September 28. Story of the Day: The Woman and the Berries

This version comes from The McCloskey Primer by Margaret Orvis McCloskey, with illustrations by Charles Copeland. For a Scots version, see Chalmers' Popular Rhymes of Scotland: The Wife and her Bush of Berries (online at Hathi).

This is classified as ATU 2030 The old woman and her pig.

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

THE WOMAN

AND HER BEAUTIFUL BUSH OF BERRIES

There was a woman who had a beautiful bush of berries, and she wanted to pick them, but she could not do that unless she had somebody to keep her house. So she went to a kid and said, "Kid, kid, come and keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed, no," said the kid, "I'll not keep your house till you pick your beautiful bush of berries."

Then the woman went to a dog and said, "Dog, dog, bite kid; kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the dog, "I'll not bite the kid, for the kid never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to a stick and said, "Stick, stick, beat dog; dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the stick, "I'll not beat the dog, for the dog never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to a fire and said, "Fire, fire, burn stick; stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the fire, I'll not burn the stick, for the stick never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to some water and said, "Water, water, quench fire; fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the water, "I'll not quench the fire, for the fire never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to an ox and said, "Ox, ox, drink water; water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the ox, "I'll not drink the water, for the water never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to an ax and said, "Ax, ax, strike ox; ox will not drink water, water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the ax, "I'll not strike the ox, for the ox never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to a smith and said, "Smith, smith, grind ax; ax will not strike ox, ox will not drink water, water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the smith, "I'll not grind the ax, for the ax never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to a rope and said, "Rope, rope, hang smith; smith will not grind ax, ax will not strike ox, ox will not drink water, water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the rope, "I'll not hang the smith, for the smith never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to a mouse and said, "Mouse, mouse, gnaw rope; rope will not hang smith, smith will not grind ax, ax will not strike ox, ox will not drink water, water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the mouse, "I'll not gnaw the rope, for the rope never did me any harm."

Then the woman went to a cat and said, "Cat, cat, kill mouse; mouse will not gnaw rope, rope will not hang smith, smith will not grind ax, ax will not strike ox, ox will not drink water, water will not quench fire, fire will not burn stick, stick will not beat dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pick my beautiful bush of berries."

"Indeed," said the cat, "I'll not kill the mouse, for the mouse never did me any harm."

"Do it," said the woman, "and I'll give you milk and bread."

With that, the cat ran to kill the mouse, the mouse rang to gnaw the rope, the rope ran to hang the smith, the smith ran to to grind the ax, the ax ran to strike the ox, the ox ran to drink the water, the water ran to quench the fire, the fire ran to burn the stick, the stick ran to beat the dog, the dog ran to bite the kid, and the kid kept the woman's house till she picked her beautiful bush of berries.

NOTES

The refractory kid of this Scotch tale is very close to the pig that would not get over the stile. The series of personages in the Scotch story is almost the same as that of "The Old Woman and her Pig," and in one version the likeness is made complete by the following introduction:

There was a wife that lived in a wee house by herself, and as she was sweepin the house one day she found twal (two) pennies. So she thought to herself what she wad do wi her twal pennies, and at last she thought she couldna do better than gang wi't to the market and buy a kid. Sae she gaed to the market and coffed a fine kid. And as she was gaun home, she spied a bonny bush of berries growin beside a brig. And she said to the kid, "Kid, kid, keep my house," etc.

August 6. Story of the Day: The Cock that Crowed

This is another item from The McCloskey Primer by Margaret Orvis McCloskey, with illustrations by Charles Copeland. The story is an English translation of a modern Greek song; I found the Greek text online and included that at the bottom of this post.

Since this is just a recitation of items without a reversal at the end, I think that means this would be classified as ATU 2035. The House that Jack Built.

And for more stories, click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE COCK THAT CROWED
IN THE MORN

There was an old man,
And he had a cock,
That crowed in the morn
And awoke the old man.

But there came a cat
And ate the cock,
That crowed in the morn
And awoke the old man.

And there came a fox
And ate the cat,
That ate the cock,
That crowed in the morn
And awoke the old man.

And there came a wolf
And ate the fox,
That ate the cat,
That ate the cock,
That crowed in the morn
And awoke the old man.

And there came a lion
And ate the wolf,
That ate the fox,
That ate the cat,
That ate the cock,
That crowed in the morn
And awoke the old man.

And there came a river
And drowned the lion,
That ate the wolf,
That ate the fox,
That ate the cat,
That ate the cock,
That crowed in the morn
And awoke the old man.


NOTES

This Greek song and its Hebrew counterpart are mentioned in Dr. Wiener's "Essay on Modern Hebrew in its Relation to Modern Greek," American Folklore Journal, Vol. II, p. 320, as an illustration of the marked similarity of construction in the two languages.

~   ~   ~

McCloskey is reproducing the English translation from Garnett's Greek Folk Poesy, and that book led me to the Greek text in Passow's Carmina popularia.

Ἦταν ἕνας γέρος
Κ᾿ εἶχεν ἕνα πετεινὸ,
Ποῦ λάλει καὶ ξύπνα τὸ μαῦρο τὸ γέρο.

Ἦλθε μία γάτα
Κ᾿ ἔφαγε τὸν πετεινὸ,
Ποῦ λάλει καὶ ξύπνα τὸ μαῦρο τὸ γέρο.

Κ᾿ ἦλθε μία ἀλωποῦ
Κ᾿ ἔφαγε τὴν γάτα,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν πετεινὸ,
Ποῦ λάλει καὶ ξύπνα τὸ μαῦρο τὸ γέρο.

Κ᾿ ἦλθε ἕνας λύκος,
Κ᾿ ἔφαγε τὴν ἀλωποῦν,
Ποὔφαγε τὴν γάτα,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν πετεινὸ,
Ποῦ λάλει καὶ ξύπνα τὸ μαῦρο τὸ γέρο.

Κ᾿ ἦλθε ἕνας λέων,
Κ᾿ ἔφαγε τὸν λύκον,
Ποὔφαγε τὴν ἀλωποῦν,
Ποὔφαγε τὴν γάτα,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν πετεινὸ,
Ποῦ λάλει καὶ ξύπνα τὸ μαῦρο τὸ γέρο.

Κ᾿ ἦλθε ἕνας ποταμὸς,
Πῆρε τὸν λέοντα,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν λύκον,
Ποὔφαγε τὴν ἀλωποῦν,
Ποὔφαγε τὴν γάτα,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν πετεινὸ,
Ποῦ λάλει καὶ ξύπνα τὸ μαῦρο τὸ γέρο.

June 13. Story of the Day: The Boy and the Goats

This is a folktale from Norway that is included in The McCloskey Primer by Margaret Orvis McCloskey, with illustrations by Charles Copeland.

This is classified as ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig, although once again, the stubborn animal in question is not a pig, but goats who will not leave the turnip field. The chain of characters is also distinctive: instead of a mix of animals and inanimate objects, you will just see animals here, with a surprising little creature who gets the goats to finally go home!

Another distinctive feature of this story is that it also has a kind of chain-of-mourning like in ATU 2022 The Death of the Little Hen. As you will see, the characters weep when they cannot get the goats out of the turnip field, and their weeping is what prompts the recitation of the chain each time. Very elegant!

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

THE BOY AND THE GOATS

Now you shall hear!

There was once a boy who had three goats. All day they leaped and pranced and skipped and climbed up on the rocky hill, but at night the boy drove them home. One night, when he went to meet them, the frisky things leaped into a turnip field, and he could not get them out. Then the boy sat down on the hillside and cried.

As he sat there, a hare came along. "Why do you cry?" asked the hare.

"I cry because I can't get the goats out of the field," answered the boy.

"I'll do it," said the hare.

So he tried, but the goats would not come. Then the hare, too, sat down and cried.

Along came a fox. "Why do you cry?" asked the fox.

"I am crying because the boy cries," said the hare; "and the boy is crying because he cannot get the goats out of the turnip field."

"I'll do it!" said the fox.

So the fox tried, but the goats would not come. Then the fox also sat down and cried.

Soon after wolf came along. "Why do you cry?" asked the wolf.

"I am crying because the hare cries," said the fox, "and the hare cries because the boy cries, and the boy cries because he can't get the goats out of the turnip field."

"I'll do it!" said the wolf.

He tried, but the goats would not leave the field. So he sat down beside the others and began to cry too.

After a little, a bee flew over the hill and saw them all sitting there crying.

"Why do you cry?" said the bee to the wolf.

"I am crying because the fox cries, and the fox cries because the hare cries, and the hare cries because the boy cries, and the boy cries because he can't get the goats out of the turnip field."

"I'll do it!" said the bee.

Then the big animals and the boy all stopped crying a moment to laugh at the tiny bee. He do it, indeed, when they could not! But the tiny bee flew away into the turnip field and lit upon one of the goats and said, "Buz-z-z-z-z!"

And out ran the goats, every one!

NOTES

This Norse tale, found by Miss Emilie Poulsson in an old Norse reader, belongs to a type which, if one may judge from printed collections, is not so well known as the other types here illustrated. Interesting variants, however, are given in Russian, Italian, and Portuguese collections. In this story the series of personages forms a scale which suddenly decreases in physical power, and the conquest is made "not by might but by spirit."

CHAIN: boy - rabbit - fox - wolf - bee

June 7. Story of the Day: Billy Goat and Nanny Goat

This is another story from the anthology of chain tales in The McCloskey Primer by Margaret Orvis McCloskey, with illustrations by Charles Copeland.

McCloskey indicates that the story is Russian, but she does not give the source for her English version. At the bottom of the post, I've included the original Russian version from Afanasjev's Russian folktales.

This is classified as ATU 2015, but that type overlaps so much with ATU 2030 that I've decided to group ATU 2015 and ATU 2030 together: The Old Woman and her Pig. Once again, the stubborn animal is a goat; this time, a nanny-goat.

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

BILLY GOAT AND NANNY GOAT

The billy goat sitteth and weepeth;
He hath sent the nanny goat after nuts;
She hath gone away and disappeared.
So the billy goat hath begun to sing this song:

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, nanny goat! I'll send the wolf after thee!"

The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, wolf! I'll send the bear after thee!"

The bear will not go to kill the wolf,
The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, bear, I'll send the man after thee."

The man will not go to shoot the bear,
The bear will not go to kill the wolf,
The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, man! I'll send the stick after thee."
The stick will not go to beat the man,
The man will not go to shoot the bear,
The bear will not go to kill the wolf,
The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, stick! I'll send the ax after thee!"

The ax will not go to cut the stick,
The stick will not go to beat the man,
The man will not go to shoot the bear,
The bear will not go to kill the wolf,
The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, ax! I'll send the stone after thee!"

The stone will not go to grind the ax,
The ax will not go to cut the stick,
The stick will not go to beat the man,
The man will not go to shoot the bear,
The bear will not go to kill the wolf,
The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, stone! I'll send the fire after thee!"
The fire will not go to burn the stone,
The stone will not go to grind the ax,
The ax will not go to cut the stick,
The stick will not go to beat the man,
The man will not go to shoot the bear,
The bear will not go to kill the wolf,
The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, fire! I'll send the water after thee!"
The water will not go to quench the fire,
The fire will not go to burn the stone,
The stone will not go to grind the ax,
The ax will not go to cut the stick,
The stick will not go to beat the man,
The man will not go to shoot the bear,
The bear will not go to kill the wolf,
The wolf will not go to chase the goat.

The nanny goat cometh not with the nuts,
The nanny goat with the red-hot nuts.

"Very good, water! I'll send the tempest after thee!"

The tempest began to chase the water,
The water began to quench the fire,
The fire began to burn the stone,
The stone began to grind the ax,
The ax began to cut the stick,
The stick began to beat the man,
The man began to shoot the bear,
The bear began to kill the wolf,
The wolf began to chase the goat.

Here is the nanny goat with the nuts,
The nanny goats with the red-hot nuts.


NOTES.

This quaint, picturesque Russian rhyme -- a close parallel ot the French and the German variants -- dimly suggests in its refrain the lament of Tennyson's Mariana:
     She only said, "The day is dreary,
     He cometh not," she said;
     She said, "I am aweary, aweary,
     I would that I were dead."
The situation of the nursery rhyme, however, is happily relieved by the enterprise and resourcefulness of the spirited, though unchivalric, little billy goat.

~ ~ ~

If you read Russian, enjoy!

60. Коза (online here)

Сидит козел да плачет: он послал козу за орехами; она пошла и пропала. Вот козел и запел:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!
Добро же, коза! Пошлю на тя волки.
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, волки! Пошлю на вас медведя.
Медведь нейдет волков драть,
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, медведь! Пошлю на тя люд.
Люди нейдут медведь стрелять,
Медведь нейдет волков драть,
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, люди! Пошлю на вас дубье.
Дубье нейдет людей бить,
Люди нейдут медведь стрелять,
Медведь нейдет волков драть,
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, дубье! Пошлю на тя топор.
Топор нейдет дубье рубить,
Дубье нейдет людей бить,
Люди нейдут медведь стрелять,
Медведь нейдет волков драть,
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, топор! Пошлю на тя камень.
Камень нейдет топор тупить,
Топор нейдет дубье рубить,
Дубье нейдет людей бить,
Люди нейдут медведь стрелять,
Медведь нейдет волков драть,
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, камень! Пошлю на тя огонь,
Огонь нейдет камень палить,
Камень нейдет топор тупить,
Топор нейдет дубье рубить,
Дубье нейдет людей бить,
Люди нейдут медведь стрелять,
Медведь нейдет волков драть,
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, огонь! Пошлю на тя воду.
Вода нейдет огонь лить,
Огонь нейдет камень палить,
Камень нейдет топор тупить,
Топор нейдет дубье рубить,
Дубье нейдет людей бить,
Люди нейдут медведь стрелять,
Медведь нейдет волков драть,
Волки нейдут козы гнать:

Нет козы с орехами,
Нет козы с калеными!

Добро же, вода! Пошлю на тя бурю.
Буря пошла воду гнать,
Вода пошла огонь лить,
Огонь пошел камень палить,
Камень пошел топор тупить,
Топор пошел дубье рубить,
Дубье пошло людей бить,
Люди пошли медведь стрелять,
Медведь пошел волков драть,
Волки пошли козу гнать:
Вот коза с орехами,
Вот коза с калеными!


CHAIN: storm - water - fire - stone - ax - stick - man - bear - wolf - goat

McCloskey. What shall we have?

From The McCloskey Primer by Margaret Orvis McCloskey, with illustrations by Charles Copeland. This is an English translation of a French song.

Since this is just a recitation of items without a reversal at the end, I think that means this would be classified as TMI Z44 The house that Jack built = ATU 2035.

WHAT SHALL WE HAVE?

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a fine big donkey,
For our wee old man to ride on,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a little wasp,
That shall sting the fine big donkey,
That shall throw the wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a little cock,
That shall eat the little wasp,
That shall sting the fine big donkey,
That shall throw the wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a little fox,
That shall eat the little cock,
That shall eat the little wasp,
That shall sting the fine big donkey,
That shall throw the wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a clever dog,
That shall kill the little fox,
That shall eat the little cock,
That shall eat the little wasp,
That shall sting the fine big donkey,
That shall throw the wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a little stick,
That shall beat the little dog,
That shall kill the little fox,
That shall eat the little cock,
That shall eat the little wasp,
That shall sting the fine big donkey,
That shall throw the wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have an oven wide,
That shall burn the little stick,
That shall beat the little dog,
That shall kill the little fox,
That shall eat the little cock,
That shall eat the little wasp,
That shall sting the fine big donkey,
That shall throw the wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

We will have — what shall we have?
We will have a river swift,
That shall quench the oven's fire,
That shall burn the little stick,
That shall beat the little dog,
That shall kill the little fox,
That shall eat the little cock,
That shall eat the little wasp,
That shall sting the fine big donkey,
That shall throw the wee old man,
Who shall keep our little garden,
Where the roses gayly grow.

~   ~   ~

The English is from Garnett's Greek Poesy,  and from the reference there I have transcribed the Greek from Passow's Carmina Popularia.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα γέροντα,
Νὰ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα γαίδαρον,
Νὰ καβαλκεύ' ὁ γέρος,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα τάβανον,
Νὰ τσίμβησε τὸν γαίδαρον,
Νὰ κρήμνισε τὸν γέροντα,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα πετεινὸν,
Νἄτρωγε τὸν τάβανον,
Ποῦ τσίμβησε τὸν γαίδαρον,
Ποῦ κρήμνισε τὸν γέροντα,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕναν ἄλπαρον
Νἄτρωγε τὸν πετεινὸν,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν τάβανον,
Ποῦ τσίμβησε τὸν γαίδαρον,
Ποῦ κρήμνισε τὸν γέροντα,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα σκύλον,
Νἄτρωγε τὸν ἄλπαρον
Κι ὁ ἄλπαρος τὸν πετεινὸν
Κι ὁ πετεινὸς τὸν τάβανον,
Ποῦ τσίμβησε τὸν γαίδαρον,
Ποῦ κρήμνισε τὸν γέροντα,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα ξύλον,
Νὰ δέρμανε τὸν σκύλον,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν ἄλπαρον
Κι ὁ ἄλπαρος τὸν πετεινὸν
Κι ὁ πετεινὸς τὸν τάβανον,
Ποῦ τσίμβησε τὸν γαίδαρον,
Ποῦ κρήμνισε τὸν γέροντα,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα φοῦρνο,
Νὰ καίγαμε τὸ ξύλον,
Ποὔδειρε τὸν σκύλον,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν ἄλπαρον
Κι ὁ ἄλπαρος τὸν πετεινὸν
Κι ὁ πετεινὸς τὸν τάβανον,
Ποῦ τσίμβησε τὸν γαίδαρον,
Ποῦ κρήμνισε τὸν γέροντα,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

Νἄχαμε, τί νἄχαμε;
Νἄχαμ' ἕνα ποταμὸν,
Νἄσβενε τὸν φοῦρνο,
Ποὔκαψε τὸ ξύλον,
Ποὔδειρε τὸν σκύλον,
Ποὔφαγε τὸν ἄλπαρον
Κι ὁ ἄλπαρος τὸν πετεινὸν
Κι ὁ πετεινὸς τὸν τάβανον,
Ποῦ τσίμβησε τὸν γαίδαρον,
Ποῦ κρήμνισε τὸν γέροντα,
Ποῦ μᾶς φυλάῃ τὸν κῆπον
Μὲ τὰ τριαντὰφυλλα.

McCloskey. The Kid and the Cabbage

From The McCloskey Primer by Margaret Orvis McCloskey, with illustrations by Charles Copeland. This is an English translation of a French song.

Unfortunately, I cannot find the illustration that goes on the first page of the story (missing at Hathi), but I've included the other illustrations below, starting with the wolf.

This is the same type as ATU 2030 old woman and her pig.

THE KID AND THE CABBAGE

The kid does not wish to go out of the cabbage field.

Oh, you will go out, Kid, Kid!
Oh, you will go out of that cabbage!

Jack sends for the dog to eat the kid;
The dog does not wish to eat the kid,
The kid does not wish to go out of the cabbage.

Oh, you will go out, Kid, Kid!
Oh, you will go out of that cabbage!

Jack sends for the wolf to eat the dog;
The wolf does not wish to eat the dog,
The dog does not wish to eat the kid,
The kid does not wish to go out of the cabbage.

Oh, you will go out, Kid, Kid!
Oh, you will go out of that cabbage!

Jack sends for the ox to eat the wolf;
The ox does not wish to eat the wolf,
The wolf does not wish to eat the dog,
The dog does not wish to eat the kid,
The kid does not wish to go out of the cabbage.

Oh, you will go out, Kid, Kid!
Oh, you will go out of that cabbage!

Jack sends for the stick to beat the ox;
The stick does not wish to beat the ox,
The ox does not wish to eat the wolf,
The wolf does not wish to eat the dog,
The dog does not wish to eat the kid,
The kid does not wish to go out of the cabbage.

Oh, you will go out, Kid, Kid!
Oh, you will go out of that cabbage!

Jack sends for the fire to burn the stick;
The fire does not wish to burn the stick,
The stick does not wish to beat the ox,
The ox does not wish to eat the wolf,
The wolf does not wish to eat the dog,
The dog does not wish to eat the kid,
The kid does not wish to go out of the cabbage.

Oh, you will go out, Kid, Kid!
Oh, you will go out of that cabbage!

Jack sends for the water to quench the fire;
The water is willing to quench the fire,
The fire is willing to burn the stick,
The stick is willing to beat the ox,
The ox is willing to eat the wolf,
The wolf is willing to eat the dog,
The dog is willing to eat the kid,
The kid is willing to go out of the cabbage.

Oh, you will go out, Kid, Kid!
Oh, you will go out of that cabbage!

NOTES

Several provincial variations of "The Kid and the Cabbage " are mentioned by M. Gaston Paris (Romania, Vol. I, pp. 218-225, "La Chanson du Chevreau"), who says that they originally contain eight personages, — kid, wolf, dog, stick, fire, water, ox, butcher — each chosen as the usual enemy of the one preceding. This French song is now believed to be, indirectly through the German, the origin of the Hebrew hymn, "The Kid." The German rhyme, supposed to be derived from the French and afterward the immediate source of the Hebrew version, is given in the following translation from Bohme's Deutsches Kinderlied und Kinderspiel, Leipzig, 1897, p. 263:

The master sends Jim into the field
To cut the oats.
Jim does not reap the oats,
Nor does he come home.
Then the master sends the dog
To bite Jim.
The dog does not bite Jim,
Jim does not reap the oats,
Nor does he come home.

Then the master sends in turn the stick, fire, water, ox, and finally:

Then the master sends the butcher
 kill the ox.
The butcher kills the ox,
The ox drinks the water, etc.

There is, it will be observed, a striking similarity between the French and the German variants, but neither resembles the Hebrew story so closely as the modern Greek rhyme, "The Cock that crowed in the Morn" [at this site] which is, both in spirit and in form, almost identical with the song of "The Kid." The Hebrew and the Greek songs both begin with an injury to an innocent victim, after which, as in Macbeth, the act returns upon the doer. Now the law of retribution is not illustrated in the type to which the French and the German rhymes belong. On the contrary, we have a guilty or obstinate creature who resists the will of another, and the whole point of the story is the finding of a motive strong enough to conquer the resistance. No tragedy occurs; threatened punishment is finally sufficient to produce the desired result.