October 23. Story of the Day: Vessel of Butter

This story comes from Indian Nights by Charles Swynnerton. This is just one incident in "The Story of Lull, The Idiot."

This is an example of ATU 1430 Air Castles.

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THE VESSEL OF BUTTER

Lull was loitering about the street, when a passing soldier laid hold of his arm and said, ' Here, lad, carry this vessel of butter for me, and if you are smart I'll give you three halfpence.'

This quite delighted Lull, who was as strong as a horse, and taking up the vessel, with an 'All right, I'll carry it,' he swung it on to his shoulders.

The vessel was a large jar of earthenware, and the butter was in a liquid state, like oil. As Lull strode along the road, followed by the soldier, his busy brain began to build up castles in the air.

'How lucky am I!' said he to himself:

This fellow is going to give me three ha'pence, and what shall I do with it? I know. I'll go into the market and buy a hen with it, and I'll take it home and feed it; and the hen will lay eggs, and I shall have a fine brood of chickens.

(chickens in India)

And I'll sell them all for what they will fetch, and when I have sold them I'll buy a sheep.

After a bit the sheep will have young ones, and when I have also sold them, I'll buy a cow.

And when my cow has young ones I'll buy a milch buffalo; and when my milch buffalo has young ones, I'll sell her and I'll buy a mare to ride on.

And when I am riding my mare the people will all stare at me, and say, " Oh, Lull! Lull!" and the girls will nudge each other, and say, " Look at Lull on his beautiful mare!"

And when I have a mare of my own, I shall not be long making a match with some fine girl with a pot of money; and I'll get married, and I shall have four or five nice little children.

And when my children look up to me and cry, "Papa, papa !" I'll say to one, " O you little dear!" and to another, " O you little darling!"

And with my hand I'll pat them on the head, one by one, just like this...

Suiting the action to the word, Lull, in total oblivion of the jar of butter, lowered his hand, and made several passes in the air as if patting his children's heads; but as he did so, down fell the unlucky jar, which was broken into a thousand pieces, and all the precious butter ran about the street.