, And she said she'd get some better butter, Put it in her bitter batter, And make her bitter batter better. 2. Mary had a little lamb, Her father shot it dead, Now Mary takes her lamb to school Between two chunks of bread. 3. Please, Mother Grey, May I go out and play? Yes, you may, But don't paddle in the water.' 4. I stuck my nose in a Billy Goat, The stink was enough to blind you, I took it home and bottled it up, For the girl he left behind me.1 5. Upon my word and honor, As I went round the corner, I met a pig without a wig, Upon my word and honor.' 6. Around the pump, About the pump, Give the pump a cut.' 7. He's gone in his hole, He's gone in his hole, Yankee doodle dandy, He's gone up a tree, 1 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 131 He's gone up a tree, Yankee doodle dandy, Yankee doodle bow, wow, wow, Yankee doodle dandy, Yankee doodle stuck a feather in his hat And called it macaronee. Yankee doodle went to town, Ridin' on a pony, Stuck a feather in his cap, And called it macaronee.' 8. There was a crooked man, Went a crooked mile, He found a crooked six-pence Against a crooked stile, He bought a crooked cat That caught a crooked mouse, They all lived together In a little crooked house. 9. Little Bettie Blue Lost her holiday shoe, What did little Bettie do? Give her another to match the other, And then she may walk in two.2 10. Hi-diddle-diddle, Cats and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed To see the sport, Dish run away with a spoon.2 11. Once I had a pony, Its name was Dolly Gray, I lent it to a lady To drive a mile away. She whipped him, she lashed him, She drove him in the mire, I will not let my pony, For all the lady's hire.2 12. Rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub, Three men in a tub, The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, They all jumped out of a roast o' potato.2 1 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 11. 132 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 13. Four and twenty tailors, Went to kill a snail, Best man among them Couldn't touch her tail. She put out her horns, Like a little cow, Run, tailors, run, Or she'll kill you all just now.' 14. Goosey, goosey, gander, Where do you wander? Up stairs, and down stairs, In the lady's chamber. There he found an old maid, That couldn't say her prayers. So he took her by the leg And threw her down stairs.' 15. Dance little baby, Dance up high, Never mind, baby, Mama is nigh. Crow and caper, Caper and crow, There, little baby, There you go. Up to the ceiling, Down to the ground, Backwards and forwards, Around and around.' 16. Once I saw a little bird Come hop, hop, hop, So I cried, Little bird, Won't you stop, stop, stop? And I went to the window To say how do you do, And it shook its little tail And away it flew.' 17. Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie. When the pie was opened, 1 Informant 11. Folklore from Nova Scotia 133 The birds began to sing: Oh, what a dainty dish it was To set before the king. King was in his counting house, Counting out his money, Queen was in the kitchen, Eatin' bread and honey. Maid was in the garden, Hanging out clothes, Out jumped the blackbird Snapped off her nose. Went down town for a wooden nose, When she come back she couldn't blow her nose.1 18. Two little drummers whose fifes was so fair, Seeking a castle all covered with hair. The fifer goes in and rummages about, While the two little drummers are drumming without. The fifer comes out and drops down his head, Great God, says the drummer, the fifer is dead.' 19. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, She had so many children she didn't know what to do. She gave them some broth without any bread, And whipped them all soundly and put them to bed. She woke in the morning, she found them all dead. She went to the church to toll the church bell, On the way she broke wind and down she fell. She went upstairs for a drink of cider, And there stood a dirty buggar jerkin' off a spider. She went upstairs for a drink of gin, And there was the dirty buggar jerkin' off again.2 Variant.3 She went upstairs and tolling the bell, She let a big fart and down she fell, She went upstairs for a drink of gin, She fell in the piss pot to her chin, 1Informant 11. 2 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 3 Informant 67. Recorded by E. C. P. 134 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society She couldn't swim, she couldn' float, A great big turd went down her throat. 20. Mary had a little lamb, She tied it in the garden, Every time it shook its tail, It showed its Dolly Varden. Mary had a little sheep, She took it to bed with her to sleep, The sheep turned out to be a ram, And Mary had a little lamb. Mary had a little lamb, Its face was black as charcoal, Every time it shook its tail, He showed his little air hole. Mary had a little lamb It drank a bottle of ink, Every time it shook its tail, It made a little stink.' 21. Blue eyed beauty, Do your mother's duty, Black eye pick a pie, Turn around and tell a lie, Grey eye greedy gut, Eat all the world up.2 22. What's little girls made out of? What's the little girls made out of? Sugar and spice and everything nice. That's what little girls are made of. What's little boys made out of What's little boys made out of? Snaps and snails and puppy dogs' tails, That's what little boys are made of. What are big girls made out of? What are big girls made out of? Powder and paint and lace till you faint, That's what big girls are made of. 'Informent 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 67. Recorded by E. C. P. Folklore from Nova Scotia 135 What's young men made out of? What are young men made of? Whiskey1 and rum and be on the bum, That's what young men are made of. What are old maids made of What are old maids made of? Rags and jags and old crocus2 bags, That's what old maids are made of. What are old bachelors made out of, What are old bachelors made of?3 (Forgotten) 23. Yankee doodle had a cat, And it was double jointed, Everywhere that Yankee went, The cat was disappointed.4 24. Hiddledy, diddledy doo, The cow jumped over the moon, The little dog laughed to see such fun, The dish ran away with the spoon, The spoon came back, but the dish got broke, Hiddledy, diddledy, doo.4 25. If all the world was apple pie, And all the sea was ink, And all the trees was bread and cheese, What would we have to drink.4 26. Harry West he was possessed For drinking apple cider, He drank so much, He bust his guts, He made his belly wider.4 27. Old Grimes' wife makes butter and cheese, Old Grimes he drinks the whey, There came an easterly wind from west, And blew old Grimes away. 1 Variant: Cigars. 2 Jute. 3 Informant 67. Recorded by E. C. P. 4 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P... 136 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Old Grimes he wants a thousand bricks, To build his chimney higher, To keep his neighbors' dogs and cats, From pissing in his fire.' 28. She sells sea shells, On the seashore, She sells sea shells, Oh sea shells I'm sure, For the shells she sells, Is sea shore shells.1 29. I slit the sheep, And the sheep slit me, Laddie was a sheep, That was slit by me.' 30. Rattle your bottles Round Ellix's barn.1 31. Skunk jumped over a stump, In a skunk hole, The stump said the skunk stunk, The skunk said the stump stunk.' 32. Riddly, riddly, right, I lost my girl on Saturday night, And where do you think I found her? Up in the moon dancing a tune, And all the stars around her.2 33. I live for those who love me, For those who know I'm true, For the heaven that shines above me, And the good that I can do; For the task that God assigns me And the Almighty hope that binds me, And the task I left behind me, - And I'll take back my old shoes.3 34. Grasshopper settin' on a sweet p'tato vine, Sweet p'tato vine, sweet p'tato vine, Turkey gobbler come along behin', An' snapped him off a sweet p'tato vine.4 1Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 2 Informant 73. 3 Informant 1. 4 Informant 48. Folklore from Nova Scotia 137 Variant. Grasshopper sat on a sweet potato vine, Sweet potato vine, sweet potato vine. Turkey gobbler came along behind, Snapped him off the sweet potato vine.' 35. My black gal, She smell of sweet perfume, But the white girl uses vaseline, But she gets there just the same.2 36. As I was going down town I met a trolley car, It crushed a man's brains up. I picked up the man's brains and he wouldn't say thank you.2 37. John dear, Put your diabolical fingers In my pathitical box, Extract a pinch Of my insentnifisee Cinerate your nostrils, And make you feel very salubrious.3 38. Jack O'Rackus fell over a pot of hot ashes, And shook his hand at Jericho for the last bottle of moonshine. 39. God made Vernon, He made him in the night, He made him in a hurry He forgot to make him white.4 40. Did you ever go into an Irishman's shanty? The water was scarce, the whiskey was plenty, A three legged stool, and a table to match, The door was locked without any latch.3 41. The devil made the niggers, He made them in the night, He made them so fast, He forgot to paint 'em white.3 Informant 1. 2 Informant 13. 3 Informant 60. Recorded by E. C. P. 4 I heard a white boy chant this as a colored boy crossed the street. E. C. P. 138 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 42. Massy had a yaller gal, He got her from the South. Her hair was curled so mighty tight, She could not shut her mouth. I took her to the tailor shop To get her mouth cut small, She drew up such a long breath, She drew up tailor an' all.1 43. If any little love of mine Will make life the sweeter, If any little care of mine Will make a friend the fleeter, If any little lift of mine Will ease the burden of another, God give me love and care and strength To help a toiling brother.2 44. Remember me early, Remember me late, Remember the night We kissed the gate. When we get married, Baby is cross, Come to my house, And have some apple sauce.3 45. Oh, black baby, black baby, can you swim? Yes, I can swim when the tide comes in.4 46. Here lays the body of Bobby Jones, Who made his money through grinding bones. Here lays the body of Billy Jenkins, Who made his money through stealing chickens.4 47. NURSERY STORY: TINY TINY.5 Once upon a time there was a tiny, tiny woman. This tiny, tiny woman had a tiny, tiny house. The tiny, tiny house had a tiny, tiny bedroom and a tiny, tiny kitchen. This tiny, tiny woman went Informant 75. 2 Informant 74. 3 Informant 34. 4 Informant 8. Recorded by E. C. P. 5 Informant 44. Folklore from Nova Scotia 139 to her tiny work, an' on her way she met a tiny church an' she found a tiny, tiny bone in the tiny, tiny church. She picked up the tiny, tiny bone an' went home to her tiny, tiny house. She went up to her tiny bedroom, an' went to her tiny bed an' put her tiny bone under her tiny pillow, an' just as she was going to her tiny sleep, she heard a tiny person say, "Give me my tiny, tiny bone." An' she put her tiny head under her tiny, tiny quilts an' just as she was getting into a tiny, tiny doze she heard the person say, "Gimme that tiny, tiny bone that you took at that tiny, tiny church. Gimme my tiny, tiny bone." Then she took the tiny, tiny bone out to the tiny, tiny person. Tin can bended, And the story upset it. 48. NURSERY STORY: DARK, DARK.1 As I was coming along a dark, dark road, I came to a dark, dark house. I went in the dark, dark house, and in this dark, dark house, there was a dark, dark stairs. I went up the dark, dark stairs and I went into a dark, dark room, and in this dark, dark room there was a dark, dark box, and in this dark, dark box there was a dark, dark ghost. 1Informant 35. 11 V. RIDDLE TALES AND RIDDLES1 A virgin was going to be hanged. She asked for a chance for her life and the jailers told her if she could give them a riddle they couldn't solve she might go free. So she gave them this riddle. As I went out and in again, From the dead the living came, Six there is, and seven there'll be, And that will set the virgin2 free. There was a bird's nest in a horse's carcass.3 Six eggs had hatched out and one was soon to be hatched. Variant: There was a girl going to be killed if she couldn't make a riddle. They gave her ten minutes to make the riddle. She made this: As I went in and out again, Out of the dead the living came, Six there were and seven there'll be, And that will take a young maiden free. She went outside and found a dead horse's head and there was a bird's nest in it with six little chickens and one more to be hatched. Variant: There was a fellow one time, he was going to be hung. Judge said if he give him a riddle he couldn't answer, he would let him go free. In the dead the living came, Four there were and five there'll be. Robin build a nest in an ox head in the field, laid four eggs. 1 The following riddles or variants of these riddles were recorded from white informants: 1-3, 5, 7-8, 10, 14-15, 24-28, 30, 33, 35-39, 42, 45-48, 52, 55, 57, 61, 63, 65-67, 73-76, 79-80, 84, 86-87, 89, 91, 96, 101, 104-106, 109, 112-113, 115, 117-118, 121-122, 125-126, 129-130, 138, 140, 142-146, 151, 153-154, 159-160, 162-163, 165-166, 169 -170, 175-181, 184, 186-189, 195, 199, 200, 202-209, 211, 218, 220-223, 226, 231-235, 239, 240, 249, 250, 255. Had the number of white informants been larger, undoubtedly the number of riddles contributed by whites would have been greater. It is safe to say that the riddle lore of Nova Scotia is as well known to the white as to the colored population. 2 Variants: This fair maid. My words. 3 Variant: Frame. Folklore from Nova Scotia 141 Variant: Joe killed Joey, and I killed Joe, I shot the dead and living came forth. Throw a stone at a dead horse and a carrion fly will come out. 2. Riddledy, riddledy, riddledy, right Where was I last Friday night? The wind was high, and so was I, The leaves1 did shake, my heart did ache To see the holes the fox did make To bury me in. A girl had a sweetheart. He wanted to get rid of her, so he though he'd kill her. She got there ahead of him and got up a tree. He came with a spade and a shovel, and with a friend he dug a grave. He waited until he got tired of waiting. Then he went away with his friend, and she said this riddle. Variant: Riddle, come riddle, Riddle, come right, Where was I last Friday night, The wind blew, the cock crowed, Bell of heaven struck eleven, I followed the fox under the tree, Diggin' a hole to bury me. A fellow was engaged to marry a girl. He saw another he liked better. So he rigged up this place and was goin' to bury her in it. She overheard, and came up on him while he was diggin', and so she told him the riddle. Variant: A girl had been keeping company with a young man. Wanted her to meet him in a grove of woods. Appointed the time. Girl went in good faith earlier than the hour mentioned. Longing to see him. She climbed a tree to see if she could see him coming. He, coming, carried a spade. She got suspicious. His intention was to murder the girl. Dug this hole. His patience gave out, went home. A few days later there was a gathering, at which they were giving toasts and riddles. The girl gave this: Come riddle, come riddle me right, Where was I last Saturday night. The moon was high, and so was I. The leaves did shake, my heart did quake, To see the hole the fox did make. 1Variant: Limbs. 11* 142 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: Where was I last Friday night, The tree did shake, The wind did blow, To see the hole the fox did make. 3. Riddle-me-ree, riddle-me-right, Where was I last Saturday night? In my skin. 4. Love I sit, love I stand, Love I hold in my right hand, I see love on yonder tree,' I see love but love don't see me. It was a girl and she had a dog, and she cut the dog up, and put a piece under her foot, a piece under the tree, and a piece in her right hand. She also put a piece on the chair where she sat.2 Variant: Yet I sit, yet I stand, Yet I hold in my right hand. I see yet, yet can't see me, Whoever guesses this riddle may hang me. A girl was going to be hanged, and they told her they would free her if she could tell a riddle no one could guess. So she had a dog named Yet. She killed the dog and cut a piece from his hide and put it in her hand, and then she put her glove on. Variant: It seems as though this girl was taken up. She was in prison. At that time people used to hang for certain things. Judge said to her, "If you can make a riddle we will let you go free." She had a little dawg. She killed him, puts a piece in her hand, stands on a piece, sits on a piece. She says, Love I set on, Love I stand on, Love I hold fast in my hand. Love is blinds and cannot see. These are the words that will set me free.4 When she had her trial, there was not a soul in the courthouse that could guess it. 1 Variant: Under the tree. 2 Variant: Man going to be hung. He had a little dawg named Love. He killed it and skinned it, made a pair of slippers and stood on it. Made a cushion. 3 Variant: Dead. 4 Variant: If you can't guess this riddle, I will be free. Folklore from Nova Scotia 14.3 5. Horn eating horn that never was born, Upon an old oak tree. Gravel above, and gravel below, Set this poor negro free. There was an old colored man arrested and they told him they would set him free if he would give them a riddle they couldn't solve. So a hawk caught a chicken and flew up in the limb of an oak tree. The old colored man saw this and put some gravel in his pocket and got in a limb way above the hawk. Then he made up his riddle from that. The chicken's bill and nails are horn. The chicken is not born, it is hatched. Variant: Horn eat horn, before horn was born, On top of an oak tree, Underneath the ground. Man took a horn of calf's foot unborn, went up an oak tree, he ate the horn with a big pile of earth on his head. Variant: Mr. Horn ate horn before horn was born, Up in an old oak tree. A cow was going to have a calf. The man killed the cow and cut the calf out, and ate its horn before the calf was born. 6. Something about a man was going to be hanged. He had the privilege, if he made a riddle they could not guess in a given time, he could get clear. Under gravel I do travel, On beet leaves I do stand. Ride a colt was never foalded, And carry a piece of the dame In my hand. He put gravel on his head, killed a mare, got out a colt, put a piece of the hide in his hand. 7. There was a fellow one time, he was going to be hung. Judge said if he give him a riddle he couldn't answer, would let him go free. So he said': Variant: There was a fellow in jail, man came to visit him. Jailer said to visitor, "Are you any relation to the prisoner?" 144 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Brothers and sisters have I none, But this man's father is my father's son. That was him.1 8. Two full brothers were walking along the road, and they seen some children out playing. One brother says to the other, "I must go speak to them children, they are my nephews and nieces." Other brother says, "I will keep on, I have no nephews or nieces." The man that went to speak was the uncle. The father of the children kept on. 9. There was once two ladies and they were walking together and there was a young boy passed them on the road, and one of the ladies spoke awfully kind to the boy. And the other lady said, "You must know that young fellow." - "Yes," she says, "that boy's mother was my mother's only daughter." How near relation was the boy to the woman? Her son. 10. Jack's father was Paddy's brother And what was Jack to Paddy's mother? Grandson. 11. A girl was in love with a fellow. She wanted him to marry her, but for a long time he wouldn't. For a long time she asked him why, and so finally he gave her this riddle: Two feet, Knee deep, Box of soap wouldn't wash my handkerchief. She married him and "fell in the ditch." What he meant was, that he worked so hard and got so dirty, and his clothes too, that it would take a box of soap to keep him clean. And the girl was sorry afterward she married him, because she always had to wash. 12. Master of all masters, Take to your trumpets, Call John the Great, Lady in Parliament. Fire-ingo has caught to Calcrocus back, If you don't soon return to your river, true France, Your castle of We-go will be all sent into ruin. 1 Variant: His own son was in jail. Folklore from Nova Scotia 145 A spark of fire jumped on the cat's (Calcrocus) back. The cat ran under the bed and the bed caught on fire. The head of the house (John the Great) had to be called, and his wife (Lady in Parliament). They had to get water from the river of France or the castle would be burned. 13. Mr. Smith left Halifax on the Montreal express. He had a special call to be at St. John, N. B. After he got to St. John, leaving the station walking for Carlton, before he got to Carlton he met Mr. Brooks. Mr. Brooks stopped Mr. Smith, and said to him, "Howdy-do, Mr. Smith." Mr. Smith said, "Howdy-do, Mr. Brooks." Mr. Brooks said, "Where you going, Mr. Smith." Mr. Smith said, "I'm going out gunning." Mr. Brooks said, "Why don't you stop here, this is a good place for gunning." Mr. Smith started to turn from Mr. Brooks. Mr. Brooks got mad. Mr. Smith shot at and killed Mr. Brooks. - Is it murder? Mr. Brooks is a brook of water. There was one human person, Smith. There was a killdie (a long crane). He shot it and killed it. 14. I went into an orchard and stole some apples. I gave her half I had and half a one. I gave the second one half of what I had left and half a one. Then I gave a little boy all I had left. How many apples did I have? Seven. 15. A man came to an apple orchard. There were three sentries there. He asked one of the sentries if he might have some apples. The sentry said, "You may take some apples on this condition. You must give me one half of what you get plus one half an apple. Then you must give the second sentry one half of what is left plus one half an apple, and to the third sentry you must give one half of what remains and one half an apple. Then you may have what is left. But all of us must have whole apples. Not one apple must be cut." How many apples did the man pick? Fifteen. 16. There were three women went to market, to sell some eggs. First woman had ten aiggs, second woman, she had thirty aiggs, third woman had fifty aiggs. Said they all sold their aiggs at market price and each one got ten cents. First woman went to shop, aiggs selling seven for a cent. She sold seven, she had three left. Second woman sold four cents worth. She had two left. Third woman sold seven cents worth, one left. They went down street a little further, and eggs went up, three cents apiece. First one sold her three aiggs, three cents apiece, made ten cents. Second woman sold two for six, last sold one for three. 146 M6emoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 17. A man had fifty thousand dollars. He bought him a hat for ten dollars, two shirts for twelve dollars, collars for one dollar, buttons for one dollar, underwear for five dollars, socks twelve dollars, shoes twelve dollars, rings fifteen dollars, watch thirty dollars, grocery bill two hundred dollars exactly. He bought everything he needed in this world but one thing, still he needed it and still he had to buy it. What was it? His wife. 18. A donkey came to a field where was some water and hay. But before he could get to the hay he have to pass the water. He couldn't swim, and it was too long for him to go roun'. What did he do? Give up. 19. When it was begun, it was done, when it was half done, it was done. Yet it wasn't done when it was finished (done). Gerald Smith courts May Dunn. She was still Mary Dunn when she was half done. When she was finished, she was Mrs. Smith. 20. A man was going along the street and he lost a ring off his finger. He had a cane in his hand. A woman came along and said to him, "What did you lose?" He said, "A ring." She said, "Look on the end of your cane." He looked on the end of his cane. What was there? Mud. 21. A French woman went to sell two or three dozen socks. She sold them and took trade for them. She forgot some of the things she wanted. She said to the storekeeper, "Oh, there are some things I forgot." The storekeeper went over a number of things. Each time she said, "No, no, no, no." Then all of a sudden she said, "Oh, I know, - it's something to make my man come stiff on. Sunday." What did she want? Starch, for his shirt. 22. Adam and Eve and Pinch Me Went down the river to bathe, Adam and Eve got drowned And who do you think they saved? Pinch Me. 23. You and I used to be chums together. When we got where there was laughable stock, You and I held these two things in our sights. As we looked down to our feet, On the stones we saw this wrote, Many of this went down our throats. Drink of rum. Folklore from Nova Scotia 147 24. Down a dark dungeon I saw a bright light, All saddled, all harnessed, all fit for a fight, Steel was his arrow, brass was his bow. I told you three times and yet you don't know. Shoemaker's awl. Variant: In the dark alley, I saw a bright light, All bridled, all saddled, all ready for fight Silk was his arrow', brass was his bow, I've told you three times and yet you don't know. All (Awl). Variant: Down in that dungeon I saw that bright light, They saddled the bridle all fit for a fight, Steve was his arrow and brass was his bow, Done told you that riddle three times in a row. Variant: Down in a dark dungeon, I seen a bright light, All saddled, and bridled, all ready for a fight. Cat. 25. A man roaming through the wood, Great Gristle was his name, He saddled Folt, his guilty golt, Three times I've told his name. His name was Three Times. 26. Had a little white dog, He weighed pounds, Guess what his name was. His name was Guess. 27. It was a man who rode up a hill on horseback, and yet he walked up. Yet (Yet-he) is the dog's name. Variant: Aman and a woman rode over the bridge and yet walked. 28. There is a maid in our town, Silk an' satin is her gown, Ash an' tallow is her station, Can you tell me her name, For twice I've said it? Ann. Variants: Saddle. Wood was its saddle. 148 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 29. Great big long bench, And guess how many sets on it, One or two or three or four, Or more - guess. The man's name was Moore. Variant: Behind the hill there is a mill And in the mill there is a bench. How many men can sit on the bench? More. 30. As I went across London Bridge, I met a London scholar, And drew my hand and gave him a clout, And I told you the name of the scholar. Andrew. Variant: As I was crossing London Bridge, I met a London scholar.1 He took off his hat, An' drew off his glove, Now tell me the name of the scholar. Variant: As I went over Northumberland bridge I met a Northumberland scholar. An' drew off his glove And told me his love And what's the name of this scholar..31. There is a school upon a hill, And in the school there is a bell, And what's the teacher's name? Isabel. 32. The man had seven daughters, And they were all boys. His name was Boys. 33. Twelve men riding2 by, Twelve pears hanging high, Each man took a pear, Left eleven hanging there. Only one pear was pulled. The man who pulled it was named "Eachman." 1 Variant: Man. 2 Variant: Passing. Folklore from Nova Scotia 149 Variant: Eleven' peaches hanging high Eleven men come riding by, Each man took a peach, And still eleven remained. Eleven men came riding by on horses. Each one took a peach. There was a man named Eleven standing at the foot of the tree and he remained there after they left. 34. A man with a load of hay, bridge was away, water was away, the ice was away, how'd he get away? The bridge was a way. 35. Flower of England, fruit of Spain, Met together in a shower of rain, Put in the bag, tied it with a string, Tell me this riddle, I'll give you a gold ring. Plum pudding. Variant: Flower from England, Fruit from Spain, Put together in a shower of rain. Steam pudding. 36. As I went up the lane, I heered a man give a call, His tongue was flesh, And his mouth was horn, And such a man never was born. Rooster. Variant: As I was going across London Bridge, I looked behind, I heard a call. The thing was brown and fleshy, And it was never born. 37. As I was going over London Bridge, I saw a boat, And in this boat there was something with a red coat. A lobster. 38. As I was going over London Bridge, I met a thing with brass toes and brass nose. And upon my soul it scares the crows. A steam engine. 1 Variant: Five. 150 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 39. As I went over London Bridge' I met my sister Anne, I broke her neck2 and drank3 her blood And let her body stand. Bottle of brandy.4 40. I saw a sight, The other night, All standin' in the open street, She gave some hard and healthy blows, And bled ten gallons at the nose. Pump. 41. As I was going through a field of wheat, I picked up something good5 to eat, It was neither fish, meat, stick nor stone, I kept it till it walked alone. Egg. Variant: As I was going through the farm, I picked up something and put it neath my arm, Neither fish, flesh, meat, nor bone, I kept it till it run alone. Variant: I picked up something neither flesh, fowl, feather, nor bone. It kept it three weeks and it walked alone. 42. As I was going from barn to house, I met a thing not as big as a mouse, And it had more windows than all the king's house. Thimble. Variant: Littler than a mouse, Big as a louse, Got more eyes than King George's house. 43. As I was going through the woods, I picked up something, I set down and looked at it, The more I looked at it, the better I liked it, I took it home because I couldn't help it. Splinter in foot. 1 Variants: Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge. Northumberland Bridge. 2 Variants: I cut off her head. I cut her throat. 3 Variant: Sucked. 4 Variants: Rum, Whiskey. Beer. 5 Variant: Fit. Folklore from Nova Scotia 151 Variant: I went to the woods and got it, The more I looked at it, the less I liked it, I brought it home in my hand Because' I couldn't find2 it. Splinter in hand. 44. As I was going over London Bridge, I met a cart load3 of fingers and thumbs, You tell me this riddle, I'll give you a goat. Gloves. 45. As I was going up Hoojum-Joojum-Janey, I met Mr. Hinkton-Pinkton-Painkton, Carrying away Campaney. And if I had my Hoojum-Joojum-Janey, I'd pay Mr. Hinkton-Pinkton-Painkton For carrying away my Campaney. A fox was carrying away a man's chicken. If he had his gun, he would shoot the fox. Variant: I looked out the hazel-gazel, I saw a sittle-sattle, Lugging away my windpipe, If I only had my tittle-tattle, I'd soon. make him drop it. A man looked out the window and saw a fox carrying off his goose. If he had his gun, he would shoot it. Variant: As I was going to the field of Wigumwagum, I met a great big bear, Bigumbagum. I called little Tom Tigumtagum To drive big bear Bigumbagum Out of the field of Wigumwagum. A man was going through a field of wheat and he met a bear. He sent his dog out to chase the bear. Variant: As I went over the hill to Squkamskag I saw Bumbag, In the field of Wigwag, I sent Tigtag, To drive Bumbag Out of the field of Wigwag. Ox in field of wheat, man sent dog to drive it out of the field of wheat. 1 Variant: But still. 2 Variant: Help. 3 Variant: Car full. 152 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: Whitey in the Whitey, Whitey told Whitey To drive Whitey out of the grain. A white woman told her dog, Whitey, to drive a cow whose name was Whitey out of the field of grain. Variant: Hick Mick, Meriney Sittin' in a piney If I had had my gun I shot Hick Mick Meriney. Porcupine. 46. My missus sent me to your missus to borrow a hummock, To bummock a two-band tuzzock, To knock up a fuzzock, And send totch home again. A French servant girl was sent after the churn that a neighbor had borrowed and this is the way she asked for it. Variant: My missy sent me to your missy To buy a dillycadorna, A-hoppity-hoppity-hoppity, You needn't be afraid of no one. Spinning wheel. 47. As I was going to St. Jves, There I met with seven wives,1 Seven wives had seven sacks, Seven sacks had seven cats, Seven cats had seven kits, Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, How many were going to St. Ives? One. Variant: As I went over London Bridge, I met a man with three wives, Each wife had three sacks, Each sack had three cats, Each cat had three kittens, How many people went over London Bridge? One man. You were going. 48. As I was goin' across London Bridge2, I saw a boat full of people, and there wasn't a single person in the boat. They were all married. 1 Variant: Forty old wives. 2 Variant: I went down the brook. Folklore from Nova Scotia 153 Variant: In a big house there is a crowd of people and not a single one in it. 49. Down under the hill there was a mill, In the mill there was a chest, And in the chest there was a till, In the till there was a cup, And in the cup there was a drop. No man could drink it, No man could eat it, No man could do without it. The heart's blood. Variant: There was a chist in yonders field, And in that chist there was a till, And in that till there was a cup, And in that cup there was a sup That every one in the world must taste. Death. Variant: Upon a lone hill, There was a little house, In this little house there was a little room, In this little room there was a little trunk, In this little trunk there was a little cup, In this little cup there was a little drop Which no man1 couldn't do without. Drop of blood. 50. There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house. Inside the white house there was a red house. Inside the red house there was a lot of little black babies. What was it? Watermelon. Variant: On the hill there is a mill, From the mill there is a walk, Under the walk there is a key, And will you spell this name for me?2 Milwaukee. 51. The man that makes it, he don't use it, The man that buys it, he don't use it, And the man that use it, he doesn't know it. Coffin. 1 Variant: Nor beast. 2 Variant: Tell me the name of that famous city. 154 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: The man that made it, he didn't want it. The man that went after it, had no use for it. The man that got it, he didn't know that he got it. A casket.' Variant: There was a man made a thing, And he that made it did it bring, But he 'twas made for did not know, Whether 'twas a thing or no. The man that made it, never wore it, And the man that wore it never seen it. 52. Formed long ago, yet made today. Employed while others sleep, What few would wish to give away, Or brothers wish to keep. Bed. Variant: Built many, many years ago, Yet in use today. How many would like to give it away? Variant: Nobody wants to keep it and nobody will give it away. 53. I ain't got it, You ain't got it, Mr. State's got it, And wouldn't give it for all the world. Mr. State's bald head. 54. As I was going through the gap2, Who should I meet but Dick Redcap. A stick in his hand, A stone in his throat, Tell me this riddle, And I'll give you a goat. Boy with a cherry in his mouth. Variant: A stick in his tail, A stone in his throat, Come a riddle, come a riddle, Come a tote, tote, tote. 1 "Solemn kind of one," thought the riddler. 2 Variant: Garden gap. Folklore from Nova Scotia 155 55. As I was going up Heeple Steeple, There I saw all kind o' people, Some was hickey, some was hackey, Some was like old black tobaccy. Hornet's nest in the grass. 56. Open like a barn door, Ears like a cat, Guess' all your life-time, You can't guess that. Waistcoat or old woman's corset. 57. Open like a barn door, Eyes like a cat, Two-lookus, two-hookus, And a whiskey barrel. Cow. 58. Four stiff2 standers, Four down hangers, Two hookers, Two lookers3, And a switch4 about. Cow. Variant: Two lookers, Two hookers, Four hangers (tits), One switcher. Milch cow, 59. His mouth was open, And he was calling. His fore feet shaking, And two eyes looking, And two sticks ahead. Cow.5 60. Black I am and much admired, Many a horse have I tired, Tired a horse and worried a man, Guess this riddle if you can. Coal. 1 Variant: Kiss. 2 Variant: Down. 3 Variants: Two crooks, two looks. Two outlookers, two upcrookers. 4 Variants: Wave. Twist. Whisk. 5 Heard in Gaelic. 12 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: Brown I am, though much admired, Many horses have I tired, Tired horses, worried men, Guess the riddle if you can. Saddle. Variant: Black we are but much admired, Men to seek until we're tired, Tired a horse, but comfort a man, Tell me this riddle if you can. A man with a load of coal. 61. I killed no one and yet killed twelve. There was a man, he injected poison into a chicken. He fed the chicken to twelve people and killed them. 62. Nanny-goat1, nanny-goat With a white petticoat, And a red nose. The longer she stands, The shorter she grows. Candle. Variant: Old Grandmother Jinny, With a red head and a white dress, etc. Variant: Met a little girl with a red head, etc. Variant: Nibby come nabby ko, With a red nose, etc. 63. Father had a man, instead of growing up, he grew down. Candle. 64. Black and white And read all over. A newspaper. Variant: Black and white and read all over, Goes from Halifax to Dover. 65. A house full, a yard full2, Couldn't catch a bowl full. Smoke.3 1 Variant: Ninny-coat. 2 Variant: Hole full. 3 Variants: Crane. Dust. Folklore from Nova Scotia 157 Variant: House full, bowl full Can't catch a spoonful. 66. Hintry, mintry, cutry corn, Apple season, apple thorn, Wire, briar, limber lock, Fried mices in the flock, Go to yonder steeple hill, Where your father used to dwell, There is jewels, there is rings, There is many pretty things, There is cat-o'-nine tails, There is hammer an' nine nails, Whip, John, whip, Jack, Blow the bellows, old man. Blacksmith. 67. Sixteen white sheep standing in the stall, Great big red sheep looks over them all. Tongue and teeth. Variant: Twelve sheep in the stall, Up jumped red sheep and overlooked them all. Tongue licking teeth. Variant: Twenty-four white cows Standin' in a stall1 An' comes a red red cow2 And lick3 them all. 68. Little red rocker set on the hill, Here he goes, here he goes, Now he stops still. Tongue. 69. Twenty4 white horses on a red hill, Now they tramp, now they champ5, Now they stand still. Teeth.6 1 Variant: Row. 2 Variant: Bull. 3 Variant: Overlick. 4 Variant: Thirty. s Variants: Stamper. Prance... dance. 6 Variant: Teeth and gums. 12* 158 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: Upon this red hill, There was twenty-four white horses, Now we rub, Now we scrub, Now we do it with all our might, What do you think it is? A little girl cleaning her teeth. 70. Little red house surrounded by two white galleries, And a little red man standing inside it. Mouth and teeth. 71. Here I stand in windy weather, Chief and justice is my name, I am the death of many a thief. A gallows. 72. Miles and miles and know your voice, But cannot see your face. Telephone. 73. Round as an apple, Busy as a bee, Funniest' thing you ever did see. Watch. Clock. 74. As round as a marble, As deep as a cup, And all the king's horses, Can't pullz it up. A well. Variant: Round as an apple, Big as a cup, All the king's horsemen Can't bring it up. 75. Round as an apple, Flat as a chip, Got two eyes, And can't see a bit. A button. 1 Variant: Prettiest. 2 Variant: Drink. Folklore from Nova Scotia 159 76 Crooked as a ram's horn, Flat as a plate, All the king's horses Couldn't pull it straight. Sissiboo River. 77. Old Mother Old, She lives in the cold, And every year she brings forth young, And every one without a tongue. Apple tree. 78. White as snow and snow it ain't, Red as blood and blood it ain't, Black as ink and ink it ain't, And guess this riddle if you can. Blackberry has white blossoms, then they turn red, and then black. 79. Old Mother Thratchell, Had a long tail, Every stitch she took, She lost a bit of her tail. Needle and thread. 80. Him, hum under the bag, Ten a-hauling four. Man milking a cow. Cow has four tits, milker has ten fingers. Variant: Tink, tank, under the bank', Ten drawing four. An old woman milking a cow. 81. My father gave me some seeds to sow The seeds were black, the ground was white Tell me that riddle on Saturday night. Ink on paper. 82. Patch upon patch, Patch upon brown, Two legs up, four legs down. The man's name was Patch. His horse's name was Patch. The man was dressed in a suit of brown clothes. 1Variant: Chink, chink, on the bank. 160 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: The man wore patch clothes and he had a brown horse. Variant: Black upon black Black upon brown, Three feet up, Six feet down. Black man on brown horse, with three legged pot on his head. 83. I washed my hands with water, Which was neither rain nor run, I dried them on a towel Which was neither wove nor spun. Washed in dew, dried in sun. 84. Full rigged ship, Everything to go with it, Something that's no good to her, But she can't go without taking it. The weight of the ship. 85. In almost every house I'm seen, And wonder when I'm coming, I'm neither maiden, man or wife, Nor yet a married woman, I'm penniless and poor as Job, Yet such my state by nature I always wear one kind of robe, An independent creature. Cat.' 86. A riddle, a riddle, a ree, No man can explain this riddle to me, Except he knows it as well as me. What's in this right-hand pocket? Stitches and seams. 87. Riddle me, riddle me, What is that? Over the head, Under the hat. Hair. 1 Heard from a sailor on a salt vessel from Turk's Island. Folklore from Nova Scotia 161 Variant: What is being worn under hats this year? 88. Humble-jumble through the wood, When it comes out, it's very good. Butter in a churn. 89. It wasn't the moon, It wasn't the stars, But it lighted the fields. Fireflies. 90. What has four legs and only one foot? Bed. Variant: What is it has four legs, one head, and a foot? 91. What goes round the floor all day, And goes' in the corner at night? Broom. Variant: Round the house and round the house And into the corner it goes. 92. What goes around the floor all day, And sleeps under the stove at night? The cat. 93. Around the house, around the house, And a black2 glove in the window. Rain.3 94. Round the fields all day Sits on the table at night. Milk. 95. Over the water, Under the water, Round the world it ranges, Never been seen by the eye of man, But oftentimes it changes. The mind. Variant: Round the house, About the house, And oftentimes changes. 1 Variant: Stands. 2 Variant: White. 3 Variants: Snow. Frost. 162 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Variant: High as the sky it flies, Over the sea it ranges, Still it sees no mortal rise, Still it often changes. Wind. 96. What goes over the water and under the water, And never touches the water y Egg in a duck's belly. Variant: What jumps into the water and out again and don't get wet? 97. Over the water and carrying water? Girl carrying bucket of water over bridge. 98. In the woods, Out of the woods, And never touches the woods. Sun. Variant: What goes round the house and in the house and never touches the house? 99. Three little frawgs sat on a lawg. One little frawg takes the notion to jump off the lawg. How many frawgs left on the lawg? All three left, that little frawg just took the notion. 100. Two ducks ahead of a duck, A duck behind a duck, A duck in the middle, How many? Three. 101. What grows in the woods, Winters in the town, And earns its master many a crown? A violin. 102. A bull bulled it, A cow calfed it, It growed in the woods, And the blacksmith made it. A forge. 1 Variant: And leaves no track. Folklore from Nova Scotia 168 103. I'm foolish and still not foolish, I'm covered all over with dark spots. No principal or teacher, I can make every one in the world talk without saying a single word. Book. 104. Through a rock, Through a rill, Through an old spinning-wheel. Through a ladle full of pepper, Through an old rotten heifer. A piece of decayed meat with maggots. 105. Through a rock, Through a wheel, Through an old spinning-wheel, Through a basket, Through a horse's shin bone, Such a riddle was never known. Frost. 106. Wibbly-wobbly, Timothy-sackitty, Please gimme a piece of wobbly gut. Halibut head. 107. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the doctors in the land, Couldn't make Humpty Dumpty stand. Sunshine. Egg. Variant: Humpy Dumpy sat on a wall Humpy Dumpy had a great fall All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpy Dumpy together again. Variant: Roly-poly 'gin the wall, Roly-poly had a great fall, Ten score men and ten score more, Couldn't put the roly-poly back as it was before. Egg. 164 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 108. The King of Manchester, He sent to his sister, A bottomless vessel To put on raw flesh. A ring. 109. Tom, Tom, Tittymouse, Everybody comes and goes Plays upon Tom, Tom, Tittymouse. Latch on a door. 110. Hicky-more, hacky-more, Hangs over the kitchen door, Nothing so bright, and nothing so fair As hicky-more, hacky-more Hangs over the kitchen door. The sun. 111. A farmer had twenty sick sheep. One died. How many were left? Nineteen. 112. Black within, red without, Got four corners round about, Chimney. 113. One big, black father, Five big, black brothers, Three red sisters, And a big stone mother. Stove. 114. Hollow-hearted mammy, And a pinch-backed pappy, And three black children. One of these pots hangs on a crane; the crane has three legs. 115. Long legs, Crooked1 thighs, No2 head, No eyes. Tongs. 1 Variant: Short. 2 Variant: Little. Folklore from Nova Scotia 165 116. I have a sheet, I can't fold it. I have so much money, I can't count it. I have an apple and can't eat it. I have a diamond and can't face it. Water, Stars, Moon, Sun. 117. A man went to work on Monday morning. He brought twenty nails home with him each night till Saturday night. How many nails did he bring? He brought twenty nails. Ten on his fingers, and ten on his toes. 118. Forty sheep went over the gap, Forty more went after that, A shepherd and his dog, How many feet went over the gap? Only two feet, the shepherd's. The others jumped over. Variant: A man and a dog and twenty-six sheep went over the bridge. How many feet went over the bridge? Two feet. The dog and the sheep jumped over. Variant: How many feet has forty sheep, a shepherd and his dog? Two feet. 119. Twenty sheep come out a gap, Twenty white and twenty black, Three times seven and twice eleven, Three and two, how much is that? Five. 120. As I was going through my grandfather's lot, I saw' something that made me squat, It looked so sweet and taste so sour, Can't guess that in a half an hour. Cranberry. 121. Before Adam's dust was formed to man, A living being I became, Without hands or feet or soul. I traced the world from pole to pole. But after that, it pleased God well To put a living soul in me. And when the soul from me fled, I was the same as I was before, 'Variant: Picked up. 166 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society Without hands or feet or soul. I know no heaven, I fear no hell, To neither of them I'll go, But when I die, I'll give light to men below. The whale that carried Jonah. 122. I went into an orchard, There was apples on a tree, I took no apples off, And I left no apples on. There were two apples on the tree. I took one off. Variant: A man went out to view the sky, He had no eyes, He saw a tree with apples on, He neither took apples off, Neither left apples on. How many apples did he take off? He only took one apple. Variant: It was an apple tree with fruit on it But yet it wasn't apples. Just one apple. 123. Chink, chink through the brook and never drink. A chain. Variant: Jingles to the brook and never takes a drink. Bell. Variant: Chinkely, Chinkely through the water and never stop to drink. 124. I have a little sister called Peep, Peep, Peep,1 She wades in the water deep, deep, deep, She climbs the mountain high, high, high, My poor2 little sister has but one eye. 125. Three-quarters of a cross, A circle complete, Two semi-circles and perpendicular meet, An equilateral triangle standing on two legs, Two semi-circles and a circle complete. Tobacco. 1Variant: They call her Bo-peep. 2 Variant: Dear. Folklore from Nova Scotia 167 126. Riddly, riddly, right, A girl went out at night, She went so far She fell in the fire, And where do you think She went that night? She didn't go anywhere, she fell in the fire. 127. Two N's, two O's An L and a D. Put them together and spell them for me. London. 128. What is it that occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment and not once in a thousand years? Letter M. 129. Luke had it once, Paul had it once, Allan had it twice, Old Mrs. Mulligan in the village had it twice, also. The letter L. Variant: Luke had it in the beginning, Paul had it in the ending, Mulligan had it twice in the center before she was married, If you want to get it at both ends1 you've got to go to hell. Variant: Luke had it in front, Paul had it behind, Girls always has it, Boys never has it at all, But Mr. Miller had it twice in one place. 130. Within a noble dome confined, Whose milk (?) Whitewashed with silk, or lined, A golden apple doth appear, Steep in a bath as crystal clear, No doors, no windows to behold, Yet thieves break in and steal the gold. An egg. 1 Evidently this should be "twice at the end." 168 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 131. Little house' full of meat, No windows or doors, To get something2 to eat. Egg. 132. What goes up hill and down hill, and remains still? The road. Variant: What goes the whole way to Yarmouth without movin'? The railroad. 133. 'Bout a fellow being dead. He was born in America, lived in China, died on a British boat. What was he? Dead. 134. Ears like a barn door, Belly like a box, Stands on three legs, Stinks like a fox. Pair of snuffers. 135. I had it and gave it to you, You had it and can't keep it. Money. 136. Pea porridge hot, Pea porridge cold Pea porridge in the pot Nine days old. If you're the scholar I take you to be Put that together and spell it for me. It. 137. Round as an apple, Yellow as gold, Two strings in the middle, Hung up to a pole. Rabbit snare tied up to a stick. 138. Use me well, I am somebody, Scratch my back, I'm nobody. Mirror. 1 Variant: White... chock full. 2 Variant: Let me in. Folklore from Nova Scotia 169 139. As I walked over a certain bridge, I met a rollin' trout (?), The more she eats, the more she drinks, The more she spits it out. A mill saw. 140. Round as an apple, Black as a coal, Has a long tail And a small hole. Frying pan. 141. Through the yellow it did run, In the yard it was done. A girl milking a cow through a gold ring. 142. Big sumpin' run after little sumpin' all day long. And when he goes to turn he shakes hands with him. A buggy - big wheel and little wheel. 143. In olden times the Bible doth record one who lived without sin, who always spoke the truth, and yet can never inherit the kingdom of God. Balaam's ass. 144. What turns but never moves Milk. 145. Wiggle, wiggle, through the grass, Big head, no ass. Grasshopper. Snake. Variant: Chink, chink, in the grass, Bald head, no ass. Snake. 146. Empty in the day, Full at night. Bed. 147. What's full in the day time and empty at night? Pair of boots. Variant: Two brothers we are, full all day and empty at night. 148. Two brothers side by side all day and at night they go to rest? Pair of boots. 170 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 149. Was a body met a body In a patch of beans. Kin a body tell a body What a body means? A man had a field of beans. Two rabbits met together in the field. 150. I was sitting in my chair, I spied the dead carrying the living, And oh, wasn't that a dreadful wonder! A vessel. 151. One thing it bites like fury but it never stings. It crawls slow in its movement. Bedbug. 152. If he come, he no comes, If he no comes, he comes. Corn (and crow). If the crow comes, the corn doesn't. If the crow doesn't come, the corn does. 153. When is a door not a door? When it's ajar. 154. When is a cat not a cat? When it's a kitten. Variant: Acts like a cat, Looks like a cat, Yet it isn't a cat. What is it? A kitten. 155. What is the difference between a colored baby and a white baby? A colored baby is crow-shade (crocheted), and the white baby is knitted. 156. What wears a shoe like a horse? A mare. 157. What makes more noise under a gate than a pig? Two pigs. 158. Why does a rooster cross the street in the mud? To get on the other side. Folklore from Nova Scotia 171 159. Why does a hen go across the road? Cause she can't walk round. 160. What stops a hen from going across the road? None of the rooster's business. 161. Why is a rooster's feathers always mooth? Cause he always carries a comb. 162. Why is the house of a bald-headed man easier to break into? Because he has no locks. 163. What's the difference between a postage stamp and a mule? One you stick with a lick, and the other you lick with a stick. 164. Why is a black hen wiser than a white one? Because a black hen can lay a white egg, but a white hen can't lay a black egg. 165. What two things grow downward? An icicle and a cow's tail. 166. Why did the Titanic sink? 'Cause John Jacob Astor. 167. If you woke up at night and scratched your head, what time would it be? Five after one. 168. Can you put your left shoe on first? No, because one is on the floor, and that's left. 169. What block aboard a vessel don't need no shieve? The cook's chopping block. 170. What was the bravest battalion went over seas? Fast colors guaranteed not to run. 171. What there are the easy thing to catch? Yer breath. 172. Spell hard water in three letters. I c e. 173. What is it got a head and can't think? It stands on the ground, sits on the ground, all at the same time. It leaves, but yet it's there. Cabbage. 13 172 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 174. Why does a barrel roll? 'Cause it can't walk. 175. Why does a chimney smoke? 'Cause it can't chew. 176. When is a ship not a ship? When she's a-float. 177. Why does a dead dog's tail stop wagging in the road? He was dead, his tail couldn't wag. 178. What's the difference between the clothes line and the molasses keg? The clothes line flies the drawers and the molasses keg draws the flies. 179. Why do they always call a ship in the feminine gender? Because she goes creaking and cracking under taut stays. 180. What goes across the bridge and cuts the hay and you can't see it? Bullet out of a gun.1 181. What is it that's spelt with five letters, by taking away two, you have five (!ten) left? Often. 182. Why is the letter K like a pig's tail? Because it is the end of pork. 183. Riddle, riddle, come rest, What does a boy take first in his hand when he goes to school? The door latch. 184. On my belly I am fixt, Two holes and a bridge betwixt. A fiddle. 185. As I went across London Bridge, I met a boy and he was cryin'. I asked him what he was crying for? He said his father had dyed (died) Seven years before he was born. Dyer. 1 Heard in Gaelic. Folklore from Nova Scotia 173 Variant: There was once a boy who wore a red cap which his mother dyed before he was born. She dyed the cap. 186. Up the chimney down, Down the chimney up, Won't go up the chimney up, Or down the chimney up. An umbrella. Variant: What goes up the chimney down, and can't go up the chimney up? 187. A riddle, a riddle as I suppose, A thousand eyes and never a nose. Flour sifter. 188. It takes ten men to haul a lilly bag up a flat hill. Man puttin' on a pair of pants. 189. What has two heads and one body Barrel. Variant: Wriggledy, Wriggledy, Two heads and one body. 190. Four legs and doesn't move around the floor.1 A table. 191. Got two eyes and can't see. Potato. 192. What has a tongue and can't talk. Shoe. 193. Goes upstairs and downstairs and always on its head? Nail in a shoe. Variant: What is it that always walks with its head on the ground? 194. What's got an eye and never closes its eye? A needle. 195. What runs all round the house2 and makes but one track? Wheelbarrow. Snake. 1Variant: Can't walk. 2 Variant: What goes round the house and round the house? 13* 174 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 196. What goes all round the house and makes a thousand tracks? Green grass growing. 197. Bull, bull, ox, ox, Stood in the woods, And a carpenter made it. Yoke. 198. Many miles, many miles or more, Tail on a sore horse Never seen before. 199. Big as a barn, Light as a feather, And sixty horses can't pull it. Shadow of the barn. 200. Hair out And hair in, All hair, And no skin. Hair ropes. 201. It isn't in And 'tisn't out And the house can't do without it. Window.1 202. Higher than the king's palace And as fine as silk. Smoke.2 203. What goes with a coach, And comes with a coach, And the coach can't go without it? Noise. 204. Ofttimes it has been divided, And yet it can't be seen where it has been divided. Vessel going through the water. 205. Two little brothers on each side couldn't see each other. Eyes. 1 Heard in Gaelic. 2 Heard in Gaelic. Folklore from Nova Scotia 175 206. Ten blackbirds sitting on a fence, A man fired at one and how many were left? None, 'cause they all flew away. 207. Oh, how it rains, Oh, how it pours, You didn't spell that right. T-h-a-t. 208. A two-foot square wooden box. Keep adding. The more I put into it the less it weighs. Holes. 209. What is it you take from both ends and still it grows longer. Ditch. Variant: The more you take from it the larger it gets. Hole. 210. What is it everybody wears in their clothes, and it is no good to me? Holes. 211. What is it that a glasscutter hates to do? It hates to make the window pane, 212. What is the difference between a bedbug and a snake? Snake crawls on its belly, and a bedbug ain't particular. 213. How near related is the doorstep to the doormat? Step father. 214. Why did the cow go over the hill? 'Cause she couldn't go through the hill. Variant: Why did the sparrow fly over the stone wall? Because he couldn't fly through. 215. What is the last thing you take off the floor when you get into bed? Sole. 216. What is the difference between an automobile, a sigh, and a monkey? An automobile is so dear, a sigh is Oh, dear! monkey is you dear. 176 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 217. Why is a full rigged ship like a hen? A hen lays one, a ship lays to. 218. Why is a ship the most p'litest thing there are? She presents herself with a bow. 219. What makes a dog wag his tail? 'Cause the tail can't wag the dog. 220. Why doesn't the hen lay eggs at night? She's a rooster at night. 221. If a hen laid an egg two miles an hour How many miles would it come to Shelburne? In the hen. 222. Why is a hen like a penny? It's got a head and a tail. 223. What is the difference between a white man and an Indian? A white man turns out his toes, and a Indian don't. 224. What makes a stick of candy so much like a fast horse? The more you lick it the faster it goes. 225. Say, if you and I bought a cow, which end of the cow would you want for your half? "Hind end," I said. "Then I wouldn't want the other end, I'd have to feed her and get nothing." I. OMENS: GOOD OR BAD LUCK.' 1. COSMIC PHENOMENA. 1. Commence a voyage, turn against the sun, bad luck. (w) S 2. Commence a voyage, turn with the sun, good luck. (w) S 3. See new moon over right shoulder, good luck. (w) S 4. See new moon over left shoulder, bad luck. (w) S 2. PLANTS. 5. Looking for a four leaf clover, bad luck. (c) Y 6. Find a four leaf clover, good luck. (c) Y 3. ANIMALS. MAMMALS. 7. Going on a long journey, a rabbit crossing your path is bad luck. (w) S 8. Going on a long journey, a squirrel crossing your path is good luck. (w) S 9. Bad luck for a white rabbit to run across the road, from left to right. (w) 0 10. Good luck for a white rabbit to run across the road, from right to left. (w) O 11. Unlucky to have a squirrel cross the road. (w) M 12. Black cat run across your path, bad luck. (Fellow told me the other day black cat ran across that morning; he got to his shop and found eighty dollars lost. No black cat for me, I would turn around and go back.) (c) Y 13. Do not let a black cat cross your path. (w) Liv. 14. If a cat crosses your path, you will have disappointment. (w) Liv. 1 For Index to this section, see Table of Contents, p. XX, The place from which each of the following superstitions was recorded, and the race of the informant, is given as follows: w = white H = Halifax S = Shelburne c = colored L = Lequille T = Truro Liv = Liverpool W = Whycocomagh D = Digby M = Maitland Y = Yarmouth G F = Granville Ferry O = Orangedale 178 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 15. If a black cat crosses your path, you will have bad luck. (c) T 16. Hit a black cat, bad luck. (c) Y 17. Some say a black cat is unlucky, they would not have a black cat around them. (c) L 18. Some say a black cat is lucky. (c) L 19. Good luck for a strange cat to come to the house and stay. (w) S ARACHNIDS. 20. If a spider drops on your head, good luck. (c) Y 21. Bad luck to kill a spider. (c) S BIRDS. 22. If a bird comes in your house, it will bring bad luck or death. (w) Liv. 23. Very good luck for partridge to cross the road. (w) 0 24. If you are walking to eastward and a crow fly toward you, good luck; fly from you, bad luck. (c) S 25. "Indian people believe that to hear crow or rooster holler after dark is bad luck. (One night I was playing whist with an Indian at Gravel Pit. Heard a rooster crow. The Indian told me that once he heard a rooster crow and seven years from that night his little baby died. When he heard that bird holler he wasn't married. It struck me so funny I had to get out.)" (c) Y 4. DREAMS. 26. Dream of water, smooth water, good luck. (c) Y 27. Dream of water, rough water, trouble. (c) Y 28. Dream of silver, bad luck. (c) Y 29. Dream of bills, good luck. (c) Y 30. Worst of luck to dream of a minister. (w) S 31. Dream of seeing a black person, bad luck. (c) Y 5. HUMAN BEINGS. 32. If you get up in the morning and the first person you see is a black person, you have bad luck all day. ("I know that for a truth.") (c) Y 33. Never meet a minister face to face, first thing in the morning, bad luck. If you see him, turn back. (w) S 34. Going away from home, strike your right toe, bad luck. Going home, strike your right toe, good luck. (c) S 35. It is bad luck to watch anybody or anything out of sight. (w) Liv. 36. Thirteen in a crowd, bad luck. (w) S, Folklore from Nova Scotia 179 6. HOUSEHOLD. HOUSE. 37. Bad luck to come in one door and go out another. (w) M 38. Bad luck to bring a stranger in one door and take him out the other. (w) M 39. Thirteen in a house, company in a house, bad luck. (w) S 40. One meeting another on the stairs, worst of luck. (I always come down when I see another on the stairs.) (w) S 41. If you fall going upstairs, you will have good luck. (w) S CLOTHES. 42. Dress on inside out, do not take it off till noon. (w) S 43. On dressing in morning, if you put clothes on wrong side out, good luck that day., (b) S 44. If you happen to put your clothes on wrong side out, don't change them. (c) S 45. Put your shoes on the table, bad luck. (c) T FURNITURE AND UTENSILS. 46. Hit somebody with a broom, bad luck. (c) T 47. Two chairs back to back, bad luck. (c) S 48. Break a looking-glass, bad luck. (c) T 49. Break a mirror in the house, seven years bad luck. (w) S 50. Bad luck to cover over mirrors, or to turn mirror to wall. (c)Y TOOLS. 51. If you go under a ladder you will have bad luck. (c) T 52. "Indians think if you plough up an ol' hatchet or knife on their reservation, going to be trouble for them." (c) Y 53. A pin with its head toward you means good luck. (w) Liv. 54. A pin with its point towards you means bad luck. (w) Liv 55. Pick up a pin, head to you, good luck. (c) S 56. Pick up a pin, point to you, bad luck. (c) S 57. Pick up a pin, you will have good luck. (c) T 58. People will walk around a pin. (c) S 59. See a pin and let it lay, And you'll regret it all the day. (c) S 60. Do not let anyone touch pins or needles. (w) Liv. 180 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 7. NAMES. 61. Bad luck to use middle name. (c) Y 62. "I never sign my right name. I hide it from people.",c) Y 63. If your initials spell a word, good luck. (c) Y 64. Bad luck to name a. child after parents. ("Look at that old Tar heel.1 Named baby after him - Herbert. Baby sick since.") (c) Y 8. VESSELS. 65. Wors' luck to throw animal overboard. ("We threw a sick dog overboard, coming up from San Juan with a load of cocoanuts. We were wrecked.") (c) Y -&6. Won't allow cats aboard some vessels, bad luck. (w) S 67. Won't allow any cat on board a ship but with white mittens, not grey, brown, black, say they are a Jonah. (w) S 68. Can't say pork or pig on shipboard. Say, "Pass me the Dennis," for pass me the pork. (w) S 69. "Flying fish is lovely eating. If you take a lantern and hang up in the riggin' of a vessel, flyin' fish will fly for it every time. If you hang up a lantern in the riggin' and don't get. no fish, they say that it is bad luck." ()c Y 70. Bad luck to turn a hatch upside down.1 (c) S 71. "Mate says, 'Put on those hatches!' I undertake to put on the hatches, and I'll let one go in the hole, or I turn the hatch upside down, the mate will go for me. Wors' of luck." (c)Y II. OMENS, DEFINITE. 1. WEATHER SIGNS. DIURNAL WEATHER SIGNS. 72. Wet your finger, and hold it up to know if the breeze is springing up, sign you look for when you are becalmed. (c) Y 73. Gale clouds. Gale of wind, to the northward, little light cloud, keep forming until over head, burst a gale of wind. (c) Y 74. Wind from the southward blows clouds away, no rain. (c) Y 75. Wind from northward, rain. "Sure has to spit it out after it gets there." (c) Y 1 See p. 189 no. 246. 1 The Milky Way. Folklore from Nova Scotia 181 76. Wind in the south, Rain in its mouth. Wind in the west, Everybody likes best. (c) Y 77. Evening star, a good star, if you understand it. Blowing hard from northward, long point to northward, and so on, with other points. Evening star has one long point larger than the rest. (c) Y 78. Long point of evening star shows direction wind will come from. (w) C 79. The way the stars shoot (falling stars), the wind will be the next day. (w) S 80. Lots of stars in sky, sign of rainy weather. (w) S 81. Direction of Milk Maid's Path points to where the wind is coming from. (w) S 82. Milk Maid's Path, sign of frost. She goes south; see her sloppin' her milk as she goes, it freezes as she goes. WhenMilk j Maid comes north, you never see her. She has got her milk and is gone. (w) S 83. Sloppy clouds in Milk Maid's Path means sloppy weather, rough. (c) S-) 84. Milk Maid's Path, at night with clouds, runs east and west. Clear between banks of clouds. If southern side of path is dark, look for rain. Totter north, gales of wind, enough to strip the mast of her canvas. (c) Y 85. Ring around the moon, number of stars in the ring, sign of how many days before the storm; one star, storm next day; no stars, storm quite soon. (w) S86. If the moon is ahead of the star, ship is towing the jolly boat, going to be wind. (w) S 87. If the star is ahead of the moon, sign that the jolly boat is towing the ship, meaning mild weather. (w) S 88. When the moon is on its back, plenty of rain. (w) S 89. When the moon is on its side, dry weather. (w) S 90. Say for rough weather: Moon on his back Sailor on his feet. (c) Y 91. Say for fair weather; Moon on his feet Sailor on his back. (c) Y 92. When you could hang the powder horn on the moon, she held the water; go to the woods. Indian sign, 150 years ago. (w) S 182 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 93. When the moon stood on her end, held no water, stay home. (w) S 94. Rain: Wind's in the east. Mackleback sky. (w) S 95. Drowth: Wind in the nor'west, little rain, showers, always dry spell. (w) S 96. Evening red, And morning grey, Is a sign of a very fine day. (w) S 97. Rainbow in the morning, Sailors take warning, Rainbow in the night, Sailors delight. (w) S 98. Rainbow in the night, Sailor's delight, Rainbow in the morning, Sailors take warning. (c) Y 99. Rainbow at night, sign of good weather. (w) M 100. Mirage (pronounced marriage) sign of east or north-east wind. (w) S ANIMAL WEATHER SIGNS. 101. Sea-gulls, clustered way up high, lots of wind. (c) Y 102. Sea-gulls scattered near shore, no wind, fine day tomorrow. (c) Y 103. When loons fly over (the lake), sign of a wind, Indians' say. Loon flukus call (i. e. flute) at morning, rain; at evening, wind. (w) M 104. Rooster crowing in day time, sign of rain. (w) S 105. If a cat sneezes, it is a sign of rain. (w) Liv. 106. If you kill a snake, leave him stomach up, it will make a rainstorm next day. (w) S 107. If you want the wind to change, kill a snake and hang it up in the corner of the room you want the wind to come from. (c) S 108. Kill a spider, you will have rain. (c) T 109. Kill a hop toad, there will be a rainstorm. (w) S 11I. e. Matio would say. Matio (full blood) was chief at Bear River (R. R. Station Spring Brook), twelve miles from Annapolis. Folklore from Nova Scotia 183 VARIOUS WEATHER SIGNS. 110. When drops hang on window pane, say rain is not over. (w) S 111. When leaves look dark at night, sign of rain. (w) S 112. Blue fire in a stove means a storm. (c) T 113. When potatoes boil dry, sign of a rain storm. (c) S \ SEASONAL WEATHER SIGNS. 114. If robins stay late in the fall, easy winter. (c) Y:(c) S 115. October, worms and caterpillars up on ground, sign of not much frost, open winter; way down in ground, sign of hard winter. (w) S 116. Indians say when there is much frost, it will be a hard winter. (w)O 117. When dogwood berries fall off, sign of hard winter. (c) Y 118. When dogwood berries stay on, soft winter. (w) S 119. If lots of berry on bay berry and white alder, hard winter. (w) S 120. There are three heading days (? three last days in October). On those days if wind is northerly, long, hard winter; if southerly, warm winter. (w) S 2. ANIMALS. MAMMALS. 121. Cattle lowing at night, sign of death. (w) S 122. Dog howling at night, sign of a death, in your family. (w) S 123. If a dog barks in the night, it is a sign of death. The best thing to do is to spit in your shoe and turn it upside down (c) H 124. When the wolves howl and pack, in Indian summer, it is a sign that before the moon rises and sets some man will die. (c) Y 125. If a cat catches a grey bird and brings it in the house, sure sign one in the family is dying. (w) S 126. If a bat lights in house, death of a man in the family. (w) S 127. If a bat flies around and goes out, death of a woman in the family. (w) S 128. Rats leave a ship if it is going to sink. (w) S / REPTILES. 129. A snake is your enemy. Whatever its color, it is the color of the dress your enemy wears. (w) S 130. If you kill the first snake you see in the year, you will conquer your enemies. (w) S 184 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society ARACHNIDS. 131. See a spider crawl on you, sign you are going to get a new suit. (c) S I 132. Spider on your clothing means a new dress. (w) S 133. Spider on your hand means new gloves. (w) S 134. Spider on your foot means new boots. (w) S 135. Let a spider run alive All the days you'll live and thrive. (c) Y INSECTS. 136. First bumblebee you see in the spring, catch it and put it in your wallet, you will have plenty of money all year. (w) S 137. Bumblebee coming into the house, in morning, is news. (w) S 138. Bumblebee coming into the house, in afternoon, a stranger. (w) S 139. When lightning bugs come round, there are fish in the harbor. (c) s 140. When there is going to be war, catch a locust, look at his back, see a "W." (w) S BIRDS. 141. If a bird flies and pecks at the window, you will hear bad news. (c) H 142. "Before my grandfather died, a bird tapped on the window." (w) Liv. 143. If a bird comes into the window, it means a death or bad news. (w) Liv. 144. Birds flying into a window, a fore-runner of death. (c) Y 145. If a bird comes into the house, it is the sign of a death or a birth. (w) S 146. When a bird flies around your window, you will lose a friend. (c) S 147. When a cuckoo comes round your house and hollers, sign of death in your family. (w) S 148. One crow for joy Two crows for sorrow. (w) 0 149. "I saw three crows this morning, sign of sorrow." (w) S 150. One crow, sorrow, Two crows, mirth, Three crows, a wedding, Four crows, a birth. (c) S 151. First crow you see in the spring of the year shows the direction you are going to travel. (c) S Folklore from Nova Scotia 185 POULTRY. 152, If a hen crows, it is sure sign of death. (c) H 153. Rooster crowing at night, sign of a death. (w) M 154. If a rooster crows at midnight, there will be a death. If it crows five minutes of twelve, there will be a turn for the better. (c) H 155. Cock crowing on door stoop, sign of a stranger. (w) S FISH. 156. Sword fish, whale, and grey shark are the worst fish in the sea. ("A grey sha'k was three days following our ship. Caught it with salt beef and a white rag. A day or two after, a man got hurt by a block of wood fallin' on his leg. Thought nothin' of that. A day or two after that, seven or eight knot breeze, the sailor at the wheel saw a big thing. 'Captain, piece of land?' - 'No, keep her off two points.' They was between a water spout and a whirlwind, just got through. 'Captain, I never saw anything like that.' - 'And I hope you never will again.' Don't like the idea of ever killin' a sha'k, maneater, too.") (c) Y 3. DREAMS. 157. If you dream of white horses, or a white wagon, or a white vessel, or anything of the kind, there will be a death. J w) Liv. 158. Dream of a grey horse, sign of death. (w) Me 159. Dream of a ship, with sails coming towards you, you will see a coffin before the week is up. (w) S 160. Dream of a ship, see it sailing from you, it's losses. (w) S 161. If you dream of travelling and you were not travelling, it is a sign of a marriage engagement. (c) G. F. 162. If you dream of getting married, you will have disappointment. (c) G. F. 163. "I knew a woman who was always dreaming of getting married, i last winter. In the spring she had to go to hospital where she died." (w) S 164. If you dream that you are being married, your girl is going back on you. (c) G. F. 165. Dream of wedding, sign of funeral. (w) S 166. Dream of the dead, sign you will hear from the living. (w) S 167. Dream of the dead, you will hear of the living. (c) T 168. If you dream of the dead, there will be rains. (c) G. F. 169. If you dream of an old friend who has been dead a number of years, you are going to have a stream of good luck. (c) G. F. 186 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 170. Dream of funeral, sign of wedding. (w) S 171. Dream of pulling a tooth, sign of death. (w) S 172. Dream of fire, there will be a death. (c) T 173. Unlucky to dream of new boards, new lumber, sign of death. (w) S 174. If you dream of money and gold, you will have richness. (c) G. F. 175. If you dream of money and silver, you will have poverty. (c) G. F. 176. If you dream of seeing money but did not put your hand on it, a good position is going to be offered to you. (c) G. F. 177. If you dream of being in a large crowd, you are going to have a good time, drinking and eating and a fuss. (c) G. F. 178. If you dream of eating meat, there is going to be a death. (c) G. F. 179. The dirtier the dream, the better. (w) Liv. 4. PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR. APPEARANCE. 180. Mole on your neck, Have money by the peck. (w) S 181. Mole on your neck, going to be hanged. (w) S 182. Mole on your stomach, a glutton. (w) S 183. Mole between your fingers, a thief. (w) S 184. Blue streak across yer nose, Never wear your wedding clothes. (w) S BEHAVIOR OF PARTS OF THE BODY. 185. If your nose itches on the right side, a lady wishes to speak to you; if it itches on the left, a man wishes to speak to you. (c) G. F. 186. If you have an itch way up in your nose, you will wear second clothes. (c) G. F. 187. If your right ear itches on the inside, you will have peace from wars; if your left ear itches on the inside, you are going to get married to the one you want. (c) G. F. 188. If your right eye itches, you will hear glad news; if your left eye itches, you will shed tears. (c) G. F. 189. If your right eye itches, you are going to laugh or be glad; if your left eye itches, you are going to cry. (w) Liv. 190. If your upper lip itches, you will get a kiss from a stranger. (c) G. F. Folklore from Nova Scotia 187 191. If your under chin itches, you are going to see some of your kin. (c) G. F. 192. If your elbow itches, you will own some land. (c) G. F. 193. If the palm of your right hand itches, you are going to shake hands with many a man. (c) G. F. 194. If your right hand itches, you will shake hands. (w) Liv. 195. If the palm of your left hand itches, you will get money. (w) Liv. 196. If the palm of your left hand itches, folks are going to leave you some land. (c) G. F. 197. If the center of your back itches, you are going to ride in a hack that will never bring you back (hearse). (c) G. F. 198. If the top of your head itches, it is a sign you are going to catch something out of somebody's bed. (c) G. F. 199. If either big toe itches, it is a sign you are going to Baltimore. (c) G. F: \ 200. If the sole of your foot itches, you are going to walk in a strange place. (w) Liv. 201. If the bottom of your foot itches, you are going to a strange land to the right or left. (c) G. F. ~ i; 202. Sometimes you hear the ringing of a glass, a peculiar sound. This means that someone is going to die. (w) Liv. i 203. If you hear a toll in your right ear, a woman is going to die.(w) Liv. i 204. If you hear a toll in your left ear, a man is going to die. (w) Liv. MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES. 205. If you bump your elbow, you will bring a stranger. (w) Liv. 206. If a person sneezes, it is a sign of a stranger. (c) G. F. 207. If you sneeze over the table while eating, there will be a death. (c) H 208. Sailor whistlin', bad luck. (c) Y 209. A whistling girl and a flock of sheep Is the best stock a man can keep. (w) M 5. HOUSEHOLD. HOUSE. 210. Three on steps together, sign of a death before the year is out. (w) S 211. If you do not go out the same door you came in, you will be disappointed or you will bring a stranger. (w) Liv. 14 188 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society FIRE AND LIGHT. 212. Fire hops out and hops in your lap, sign of a letter. (c) S 213. Fire singing, hasty news. (c) S 214. "My mother would never have three lights on the table, sign of death." (w) M 215. If a lamp breaks when not lit, there will be a death. (c) H CLOTHES. 216. Burn old shoes, never be without money. (w) S 217. If your skirt turns up at the hem on putting it on, you will have a gentleman caller. (w) Liv. 218. If you put your dress on, bottom turned up, you are going for a drive. (w) S 219. If you put your dress on, bottom turned up, you will get a letter. (w) S 220. Wear at yer toe, Stand as you go. Wear at the heel, Spend a good deal. Wear at the ball, Spend all. (c) Y 221. In putting on your socks or stockings, if your toes goes into the heel, you will hear of a death. (w) Liv. FOOD. 222. If you spill salt, you are going to have a fight. (c) T 223. If you spill salt, sign of contention, you will get cross over something. (c) S FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES. 224. Two knives crossed is the sign of a row. (w) Liv. 225. If knives are crossed, it is a sign of a quarrel. (w) S 226. Two knives crossed at table, sure fight. (c) Y 227. Two knives crossed on table, sign of a fight. (w)M 228. If you cross knives, you are going to have a fight. (c) T 229. Knife and fork crossed, some one is coming hungry. (w) S 230. Two knives to your place, sign of a death. (w) S 231. Two forks to your place, sign of a marriage. (w) S 232. Pick up two knives, there will be a wedding. (c) T 233. Chairs back to back, stranger coming. (w) S 234. Drop a dish cloth, or a potato, sign of somebody coming. (w) M Folklore from Nova Scotia 189 235. If you drop a dish cloth, you will bring a stranger. If it doubles up as you ring it out, you will bring a man; if it spreads out, you will bring a woman. (w) Liv. 236. Dropping a dish cloth, if it drops flat, a woman is coming. (w) S 237. Dropping a dish cloth, if it drops in a roll, a man is coming. (w) S 238. Pick up a pin, side to you, going on a journey. (c) S 239. Never take a pin from a person out of their hand, breaks friendship. (c) S 240. Never take a knife from a person for a present, cuts your friendship. (c) S 6. NUMBERS. 241. If a house burn down, say that two more houses will burn. (c) Y 242. The seventh wave in a sea will give you a knockout. Sometimes said of the third wave. (c) Y 7. VESSELS. 243. "I have seen captains throw a quarter or fifty cents overboard, saying, 'Give me that much of wind.' Sometimes they get too much when they buy it." (c) Y 244. A captain throws money overboard to buy the wind. Sometimes they get too much wind. Once it blew to a gale. "I guess a cent's worth would be enough for you," said the captain. (w) S 245. Throw money overboard to buy wind from the devil. (Once we got too much wind.) (c) S 246. Turn a hatch up-side down, there will almost be a mutiny, that is a sign the ship is going to sink. (w) S 247. If a sailor takes and sticks his sheaf knife into the foremast, there'll be an awful breeze of wind. (w) S III. RURAL LIFE. 1. PLANTING. 248. Anything that grows on top of the ground, plant in the light of the moon, in the growing of the moon. (c) Y 249. Anything that grows under the ground, plant in the dark of the moon. (Put lots of faith in that, old people.) (c) Y 250. Plant small seeds with the coming of the moon. ("They say the moon guides us anyway.") (c) S 251. Nobody would plant grain (barley, oats) on the east wind. The east wind is a cold wind, it would make the ground cold. (w) M 15 190 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 2. POULTRY AND INSECTS. 252. It is no use to have chickens come out after June 13. (w) S 253. Set an odd number of eggs, you will have good luck. (w) S 254. Settin' a hen, set long eggs for roosters; round eggs are pullets. (w) S 255. Grasshopper, grasshopper, grasshopper gray, Give me some molasses or I'll kill you today. He'll give you the molasses if you say this to him. (c) Y 3. KITCHEN LORE. 256. Won't butcher until ebb tide. (w) S 257. Should kill a pig at the rising tide, so the meat won't shrink. (c) Y 258. Won't butcher after full moon; meat will shrink. (w) S 259. If you kill a pig when the moon is growing, the meat will swell. (w) S 260. Should kill a pig in the increase of the moon, so the meat won't shrink. (c) Y 261. Thirty years ago nobody would kill any meat, pigs or cattle, except in the growing moon. Otherwise meat would shrink, unless the animal was growing, then it did not matter. (w) M 262. On killing pig, if the milt is right thick and lumpy, easy winter. (w) S 4. FISHING AND TRAPPING. 263. Won't dig clams but at the full of the moon. (c) Y 264. Clams no good, when the moon is all gone. (c) Y: (w) S 265. Go clamming when the moon is growing, clams will be good and full; otherwise, no meat at all. (w) S 266. Say that clams ain't no good if taken in a month without an R in it. (w) S 267. Trappers won't sell any of their furs until they finish trapping for the season, no matter what good price they might get. (w) M 268. Trappers are unwilling to shoot anything they can not use, like a loon or gull, it would bring bad luck. (w) M 269. Trappers are unwilling to waste moose meat, i. e. leave part of an animal behind in the woods, bad luck. (w) M IV. COUNTERACTANTS. 270. If you are going away from home and forget anything, walk nine steps backward, when you go back for it, before you go in the house, otherwise bad luck. (w) S Folklore from Nova Scotia 191 271. If you meet a dog, hold thumbs under fingers and he can not l bite you. (I always do when I go through a strange place and meet a dog seems like he was cross.) (w) S J 272. If you are going along the road and meet a hop toad, bad luck, unless you cross his bow (go in front of him). (w) S 273. If you see one crow, count twenty and kiss him good bye, that will make it all right. (c) S 274. If you set at a stove, spark flies out, somebody giving you the devil. Spit in stove, you kill it. (c) S. V. CHARMS. 275. It is unlucky to lose your caul. Basil Robinson said that of the twelve children in his family three were born with a caul, of these he was one. His younger brother lost his caul, and the same year he lost part of his foot. "I lost my uncle's caul. Took it out of the box it was in. That man has sure had bad luck since." Basil Robinson always carries his caul with him. In case of danger, to avert it, you should carry your caul under your left arm. (B. R.) One born with a caul can at times see the dead who "are walking all the time but you don't see them." Basil Robinson was walking with a girl one night and twice he saw something coming which she did not see, and he pulled her out of the way. He said, "I can be walking along with you and I can see a whole lot that you can't. If we were walking late at night, I should walk in horse track in outside. I can see what's coming." Again, he told the following incident of seeing something. "I used to live on Lewis Street, south end. One night Bud and I was sittin' on a couch, stove right here, he in front of stove. I saw a woman come, she had to go by. I pulled my legs up to let the lady go by. When you see something, you'se not supposed to say anything. 'You gettin' foolish ' Bud says. I didn't say nothing." Independently, Bud told about the incident as follows: "Sittin' there talkin', everybody gone out, but him and I. Just narrow place between stove and couch. He had his feet stretched across. I said, 'I don't feel very well tonight, feelin' nervous.' Door open, was dark. After a while I seen him haul his feet up. I looked at him, asked him somethin'. He didn't answer. I didn't know what to make of it. He said, 'Didn't you see that woman go by there ' I never seen the woman. I didn't see nobody. We argued about it. Scared to death." (c) Y 15* 192 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 276. In rough weather, running a sea, very heavy, make sign of cross to the sea and the sea won't come aboard. (w) S 277. When you want the wind to come round, take an' burn a boot, wave it three times around your head and throw it over your right shoulder wherever you want the wind to come from. (c) S 278. Stick nine pins and nine needles in the corner of the house whence you want the wind to come. Run around three times and whistle at each corner. (c) S 279. If a seaman wears someone else's caul, he will never drown. (c) H 280. No house burns down where there is a caul. (c) H 281. Carry a snake's skin, good luck. (c) Y 282. Take a toad, put in a box, with holes, in ant's nest. Wait till holler (hollow). Wash the bones clean, take a looking-glass, put the bones in your mouth. When you get the right bone in your mouth, you can't see yourself in the glass. That's the bone you keep. You can do mos' anything with that bone. Awful darin' trick, you could do mos' anything after this." (c) L 283. Wish on a falling star before the star gets out of sight. (w) M VI. CARE OF BODY. 284. Birds get your hair cuttings, put them in nest, you go crazy. (w) S 285. If you throw your haircuttings outdoors, you will have a headache. (w) S 286. You will have headaches if you burn your hair-cuttings. (w) S 287. If you pull a tooth and cat or dog gets it, your next tooth will be like cat's tooth or dog's tooth. (w) S 288. Count your hair after dark, Count your sorrow to your heart. (w) S VII. DIVINATION. 289. Stick a knife in shingles, name the knife for a fellow, and some one will chase you. (w) S 290. Put a ball of yarn in well, wind it up again. Say: Here I wind him, Here I bind him, In the well I hope To find him. Fellow will stand beside you. (w) S Folklore from Nova Scotia 193 291. Find a hair in the chip dirt, it will be the color of the hair of the fellow you are going to marry, (w) S 292. Say on going to bed: The color of his hair, The clothes he is to wear, On the day he is to wed to me. You will dream that. (w) S 293. Make three mud balls. Initial them with the initials of the three fellows you like best. Throw the balls into water. The ball that breaks first will be the fellow. If you throw in a ball with no initials and that breaks first you will be an old maid. (w) S 294. Throw a witch egg (very small egg, no yoke) over the house, good luck if it doesn't break. (w) S 295. Throw a witch egg over the house and it breaks, you die before the year is up. (w) S 296. Write down the name of a fellow and a girl. Put a key into the Bible at the text "Little foxes'that spoils our vines." Tie your garter around the Bible and key. Keep your fingers on the end of the key, say, "Turn my beloved, turn, And be like a row of young harts, Among the Mount of Betha."' If the fellow and girl are marrying, the key will turn. (w) S 297. Prick your finger and write your name and age on a tablet. Hang it out of the window on a long string and go to bed back-) wards. Name your bed posts. Fellow's name will be written, in blood on tablet. A girl I knew did this and on the tablet was written: For trying tricks, Hell and damnation will be your portion One fortnight from this day Your corpse shall lay, As cold as clay. (w) S 298. Take two chairs, go to bed backwards, name one chair for yourself, one for fellow. Take a mirror, you will see a fellow come in and sit in the chair. If you are not going to marry you will see a coffin. In a case known to the speaker, a coffin came with a big dog on top of it. The girl died in two weeks. (Others present said they would not do this, they were too much afraid.) (w) S Cf. "Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines." Canticle of Canticles. Chap. 11, V. 15. "Return: be like, my beloved, to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of Bether." Canticle of Canticles, Chap. 11, V. 17. 194 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 299. Prick your finger and hold it in the corner of your handkerchief. You will find marked the day, month and year you are to die. (w) S 300. To tell if it is going to rain, break off the little tip of an electric globe and a drop of water will form and drop. (w) S 301. Mrs. Farmer, colored woman, tells fortune pretty good, with tea leaves in a cup, she tells you lucky days. She had predicted the arrival of a present, and a barrel of presents arrived from a sister in Boston. (w) S VIII. TREASURE HUNTING. 302. When you dig for treasure at night, you mustn't speak, the treasure would disappear. My father found a hole, the shovel flew out of his hand, he was surprised, he called out, then he saw a hole where a pot might have sat, but it was empty. (w) W 303. Peter McKinnon has himself dug on his own farm for treasure. He has heard stories of a fellow dressed as a devil, or with a white sheet on, going out to frighten treasure diggers. (w) W 304. People thought there was money buried in a certain place. John Mclsaac came with a horse and wagon to Malcolm McEachern's house. "Will you come with me tonight to dig up that old man's money?" Malcolm McEachern was a very comical man. His young sister-in-law, Isabel McNeil, was at home, and he told her. "John McIsaac came and asked me to go up the brook and dig for money. When we go, you come, with a white sheet and chains...." Malcolm McEachern was down diggin', lookin' up all the time, he saw something white, he started runnin', and John McIsaac after him. (w) W 305. You generally see a person when you dig for gold. (w) Liv. 306. Witch hazel, forked at each end, turned in hands, held palms up, or tipped endwise, was used to look for treasure. (w) W 307. Also a mineral rod, wee bottle filled with mercury in hole in rod, one foot long. (w) W IX. WITCHCRAFT. 308. If a cow is witched, it will dry up. ("They had refused milk to an old woman, after that they couldn't get a cup of milk from her (the cow). This old woman came into this house, something was boiling on the stove, she said, 'Hm! and what are you doing there? Throw it out! The cow will be all right.' ") (w) S Folklore from Nova Scotia 195 309. "Old Scotch people used to say 'twasnt nothing to see a rabbit (witch) milking a cow." (w) M 310. "Said this was a woman, by name of Chris, used to bother asking for something, a little butter, flour, bacon. One day churning, this woman came in. 'Come to ask for a little bit of butter.' - 'Can't give you any butter.' - 'Give me a brand of fire.' Gave her a brand out the stove. Woman went on churning, churned and churned. 'What is the matter with the churn ' Open the churn, not a bit of butter in it. Two or three days after this, the cow went dry. Peeks in barn, sees big grey cat milking the cow." (c) L 311. "I used to hear 'em laughing, talking about a woman living with an ol' witch. This young girl was laying in bed. 01' witch come in, got a pot, put some snakes in, no fire, but first thing you know, pot was boiling, without a bit of fire, to make witchcraft stuff to witch people with." (c) S 312. Foster Wesley remembers, but only dimly, how theyput salt on the skin a witch had dropped, so she could not put it on. (c) S 313. Hag ridin', old time people would call it (stagnation of blood). Some ol' witch would come in and get on top of you. (c) S 314. Hechel1: Two straps across, fifteen or twenty steel points to catch witch, at night, come to ride you. ("Aunt Katy used one. She showed it to me.") (c) L 315. If you want to draw the witch, take nine new needles and nine new pins, put them in a piece of fat pork and put the piece into the pot. Will run the witch so bad and needles and pins will stick the witch who will come and knock to the door. You open the door and there will stand the witch. (c) L 316. Smith Baxter had heard of a horse being bewitched. (w) M 317. If you know who the witch is, draw an outline on the tree, load gun with silver, fire at it. Wherever it strikes, on that place it will cripple her. (An old witch turned herself into a duck, flew over and tormented this woman at night. Her husband noticed the strange bird, loaded a gun with silver and hit it in the bill. The duck flew over in the direction of the one said to be doing the bedevilment. She had an awful sore mouth after that, bound up, like it was disfigured.) (c) S 318. Knew Jake Chris well, awful man to walk. At the ferry one day, the mail carrier on horse said, "Jake, if you get home the time I do, I give you a pound of tobacco." Jake started ahead of him with a bag of flour. He got to the woods, to foot of mountain, and disappeared. Mail carrier got to the top, put spurs on his horse, ran him. Got to Jake Chris' house, there was Jake with his bag of flour, cutting wood, with fire on. Must have ~lew from the time he disappeared in the bushes... All thought Jake Chris was a witch. (c) L 1 For flax. There is one in the museum at Annapolis. 196 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society X. CONJURING. 319. If a young fellow falls in love with a girl, let him get a toad and put it in a little box, bore it full of holes and put it in an ant heap. He will find the toad all eaten up, leaving two bones. One bone let him fix in the girl's clothes, for a few minutes. A girl may do the same thing on a man. (c) Y 320. Put a hop-toad into an ant's bed (piss ant's nest), you'll find one bone shaped like a hook, one bone like a fan. If you want a fellow, put the hook in his clothes; if you want to get clear of him, brush him with the fan. (w) S 321. To gain a girl's affection, get two or three strands of her hair, tie them with grey yarn and keep them under your left arm for two weeks. (c) Y 322. If a woman starts a good fire and boils a man's socks, the faster it boils, the faster the man runs towards her. When it boils over, he will fall into the door. (c) Y 323. Take blood, when you are unwell, make it in a powder, put it in gooseberry preserve, and give it to him, and he will never leave you. (w) S 324. If you cut off a humming-bird's head into a bottle, a person will "turn to hate you worse then." (c) Y 325. If you buy a new cow which won't stay home, cut the tail at the end, the long hairs, nail them up to the stoop of the door, walk the cow over it nine times; she will never leave you. (w)S 326. To put on a spell: Take nine new needles and nine new pins, put them in a sod and boil them. She will have to come or send for you to come to her, to take the spell off her. (w) S 327. In case of "anyone who puts a spell on you," draw her image on a board and shoot at it. She will fall downstairs; if going upstairs, she will let fall down what she has in her hand, until she takes the spell off of you. The boys used to do this, against a certain old woman in Shelburne. (w) S 328. They (Indians) would not let me get a strand of their hair, they think I would put it in a bottle and bury it, under a root. of a tree, and set them crazy. (c) Y XI. FOLK MEDICINE. 1. WARTS. 329. Take a piece of pork rind, grease each wait, hide the rind under a wall, while nobody sees you. When it rots away, the warts will leave your hand. (w) S Folklore from Nova Scotia 197 330. Take a greasy string, tie a knot for every wart, bore a hole in a tree, and shove the string into the tree. When it moulders away, the warts will leave. (w) S 331. Wax out yer ear, for warts. (c) S 332. Take the cover off the stove. Rub a piece of meat over it and then over the wart. (c) S 333. Wash warts in water from a pool by the barn, washings from the barn. Wash three different mornings, stop three, until you do it nine times. (w) S 2. FITS. 334. Nine drops of black cat blood (cat with no white hairs at all) will cure fits. (w) S 335. Put salt in the palm of each hand. The limbs will relax right away. (w) S 3. ASTHMA. 336. If a child has asthma, take and cut their finger nails, and then their toe nails, lop off their hair near their temples, take them somewhere in the woods where they won't be often going. Take them to a tree, bore a hole, even with child's head, put in the cuttings and stop up with a pine plug. When they grow above it, asthma will leave them. (w) S 4. NOSE BLEED. 337. Put a snake's skin in a cloth, in a bag, good for nose bleed. (c) S 338. Wear a perforated nutmeg around the neck. (c) Y 5. BLEEDING AT LUNGS. 339. Take an ice cloth and put salt in mouth. (w) S 6. WHOOPING COUGH. 340. Sliced onions, sprinkled with sugar, loosen up cough. (w) S 7. ABORTIVES. 341. Tansy tea brings on menstruation after conception. (Menstruation is referred to as "monthlies," "flowers," "You got Alice?") (w) S 198 9 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 342. Drink salt petre. (w) S 343. Soak your feet in mustard, and drink white clover tea and sweet spirits of nitre, (if you are "in family way and want to get clear"). (w) S 8. INSECT STING. 344. If bumblebee or hornet sting, drop mud on it. Take four different kinds of leaves, mash them and drop juice on. (w) S 9. GENERAL. 345. If you gather bayberry in fall, and keep in house all winter, no sickness. (c) S XII. PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 346. In family way, whatever you want you should go and get. Otherwise the child will be marked. (w) S 347. Anything you want you should get, when you are pregnant. (When my brother was born, his tongue was out. My mother had wanted wine.) (c) S 348. My mother was frightened by a piece of fresh meat, made a birthmark. (c) S 349. Girl lays to right, boy to left. (w) S 350. If there are more boys in the family than girls, the man is the stronger, other way round, more girls than boys, say, "You get the best of the old man." (w) S 351. Wean a baby or a colt in the growing moon. (w) M 352. If a baby cuts tooth before six months, it will die. (w) S 353. If a baby cuts upper tooth first, never lives to wear wedding clothes. (w) S 354. Cutting babies' nails before a year old will make a thief of them. (w) S 355. If you let a child look in the mirror before it is a year old, it will die. (w) S 356. Rocking the cradle when the baby is not in it makes it cross. (c) Y 357. Parental threats: Going to grind you and make mince meat of you (to a girl). Man coming for you (to a boy). (w) S 358. "My father would tell lots of ghost stories, would make me sweat with fear." (c) Y \ Folklore from Nova Scotia 199 XIII. DEATH. 1. DEAD AND DYING. 359. If you put your hand on a dying person, he will never follow you. (w) S 360. A person is not liable to die until ebb tide. (w) S 361. Take a consumptive person, they will put the winter through all right, but when the leaves start to bloom in the spring, they will die; or they will put the summer through all right, and die when the leaves start to fall. (c) Y 362. Rain falling in an empty grave means somebody else will die, during the week. People believe it so much, seems as if they look out for somebody to die. (w) M 2. PREMONITIONS OF DEATH. 363. Mother's brother drowned at Gull Island. Mother was here in this house on the day it happened. She heard water falling earlier in the day in the house. This was a forerunner. (w) Liv. 364. "We have an old fashioned grandfather clock, it goes by weights. It belonged to my great-great-grandfather. It is a forerunner. The first time, it struck for grandfather, the next time for grandmother's aunt. Then for my aunt, and then another aunt. One day it struck eighteen times and the next day seventeen strokes. Soon after, another aunt died, she was thirty five years old. It struck sixty five times just before grandfather died. He was sixty five years old when he died. I got the clock down, took the hands off and the pendulum off, and tucked it away. I haven't the heart to destroy it. One time it struck only three times for someone over three." (w) Liv. 365. "They had a quilting party. They were sitting around, making merry. All of a sudden there was a loud crash. His niece lived a short distance away. At the same time she heard a noise like that. Her child was in there. She sent her up to see what it was. The child reported nothing, but she felt funny when the noise came. Sure enough, a man in the house died of a stroke." (w) Liv. 366. "Aunt Mary Forbes was settin' holding her youngest child in her lap. Uncle Forbes was steward of a ship called the Eagle. All of a sudden a big blue blaze from the hearth ran up Aunt Mary's dress. She blew it out, but you could smell the fire. She said, 'Dora, something's happened. That smells like lamp black.' Two hours later a telegram came saying that the Eagle had sunk." (c) D 200 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society XIV. MONTHS AND DAYS. 1. DAYS OF THE WEEK. GENERAL. 367. Born on Monday, Born fair in the face. Born on Tuesday, Full of God's grace. Born on Wednesday, The first to be had. Born on Thursday, Merry and glad. Born on Friday, Godly given. Born on Saturday, Work hard for your living. (w) S For marrying: Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday the best day at all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday no luck at all. (w) S SUNDAY. 368. Cut nails on Sunday, cut for evil, That week you'll be ruled by the devil. (w) S 369. Unlucky to drive nails on Sunday. ("I was driving nails into a fence on Sunday, missed the nail, and hit my finger. 'That is what you get for driving nails on Sunday,' somebody called out, 'Easter Sunday, at that.' ") (w) M 370. Sunday is a lucky day to sail. (c) Y MONDAY. 371. If a stranger comes to you on Monday, there will be a stranger every day of the week. (w) S THURSDAY. 372. Anything you begin on Thursday, you never finish it. (w)S FRIDAY. 373. Start on Friday, worst kind of luck. (w) S 374. Friday is an unlucky day to sail. (c) Y / Folklore from Nova Scotia 201 2. NEW YEAR. 375. Methodists hold watch meeting New Year's eve. Supposed to be on your knees when the New Year comes, then you will be doing it all the year around. (c) S 376. Anybody could go into the church and ring the bells. A crowd of boys would go from church to church. (c) S 377. First new moon of New Year, go down to salt water backwards a few steps away, with mirror, sweetheart's face will show in mirror. (w) Si 3. TWELFTH NIGHT. 378. Mother said if you used to go into the barn on Old Christmas Eve, all the cattle would be on their knees. (c) S 4. ST. VALENTINE'S DAY, FEBRUARY 14. 379. Valentine's day, stick valentines in door. (w) S 5. CANDLEMAS DAY. 380. If a bear sees his shadow on last day of February - Ca'lemas Day - he will go back in his den and stay six weeks longer, six weeks more of winter. (w) S 381. If a bear comes out, March 31, first day of spring and sees his shadow, stays four weeks. (c) Y 6. APRIL FOOL'S DAY. 382. Would write a note to somebody: "Send the fool further." Keep him agoing. (c) S 7. EASTER. 383. Played ball. All the old men played baseball. "Couldn't be Good Friday or Easter Monday without a game of ball." (c) S 384. Dye eggs. Crack eggs. If mine cracked yours, that would be my egg. (c) S 385. Play hide the egg. "Jim, I'll bet a dollar I can hide an egg and he can't.find it." Hide under cap. "I believe you've got that egg about you?" - "No." - "It ain't in your cap?" - "No." Another would break it. Kick up a fight. "You told me it wasn't in your cap." (c) S 386. Crow flying over the house on Easter means death. (w) S 8. MAY DAY, MAY I. 387. May pole, formerly, no longer. (w) S 202 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 9. ST. SWITHIN'S DAY, JUNE 23. 388. If rain St. Within's day, 'twill rain every day for thirty days. (w) S 10. HALLOWE'EN. 389. Gold ring into a cabbage. Whoever gets it on the plate, married first. (w) S 390. Go down cellar backwards with a mirror in your hand and a candle, and your sweetheart will look over your shoulder. (I knew a girl who did this. She fainted, thought she saw a coffin.) (w) S 391. Apple peel - swing three times around your head, throw, will make initials on the floor. (w) S 392. Bob apples. String apples. Play pranks. Mark apples with different names, boys and girls. (c) S 393. Put two needles in water to float, name them for a fellow and girl. If they come together, and sink, they will marry. (w) S 394. Put tick-tack on string outside window. Piece of resin to make a sound. (w) S 395. Make lanterns out of boxes. (c) S 396. Girl would mix dough with strong salt water, just before she went to bed. Her true lover would bring her a drink of water; if in tumbler, he would be rich. (c) S 397. Put lead in spoon, melt it and dump it in a bucket of water. It will spangle off in little pieces; tell what your husband's occupation will be, - saw, ax, etc. (c) S 398. Cut letters out of apples, put them face downwards in a saucer of water, at head of bed. Sleep on right side, do not speak. Whoever you are going to marry, initials will be turned up in morning. (w) S 11. GUY FAWKES' DAY, NOVEMBER 5. 399. Pope day: build fires, boys jump over them, singing: Around the Pope, About the Pope, Give the Pope a poke (or cut). Hand me a penny, To buy some rope, To hang the butcher1 And burn the Pope. (w) S 1 Variant: priest. Folklore from Nova Scotia 203 400. Make an image of the Pope out of earth, dress in old clothes, hat, rope around neck, grease to burn quickly. Or, make a figure out of a tree, with brush and things. (w) S XV. GROUP NICKNAMES.1 401. Canadians are referred to in the States as: Blue nose Herring choker Fish choker Canuck. 402. Canadians are referred to in Nova Scotia as: Jitneys Iron skulls. 403. White-wash Yankee, for naturalized American. 404. Smoke meat, for Indian. 405. Peck, for white. ("That old Peck ain't no good.") 406. Coons, for negroes. (w) S 407. Tar heels, for Carolinians. 408. West Indians are referred to as: Jigger feet Cocoanut dodgers Long heels.2 XVI. QUIPS AND SAYINGS. 409. Onion and Cabbage racin', two mile race, Onion goin' strong at one and one quarter, but Cabbage won by a head. (c) Y 410. Florida moss is called old men's whiskers. (w) M 411. Half past kissing time, time to begin again. (w) W 412. Luck is just how you make it. (c) Y 413. You can't set the woods on fire at night i. e. the woods won't catch fire. (w) M 414. When your jack-knife falls on its back, think of me, someone may say, and you always do. (w) M 415. Old saying: If you come into a strange place, and are looking for something to drink, follow the crowd. (o) Y 1 Informant 1. 2 "Heels stick out as far as their toes." Cp. reference to something conspicuous, "It sticks out like a nigger's heel." 204 Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society 416. If you take your dunnage bag aboard and look for mate, or up in the riggin', the captain will say, "You ain't no sailor". Must go straight to the foc'sle. (c) Y 417. One bell, sleepers, I have called you once, I have called you twice, If I call you again, I'll take yer life. Wake up, sleepers, and have a spit, The Captain's on deck. (c) Y 418. If Bermuda that you pass, Beware of Cape Hatteras, If Cape Hatteras chance to fail, In the Gulf (Stream) you'll get a gale, But if the Gulf should miss you first, On the coast you'll get it worse. (c) Y THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GRADUATE LIBRARY DATE DUE i / - r Nd~ i j 97o -, 1- " I,- - -, 0 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN I3901L 01861 4431 , 19,M