October 27. Story of the Day: Sneezes

This story comes from The Nursery Rhymes of England by James Orchard Halliwell.

It is an example of ATU 2012 Days of the Week.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

SNEEZES

If you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;
Sneeze on a Thursday, something better;
Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow;
Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart to-morrow.

Compare the variations in Northall's English Folk-Rhymes; there is a version from Lancashire which includes Sunday:

Sneeze on a Sunday, your safety seek:
The devil will have you the whole of the week.

(Little Sammy Sneeze)

August 27. Story of the Day: God Made Man.

This is a little rhyme about God's creation that I found in English Folk-Rhymes by G. F. Northall.

This is Roud 11065.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

GOD MADE MAN

God made man, man made money;
God made bees, the bees made honey:

God made a little man to plough and to sow,
God made a boy to keep away the crow;

God made a woman to brew and bake;
God made a little maid to eat a plum cake.

(plum cake)

August 17. Story of the Day: Right and Might

This is a story from Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India by Katherine Neville Fleeson.

It is another example of ATU 2042. Chain of Accidents.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

RIGHT AND MIGHT

While a deer was eating wild fruit, he heard an owl call, “Haak, haak,” [spear] and a cricket cry, “Wat,” [surrounded] and, frightened, he fled.

(sambar deer)

In his flight he ran through the trees up into the mountains and into streams. In one of the streams the deer stepped upon a small fish and crushed it almost to death.

Then the fish complained to the court, and the deer, owl, cricket and fish had a lawsuit. In the trial came out this evidence:

As the deer fled, he ran into some dry grass, and the seed fell into the eye of a wild chicken, and the pain of the seed in the eye of the chicken caused it to fly up against a nest of red ants.

Alarmed, the red ants flew out to do battle, and in their haste, bit a mongoose.

The mongoose ran into a vine of wild fruit and shook several pieces of it on the head of a hermit, who sat thinking under a tree.

“Why didst thou, O fruit, fall on my head?” cried the hermit.

The fruit answered: “We did not wish to fall; a mongoose ran against our vine and threw us down.”

And the hermit asked, “O mongoose, why didst thou throw the fruit?”

The mongoose answered: “I did not wish to throw down the fruit, but the red ants bit me and I ran against the vine.”

The hermit asked, “O ants, why did ye bite the mongoose?”

The red ants replied: “The hen flew against our nest and angered us.”

The hermit asked, “O hen, why didst thou fly against the red ants’ nest?”

And the hen replied: “The seed fell into my eyes and hurt me.”

And the hermit asked, “O seed, why didst thou fall into the hen’s eyes?”

And the seed replied: “The deer shook me down.”

The hermit said unto the deer, “O deer, why didst thou shake down the seed?”

The deer answered: “I did not wish to do it, but the owl called, frightening me and I ran.”

“O owl,” asked the hermit, “why didst thou frighten the deer?”

The owl replied: “I called but as I am accustomed to call—the cricket, too, called.”

Having heard the evidence, the judge said, “The cricket must replace the crushed parts of the fish and make it well,” as he, the cricket, had called and frightened the deer.

The cricket was smaller and weaker than the owl or the deer, therefore had to bear the penalty.

August 3. Story of the Day: The Number Dial.

This story comes from the article The Carol of the Twelve Numbers by William Wells Newell, and I've included his notes on this particular song below. I haven't done a number-based chain in a while; this one is built around religion and the hours of the day, the idea being that you would remember at each hour of the clock some aspect of Christianity based on those numbers. Notice also that not all the numbers are strictly religious, as the authors includes the Five Senses, the Seven Liberal Arts (i.e. the trivium and then the quadrivium) and the Nine Muses along with the more strictly Biblical material.

As a religious number song, this is classified with the Hebrew Passover song: ATU 2010 Ehod mi yodea (One: Who Knows?). For more information about this type of composition, see Lina Eckenstein's Chants of the Creed.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE NUMBER DIAL

One God, one Baptism, and one Faith,
One Truth there is, the Scripture saith.

Two Testaments (the Old and New)
We do acknowledge to be true.

Three persons are in Trinity,
Which make one God in Unity.

Four sweet Evangelists there are,
Christ's birth, life, death, which do declare.

Five senses (like Five Kings) maintain
In every man a several reign.

Six days to labor, is not wrong,
For God himself did work so long.

Seven Liberal Arts hath God sent down,
With Divine skill man's soul to crown.

Eight in Noah's Ark alive were found,
When (in a word) the World lay drowned.

Nine Muses (like the heaven's nine spheres)
With sacred Tunes entice our ears.

Ten Statutes God to Moses gave,
Which, kept or broke, do spill or save.

Eleven with Christ in heaven do dwell,
The Twelfth forever burns in hell.

Twelve are attending on God's Son,
Twelve make our Creed. The Dial's done.

Count one, the first hour of thy Birth,
The hours that follow, lead to Earth;
Count Twelve, thy doleful striking knell.
And then thy Dial shall go well.

(photo by Romina Campos)

NOTES

This quaint Puritan alteration of the older number-song is worth attention. Sylvester prints also a modern form of the same hymn, apparently still used as a carol (also given by Sandys, p. 138), entitled "Man's Duty; or, Meditation for the Twelve Hours of the Day." It will be seen that the author of the " Dial" had before him in his mind the nine choirs of angels, which he has changed to nine muses.

Gilbert. In These Twelve Days

From Some ancient Christmas carols by Davies Gilbert.

This is ATU 2010A Twelve Days of Christmas.

IN THESE TWELVE DAYS

In these twelve days, and in these twelve days,
Let us be glad,
For God of his power
Hath all things made;
We have but one God alone
Who in Heaven above sets on his throne.

What are these that are but Two?
What are these that are but Two?
Two Testaments we are told,
The one is the New, the other the Old.

What are these that are but Three?
What are these that are but Three?
Three Persons in Trinity,
The Father, the Son, and the Ghost Holy.

What are these that are but Four?
What are these that are but Four?
Four Gospels written true:
There's John, there's Luke, Mark, and Matthew.

What are these that are but Five?
What are these that are but Five?
Five Senses we have to tell;
God give us grace to use them well.

What are these that are but Six?
What are these that are but Six?
Six Ages the Lord hath sent,
And five of them are almost spent.

What are these that are but Seven?
What are these that are but Seven?
Seven Days in week have we ;
Six to labour, the seventh holy.

What are these that are but Eight?
What are these that are but Eight?
Eight Altitudes understood,
Which are the Blessings of the Good.

What are these that are but Nine?
What are these that are but Nine?
Nine Degrees of Angels high,
Which do praise God continually.

What are these that are but Ten?
What are these that are but Ten?
Ten Commandments God hath given;
Use them well and go to Heaven.

What are these that are but Eleven?
What are these that are but Eleven?
Eleven Thousand Virgins understood
To be crucified for Christ's blood.

What are these that are but Twelve?
What are these that are but Twelve?
Twelve Apostles Christ did chuse,
To preach the Gospel to the Jews.

(Last Supper)

Northall. The Devil in the Turnpike Road

From English Folk-Rhymes by G. F. Northall.

THE DEVIL IN THE TURNPIKE ROAD

(devil statue)

Have you seen the devil,
With his wood and iron shovel,
Digging up potatoes
in the turnpike road?

Have you seen his wife,
With a broad-bladed knife,
Scraping the potatoes
In the turnpile road?

Have you seen his daughter,
With a pail of dirty water
Washing the potatoes
In the turnpike road?

Have you seen his son,
With a double-barrel'd gun,
Shooting birds for dinner
In the turnpike road?


NOTES

This rhyme probably owe its origin to the familiar belief that the devil on occasions undertakes labour for mortals, and gets through an enormous amount of work.

Twelve Days of Christmas

This 18th-century version of the song comes from Mirth Without Mischief published in London by J. Davenport, circa 1780, online at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas. See also the detailed article at the website: Notes on the Twelve Days of Christmas. There is also a detailed article at Wikipedia.

This is ATU 2010A Twelve Days (Gifts) of Christmas.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

(Xavier Romero-Frias)

On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me1
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four colley birds,1a
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.



On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine drummers drumming,2
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.



On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Twelve lords a leaping,
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

NOTES (from the website):

Identical lyrics are printed by James Orchard Halliwell, The Nursery Rhymes of England. Fifth Edition. (London and New York: Frederick Warne and Co., 1886), pp. 184-188, With Illustrations by W. B. Scott. The version published by William Henry Husk, Songs of the Nativity (London: John Camden Hotten, 1868) is substantially the same, differing only in the fifth day: Five golden rings.

However, the version in Halliwell's Second Edition (1843) is markedly different:

Twelve bells ringing,
Eleven ladies spinning,
Ten ships a sailing,
Nine lords a leaping,
Eight ladies dancing,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four canary birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

In the Second Edition, Halliwell notes:
Each child in succession repeats the gifts of the day, and forfeits for each mistake. This accumulative process is a favourite with children ; in early writers, such as Homer, the repetition of messages, &c. pleases on the same principle.

In the Second Edition, "The First Day of Christmas" was rhyme # CCLXXII, and was found on pp. 155-156. In the Fifth Edition, it was rhyme # CCCXLVI, on pages 184-188. I haven't seen any other edition.

1. In the version collected by John Jacob Niles, "... my true love gave to me." Niles did not state the source or date of his version, although much of what he collected was from Southern Appalachia in 1912 1913 and 1932-1934. The version reprinted by Lomax gives "my true love sent to me."
1a. Or: "four calling birds."

2. In the version collected by John Jacob Niles, it was nine pipers piping, ten ladies dancing, eleven lords a leaping, and twelve fiddlers fiddling. Lomax gives nine pipers piping, ten drummers drumming, eleven lords a leaping, and twelve ladies dancing. Other versions have a different sorting of personnel.  

The Twelve Days of Christmas Version 2 (Sabine Baring Gould, 1889)
The Twelve Days of Christmas Version 3 (Cecil J. Sharp, 1916, with notes)

See the website for sheet music as follows:

Sheet Music from Sabine Baring Gould, Folk Songs of the West (1889)

Sheet Music from J. Collingwood Bruce and John Stokoe, Northumbrian Minstrelsy: A Collection of the Ballads, Melodies, and Small pipe Tunes of Northumbria. (Published by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1882), "The Twelve Days of Christmas," pp. 129 131.

Sheet Music from Cecil J. Sharp, ed., One Hundred English Folksongs (Oliver Ditson Company, Boston, 1916), #96, pp, 224-225.

Sheet Music from Cecil J. Sharp and Charles L. Marson, eds., Folk Songs from Somerset. Second Series. (London: Simpkin & Co., Ltd, et al., 1911), pp. 52-55.

Sheet music to five tunes from Cecil J. Sharp, et al., "Forfeit Songs," Journal of the Folk-Song Society, Vol. 5., No. 20 (1916), pp. 277-279.

W. G. Whittaker, ed., North Countrie Ballads, Songs and Pipe-Tunes. Part I. (London: J. Curwen & Sons, Ltd., 1921), pp. 120-123.

Dodge. My Week

From Dodge's Rhymes and Jingles. The name of the illustrator is not given. This is ATU 2012 Days of the Week.

MY WEEK

On Monday I wash my dollies' clothes,
On Tuesday smoothly press 'em;

On Wednesday mend their little hose,
On Thursday neatly dress 'em.

On Friday I play they're taken ill,
On Saturday something or other;

But when Sunday comes, I say, "Lie still
I'm going to church with mother."

Northall. Marriage

From Northall's English Folk-Rhymes. Compare also the Fingernail rhyme.

This is ATU 2012 Days of the Week.

MARRIAGE

Monday for wealth,
Tuesday for health,
Wednesday best day of all;
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
And Saturday no luck at all.

(The Wedding Dance)

Tarrant. Fingernails

From Nursery Rhymes by Margaret Tarrant.

The classification is ATU 2012 Days of the Week.

FINGERNAILS

Cut them on Monday, you cut them for health;
Cut them on Tuesday, you cut them for wealth;
Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for news;
Cut them on Thursday, a new pair of shoes;
Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;
Cut them on Saturday, see your true love tomorrow;
Cut them on Sunday, ill-luck will be with you all the week.

For variations, see Northall's English Folk-Rhymes.

Cut them on Monday, cut them for news;
Cut them on Tuesday, a new pair of shoes;
Cut them on Wednesday, cut them for health;
Cut them on Thursday, cut them for wealth;
Cut them on Friday, cut them for woe;
Cut them on Saturday, a journey you'll go;
Cut them on Sunday, you cut them for evil—
For all the next week you'll be ruled by the Devil.

A man had better ne'er been born
Than have his nails on Sunday shorn.
Cut them on Monday, cut them for health;
Cut them on Tuesday, cut them for wealth;
Cut them on Wednesday, cut them for news;
Cut them on Thursday, a new pair of shoes;
Cut them on Friday, cut them for sorrow;
Cut them on Saturday, see your sweetheart to-morrow.

(illustration by Charles Robinson)

Lang. Monday's Bairn

This rhyme comes from The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang. Lang's version has the Scottish "bairn" instead of the usual "child."

The classification is ATU 2012 Days of the Week.

MONDAY'S BAIRN

Monday's bairn is fair of face,
Tuesday's bairn is full of grace,
Wednesday's bairn is full of woe,
Thursday's bairn has far to go,
Friday's bairn is loving and giving,
Saturday's bairn works hard for its living,
But the bairn that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.


For variations, see Northall's English Folk-Rhymes.

Born of a Monday, fair in face;
Born of a Tuesday, full of God's grace;
Born of a Wednesday, merry and glad;
Born of a Thursday, sour and sad;
Born of a Friday, godly given;
Born of a Saturday, work for your living;
Born of a Sunday, never shall we want;
So there ends the week, and there's an end on't!

Born on Monday, fair in the face;
Born on Tuesday, full of God's grace;
Born on Wednesday, sour and sad;
Born on Thursday, merry and glad;
Born on Friday, worthily given;
Born on Saturday, work hard for your living;
Born on Sunday, you will never know want.

Sunday's child is full of grace,
Monday's child is full in the face,
Tuesday's child is solemn and sad,
Wednesday's child is merry and glad,
Thursday's child is inclined to thieving,
Friday's child is free in giving,
And Saturday's child works hard for his living.

(St. Nicholas magazine, 1873)

Halliwell. Washing

From The Nursery Rhymes of England by James Orchard Halliwell. For variations, see Northall's English Folk-Rhymes. For Scottish, see Chambers' Popular Rhymes of Scotland.

This would be an example of ATU 2012 Days of the Week.

WASHING

They that wash on Monday

Have all the week to dry;

They that wash on Tuesday

Are not so much awry;

They that wash on Wednesday

Are not so much to blame;

They that wash on Thursday,

Wash for shame;

They that wash on Friday,

Wash in need;

And they that wash on Saturday,

Oh! they're sluts indeed.

(Washerwomen by D. R. Knight)

Newell. Come and I Will Sing You

From Newell's article on The Carol of the Twelve Numbers.

This is classified with the Jewish song ATU 2010 Ehod mi yodea (One: Who Knows?).

COME AND I WILL SING YOU

1st voice. Come and I will sing you!
2nd voice. What will you sing me?
1st voice. I will sing you One, O!
2d voice. What is your One, O?
1st voice. One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you two, O!
What is your two, O?
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green, O!
Chorus. One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you three, O!
What is your three, O?
Three of them are strangers, O!
Chorus. Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you four, O!
What is your four, O?
Four are the gospel preachers, O!
Chorus. Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you five, O!
What is your five, O?
Chorus. Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you six, O!
What is your six, O?
Six are the cheerful waiters, O!
Chorus. Five is the ferryman in the boat;
Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you seven, O!
What is your seven, O?
Seven are seven stars in the sky, O!
Chorus. Six are the cheerful waiters;
Five is the ferryman in the boat;
Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you eight, O!
What is your eight, O?
Eight is the Great Archangel, O!
Chorus. Seven are seven stars in the sky;
Six are the cheerful waiters;
Five is the ferryman in the boat;
Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you nine, O!
What is your nine, O?
Nine is the moonshine, bright and clear, O!
Chorus. Eight is the Great Archangel;
Seven are seven stars in the sky;
Six are the cheerful waiters;
Five is the ferryman in the boat;
Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you ten, O!
What is your ten, O?
Ten are the ten commandments, O!
Chorus. Nine is the moonshine, bright and clear;
Eight is the Great Archangel;
Seven are seven stars in the sky;
Six are the cheerful waiters;
Five is the ferryman in the boat;
Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you eleven, O!
What is your eleven, O?
Eleven of them have gone to heaven, O!
Chorus. Ten are the ten commandments;
Nine is the moonshine, bright and clear;
Eight is the Great Archangel;
Seven are seven stars in the sky;
Six are the cheerful waiters;
Five is the ferryman in the boat;
Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

Come and I will sing you!
What will you sing me?
I will sing you twelve, O!
What is your twelve, O?
Twelve are the twelve apostles,
Chorus. Eleven of them have gone to heaven;
Ten are the ten commandments;
Nine is the moonshine, bright and clear;
Eight is the Great Archangel;
Seven are seven stars in the sky;
Six are the cheerful waiters;
Five is the ferryman in the boat;
Four are the gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes, all clothed in green;
One of them is God alone, and He ever shall remain so.

(Twelve Apostles)

NOTES

From the "Bizarre Notes and Queries," Manchester, N. H., vol. vi. No. 2, 1889, p. 248, being contributed to that journal by Rev. J. H. Hopkins, from the singing of children in Essex, N. Y., who, during a residence on the southern shore of Lake Superior, had caught it by ear from Cornish miners employed in the copper mines of that region.

In reprinting, I venture to make some slight changes of punctuation. The carol is sung by two voices, alternating with successive lines, the numbers previously given being repeated in chorus.