October 31. Story of the Day: Yekele

From Steve Bellovin's website: Apples Will Not Fall. See his notes below, and further information on the homepage of his site.

This is an example of ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig.

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

YEKELE

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The Most High sent down Yekele to the world,
To the world a Yekele,
For Yekele to harvest the pears,
For Yekele to harvest the pears.

Yekele will not harvest the pears;
The pears will not fall, the pears will not fall!

The Most High sent down a dog to the world,
A dog to the world,
For the dog to bite Yekele,
For the dog to bite Yekele.

The dog will not bite Yekele;
Yekele will not harvest the pears;
The pears will not fall, the pears will not fall!

The Most High sent down a stick to the world,
A stick to the world,For the stick to hit the dog,
For the stick to hit the dog.

The stick will not hit the dog;
The dog will not bite Yekele;
Yekele will not harvest the pears;
The pears will not fall, the pears will not fall!

The Most High sent down fire to the world,
Fire to the world,
For the fire to burn the stick,
For the fire to burn the stick.

The fire will not burn the stick;
The stick will not hit the dog;
The dog will not bite Yekele;
Yekele will not harvest the pears;
The pears will not fall, the pears will not fall!

The most high sent down water to the world,
Water to the world,
For the water to put out the fire,
For the water to put out the fire.

The water will not put out the fire
The fire will not burn the stick;
The stick will not hit the dog;
The dog will not bite Yekele;
Yekele will not harvest the pears;
The pears will not fall, the pears will not fall!

The Most High sent down an ox to the world,
An ox to the world,
For the ox to drink the water,
For the ox to drink the water.

The ox will not drink the water;
The water will not put out the fire
The fire will not burn the stick;
The stick will not hit the dog;
The dog will not bite Yekele;
Yekele will not harvest the pears;
The pears will not fall, the pears will not fall!

The Most High sent down a butcher to the world,
A butcher to the world,
For the butcher to slaughter the ox,
For the butcher to slaughter the ox.

The butcher will not slaughter the ox;
The ox will not drink the water;
The water will not put out the fire
The fire will not burn the stick;
The stick will not hit the dog;
The dog will not bite Yekele;
Yekele will not harvest the pears;
The pears will not fall, the pears will not fall!

The Most High sent down the Angel of Death to the world,
The Angel of Death to the world,
For the Angel of Death to take the butcher,
For the Angel of Death to take the butcher.
The butcher now will slaughter the ox,
The ox now will drink the water,
The water now will put out the fire,
The fire now will burn the stick,
The stick now will hit the dog,
The dog now will bite Yekele,
Yekele now will harvest the pears:
The pears now will fall; the pears now will fall!

~  ~  ~

Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht die melech hamoves auf die weld,
Die melech hamoves auf die weld
Die melech hamoves zol die shochet nemen
Die melech hamoves zol die shochet nemen
Die shochet vill shoen exele koilen
Die exele vil shoen wasser trenken
Die wasser a vill shoen die fire lushen
Die fire vil shoen shtekele brennen
Die shtekelem vill shoen hintele shmisen
Die hintele vill shoen Yekelem bisen
Yekelem vill shoen perelech risen
Perelech vil shoen fallen;  perelech vil shoen fallen


NOTES

For at least fifty years and probably longer my family has sung a Yiddish variation of the Passover "Chad Gadya" song we call "Yekele".  There is no goat in ours, only a small boy ("Yekele") whom God has sent to pick the pears that will not fall from the tree themselves.  The boy refuses, and for encouragement God sends a dog to bite the boy, then a stick to hit the dog, a fire to burn the stick, water to quench the fire, etc.

In the last stanza the Melech Hamoves (Angel of Death) is sent and suddenly everyone turns to do his duty, but the pears, of course, have already fallen.  It's a wonderful story with a moral, sung to a minor key melody very different from "Chad Gadya"

Relatives as far back as my late great-grandfather have always claimed that it is a private family song.  How can this be? Doesn't anyone else, particularly of eastern European origin, know this version?


HThisere is a transliteration of the song as I remember it from seders of many years ago. 

October 29. Story of the Day: The Pea that made a Fortune.

This story comes from Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith.

This is an example of ATU 2034C. Lending and Repaying.

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THE PEA THAT MADE A FORTUNE

One day an old lady was traveling on the road and she picked up a green pea and she planted it. And after it grew, her goat ate it off.

She cried upon the goat and told it that she wanted the peas. The goat said that he didn't have anything to give her, but she could take one of his horns. She took the horn and went to the river-side to wash it. The river took it away from her.

She cried upon the river, and the river said it didn't have anything to give her but a fish. She went further. She met a man who was very hungry. She gave the man the fish.

After the man ate it, she cried upon the man. The man gave her a moreen [piece of cloth]. She went a little further and saw a cow-boy. She gave him the moreen.

After he had worn it out, she cried upon him for it. He said he didn't have anything to give her but his whip. She went a little further and saw a man driving cows. She gave the whip to the man.

After the man had lashed it out, she cried upon him, so he gave her a cow; and from the cow she made heir riches.

(Gut River, Jamaica)

NOTES. Told by Etheline Samuels, Claremont, St. Ann.

CHAIN: pea - horn - fish - cloth - whip - cow

October 26. Story of the Day: Cold May Night

I read this story in Folktales Told around the World by Richard M. Dorson (pp. 6-9), who took the story from Folktales of Ireland by Sean O'Sullivan, and his source in turn is Micheal O Coileain, aged 70, as recorded in 1946. For ancient testimony about this story, see The Adventures of Leithin by Douglas Hyde in the Celtic Review 10 (online at Hathi).

The story is set on the island off Achill, which is the largest of the "Irish Isles" off the Mayo coast; you can read more at Wikipedia. Old May night refers to the night of May 11, which is to say it is the old May 1 (Beltane) in the new style calendar following 1750.

The story is classified as ATU 1927.

The version below is a paraphrase of the story in my own words. I have emphasized the formulaic/cumulative features of the story in my version. I took the detail of the salmon's blood from the ATU summary (in other respects, I followed this story, which is quite different from the ATU summary with the crow-eagle framework).

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The Cold May Night
(retold by Laura Gibbs)

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There are cold nights, and colder nights, and the coldest night of all happened long, long ago on Old May Night. Who remembers the coldest night? Only the oldest animals can remember the coldest night. The Old Crow of Achill Island is one of them. But he was younger then, and stronger. Now the cold bothers him. 

One cold night not so long ago the Old Crow of the Island sought shelter in an eagle's nest that he found high atop the tallest tree. The Eagle was away hunting, and there was a hungry chick awaiting her return. The Crow killed the chick and took its place, settling himself down deep into the nest.

Not long after, the Eagle returned with food for her chick. In the dark, she did not notice that it was the Crow instead of her chick who took the food and ate it hungrily. She then settled down into the nest herself, complaining that she had never felt a colder night. 

The Crow kept quiet. 

Yet as the Eagle went on and on and on and on about the cold, the Crow could not contain himself and grumbled, "I've known colder."

"What are you talking about? You hatched only a few weeks ago!"

"Oh, there was a colder night. It was on Old May Night," the Crow replied.

"How would a young chick like yourself know anything about that?" retorted the Eagle.

They argued until dawn. Finally the Crow said to the Eagle, "If you don't believe me, go ask the Blackbird of the Forge."

So the Eagle flew off to question the Blackbird of the Forge. "Listen," said the Eagle, "I cannot remember a colder night than last night, but my chick tells me that there was an Old May Night that was colder still. He's only a few weeks old himself, so I can hardly believe him, but he told me to come ask you. And here I am."

The Blackbird of the Forge thought for a moment and then replied, "Last night was the coldest night that I have ever known, and I have been alive a very long time. Do you see this iron rod which is my perch? Every seven years, I rub my beak against the rod. It used to be many inches thick, but now it is so thin that if I rub my beak on it just one more time, it will break; that is how long I have perched here, and I have never known a colder night than last night. But if you don't believe me, go ask the Bull in the Field."

The Eagle thanked the Blackbird of the Forge and flew off to question the Bull in the Field. "Listen," said the Eagle, "I cannot remember a colder night than last night, but my chick tells me that there was an Old May Night that was colder still. He's only a few weeks old himself, so I can hardly believe him, but he told me to go ask the Blackbird of the Forge. The Blackbird does not remember a colder night than last night, but she told me to come ask you. And here I am."

The Bull of the Field thought for a moment and then replied, "Last night was the coldest night that I have ever known, and I have been alive a very long time. Do you see the fence which surrounds this field? It is made up of my horns. Every  year, I shed my horns, and when I shed my two horns this year, the fence around the field will be complete; that is how long I have dwelled here, and I have never known a colder night than last night. But if you don't believe me, go ask the Blind Salmon of the Waterfall."

The Eagle thanked the Bull in the Field and flew off to question the Blind Salmon of the Waterfall. "Listen," said the Eagle, "I cannot remember a colder night than last night, but my chick tells me that there was an Old May Night that was colder still. He's only a few weeks old himself, so I can hardly believe him, but he told me to go ask the Blackbird of the Forge. The Blackbird does not remember a colder night than last night, but she told me to go ask the Bull in the Field. The Bull does not remember a colder night than last night, but he told me to come ask you. And here I am."

The Blind Salmon of the Waterfall thought for a moment and then replied, "Yes, there was a night that was colder than last night. It was on Old May Night, many years ago. I was leaping about just trying to keep warm when the water froze right under me and I landed on the ice. Around dawn, the Old Crow flew by, and he saw me there on the ice. He swooped down and started pecking out my eye. Luckily for me, the blood coming out of my eye warmed the ice beneath me, and I was able to escape back into the water. That's how I became blind in that eye, and that's also how I know it must have been the Old Crow of the Island, and not your chick, who spent last night in your nest."

"No!" screamed the Eagle. She rushed back to her nest, but it was empty. Her chick was gone. So was the Old Crow.

And there has never been a night as cold again as that Old May Night of long ago.

(U.S. Forest Service)

October 21. Story of the Day: The Two Cats

Today's story is one that I wrote, inspired by The Two Little Cats, from Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton. I first published the story in my class blog for Fall 2018, and I've copied it here.

This type of story is classified as ATU 210 Rooster, Hen, Duck, Pin, and Needle. It is a folktale type that you can find in Europe (Brothers Grimm) and also in Asia. For an example from India, see The Sparrow's Revenge. For additional information, see the notes at the bottom of the page.

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Once upon a time, there were two cats who lived in the forest. The cats enjoyed milk in their tea, but one day they were out of milk.

And so they went to visit the cow.

Along the way, they saw the Beast! He was a horrible monster who liked to eat little cats, chomping them with his big yellow teeth and smacking his fat orange lips.

And so the two cats ran as fast as they could to get away from the Beast.

“Run if you want, little cats!” shouted the Beast. “But I see you. I’m going to go to your house and wait for you there. Then I will eat you for my supper.”

The cats kept running until they reached the cow’s house.

“Greetings to you both,” said the cow. “Have you come for some milk?”

“Yes and no,” gasped the cats. “We were coming for milk, but we ran into the Beast, and now he’s gone to our house and he’s waiting for us there.”

“Have no fear,” said the cow. “I will go with you, and we’ll fight the Beast together. Come on!”

And so the cow and the two cats traveled through the forest together.

Along the path, they met a dog. “Greetings to you all!” said the dog. “Where are you going in such a hurry today?”

The cow said, “I am going with these cats to fight the Beast!”

“I will go with you,” said the dog. “Maybe I can help!”

And so the dog, the cow, and the two cats traveled through the forest together.

Along the path, they met a crow. “Greetings to you all!” said the crow. “Where are you going in such a hurry today?”

The dog said, “I am going with this cow and these cats to fight the Beast!”

“I will go with you,” said the crow. “Maybe I can help!”

And so the crow, the dog, the cow, and the two cats traveled through the forest together.

Along the path, they met a big heap of ashes. “Greetings to you all!” said the ashes. “Where are you going in such a hurry today?”

The crow said, “I am going with this dog and this cow and these cats to fight the Beast!”

“We will go with you,” said the ashes. “Maybe we can help!”

And so the ashes, the crow, the dog, the cow, and the two cats traveled through the forest together.

Along the path, they met a packet of needles. “Greetings to you all!” said the needles. “Where are you going in such a hurry today?”

The ashes said, “We are going with this crow and this dog and this cow and these cats to fight the Beast!”

“We will go with you,” said the needles. “Maybe we can help!”

And so the needles, the ashes, the crow, the dog, the cow, and the two cats traveled through the forest together.

Along the path, they met a snake. “Greetings to you all!” said the snake. “Where are you going in such a hurry today?”

The needles said, “We are going with these ashes and this crow and this dog and this cow and these cats to fight the Beast!”

“I will go with you,” said the snake. “Maybe I can help!”

And so the snake, the needles, the ashes, the crow, the dog, the cow, and the two cats traveled through the forest together.

Along the path, they met a bowl full of dried beans. “Greetings to you all!” said the beans. “Where are you going in such a hurry today?”

The snake said, “I am going with these needles and these ashes and this crow and this dog and this cow and these cats to fight the Beast!”

“We will go with you,” said the beans. “Maybe we can help!”

And so the beans, the snake, the needles, the ashes, the crow, the dog, the cow, and the two cats traveled through the forest together.

When they reached the cats’ house, the cow told them all what to do. “Dog, you wait in the yard. Crow, you hide in the water pitcher. Ashes, you climb up on the cupboard. Needles, you slide into the bed. Snake, you get into the breadbox. Beans, you wait at the top of the stairs, and I’ll wait at the bottom. Now go to your stations, quietly, so the Beast does not hear you come in.” Then the cow told the cats what to do.

When everyone was in place, the cats jumped up in the window. “Oh Beast!” shouted the cats. “Aren’t you thirsty?”

The Beast realized he was very thirsty, so he ran to grab the water jug, and the crow bit him.

“Oh Beast!” shouted the cats. “Aren’t you hungry?”

The Beast realized he was very hungry, so he ran to get some bread from the breadbox, and the snake stung him.

“Oh Beast!” shouted the cats. “Aren’t you sleepy?”

The Beast realized he was very sleepy, so he ran to lie down on the bed, and the needles stabbed him.

“Oh Beast!” shouted the cats. “Can’t you see us on the cupboard?”

The Beast ran to look up at the cupboard, and the ashes fell down into his eyes.

“Oh Beast!” shouted the cats. “Can’t you see us at the top of the stairs?”

The Beast ran to the top of the stairs, and the beans made his stumble and fall.

“Oh no!” shouted the Beast.

Then he landed on the horns of the cow.

“Oh no!” shouted the Beast.

Then the cow tossed the Beast over to the dog.

“Oh no!” shouted the Beast.

Then the dog pounced on the Beast and ate him all up.

And that was the end of the Beast.

After the excitement was over, the cats and their friends then enjoyed a nice cup of tea, and they all lived happily ever after.


Author's Notes. I have kept all the characters the same as in the original, and the plot is exactly the same too. What I tried to do with my story was to bring out the repetition and cumulative chain-tale quality, showing how the collection of characters grows one by one by one, and how they each have their role to play in defeating the monster. The original story had a chain of characters, but it was not told in a cumulative way, listing the whole chain every time a new item is added.

In the original version, the cats need butter for their tea. You can read about yak-butter tea from Tibet at Wikipedia. Also, the monster was called "Handre" in the original version, but I have not been able to find any other information about this Tibetan monster beyond this story.

Image Information. Cat figurine at Etsy.

October 14. Story of the Day: Brer Anansi Borrows Money

Today's story is one that I wrote, inspired by Beckwith's Chain of Victims story from Jamaica. I first published the story in my class blog for Fall 2018, and I've copied it here.

The story is classified as ATU 2024. Rabbit Borrows Money. See my notes at the bottom of the story for changes that I made.

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BRER ANANSI BORROWS MONEY

This is a story about ANANSI, the trickster spider:

Anasi was broke and needed some money. So he made a plan. A very sneaky plan.

First he went to Hog and said, "Brer Hog, lend me a dollar! I'll pay you back! Just come to my house tomorrow, twelve o'clock sharp."

Brer Hog said okay, and he gave Anansi a dollar.

Next he went to Dog and said, "Brer Dog, lend me a dollar! I'll pay you back! Just come to my house tomorrow, three minutes after twelve."

Brer Dog said okay, and he gave Anansi a dollar. That made two dollars.

Then he went to Monkey and said, "Brer Monkey, lend me a dollar! I'll pay you back! Just come to my house tomorrow, six minutes after twelve."

Brer Monkey said okay, and he gave Anansi a dollar. That made three dollars.

Next he went to Tiger and said, "Brer Tiger, lend me a dollar! I'll pay you back! Just come to my house tomorrow, nine minutes after twelve."

Brer Tiger said okay, and he gave Anansi a dollar. That made four dollars.

Finally he went to Lion and said, "Brer Lion, lend me a dollar! I'll pay you back! Just come to my house tomorrow, twelve minutes after twelve."

Brer Lion said okay, and he gave Anansi a dollar. That made five dollars.

Anansi took the money and had himself a big feast that night.

The next day, precisely at noon, Hog came knocking.

"Who's there?" Anansi said.

"It's me, Brer Hog!"

Anansi said, "Come on in!"

While he and Hog stood there talking, someone knocked at the door. It was three minutes after twelve o'clock. Anansi said, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Brer Dog!"

Anansi looked worried. "Brer Hog," he said, "you better go run in the other room there and hide under the bed. Brer Dog is a bad man. He told he wants to catch you and eat you up!"

Brer Hog ran into the other room, and Anansi opened the door. Brer Dog came in. While he and Dog stood there talking, someone knocked at the door. It was six minutes after twelve o'clock. Anansi said, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Brer Monkey!"

Anansi looked worried. "Brer Dog," he said, "you better go run in the other room there and hide under the bed. Brer Monkey is a bad man. He told he wants to catch you and eat you up! If you find Brer Hog in there already, you better kill him to keep him from squealing. That Brer Hog is a squealing fool! He'll give you away for sure."

Brer Dog ran into the other room, and Anansi sang to himself:

Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Eb-ry-bod-y
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na.
Po' Hog dead and gone.

Then Anansi opened the door. Brer Monkey came in. While he and Monkey stood there talking, someone knocked at the door. It was nine minutes after twelve o'clock. Anansi said, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Brer Tiger!"

Anansi looked worried. "Brer Monkey," he said, "you better go run in the other room there and hide under the bed. Brer Tiger is a bad man. He told he wants to catch you and eat you up! If you find Brer Dog in there already, you better kill him to keep him from barking. That Brer Dog is a barking fool! He'll give you away for sure."

Brer Monkey ran into the other room, and Anansi sang to himself:

Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Eb-ry-bod-y
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na.
Po' Dog dead and gone.

Then Anansi opened the door. Brer Tiger came in. While he and Tiger stood there talking, someone knocked at the door. It was twelve minutes after twelve o'clock. Anansi said, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Brer Lion!"

Anansi looked worried. "Brer Tiger," he said, "you better go run in the other room there and hide under the bed. Brer Lion is a bad man. He told he wants to catch you and eat you up! If you find Brer Monkey in there already, you better kill him to keep him from chattering. That Brer Monkey is a chattering fool! He'll give you away for sure."

Brer Tiger ran into the other room, and Anansi sang to himself:

Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Eb-ry-bod-y
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na.
Po' Monkey dead and gone.

Then Anansi opened the door. Brer Lion came in. As soon as Brer Lion came in, Anansi told him, "You came at just the right time: I've got something good for you! Brer Tiger is in the other room there: if you hurry, you can kill him and eat him!"

Brer Lion went running into the other room, and Anansi sang to himself:

Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Eb-ry-bod-y
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na.
Po' Tiger dead and gone.

As he was singing, Anansi went and dug a big hole outside the back door and shouted, "Brer Lion, come on out here! I've got a big stew pot where we can cook up all that meat! Grab Tiger and Monkey and Dog and Hog and put them in the pot so we can have a feast!"

Lion grabbed Tiger in one paw and Monkey in another paw and Dog in his mouth and then he picked up Hog with his tail, and he came hopping as quick as he could.

"I'm here out back," Anansi shouted.

Hop, hop, hop, Lion came on out back and fell right into that hole and broke his neck.

Anansi cackled and danced around the hole singing:

Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Eb-ry-bod-y
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom,
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na.
Po' Hog dead and gone.
Po' Dog dead and gone.
Po' Monkey dead and gone.
Po' Tiger dead and gone.
Po' Lion dead and gone.

"I picked your pockets clean, and now I'll pick your bones clean too!

Anansi had himself another big feast that night.

So you better watch out if Anansi ever asks you to loan him a dollar.

Author's Note

I started out with the "chain of victims" story about Anansi and it has the basic plot, where Anansi borrows money from the five victims and then has the victims kill each other so that when he kills Lion himself in the end, they are all dead. That story was written in dialect, so I wrote it out in more standard English, and I also fixed a gap in the story; in the version Beckwith collected, Anansi didn't actually tell Monkey to kill Dog. I made sure my story didn't have any gaps.

Then I started filling things up with more details until I hit 999 words. I added the little song, based on a song that Anansi sang in another story about Tiger (Tiger as Riding-Horse). I added the parts where Anansi tells each animal why they should kill the animal before them; that is a typical chain-tale detail where the sounds that animals make are often how you create the chain (like in Old MacDonald Had a Farm). I spread out the animals coming at noon so there was a three-minute gap in-between each one. I also added the part where Anansi tells Lion to bring the other animals with him when he comes outside; it was fun imagining the Lion trying to carry them all, kind of like in a cartoon.

Bibliography

Chain of Victims, in Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith (1924). For this story, her informant was: Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

For my own future reference, I am copying out Beckwith's comparative notes here: Common as is the story of the "chain of victims" in Africa, Falconer gave me the only version I heard in Jamaica. Compare Koelle, 158-161; Dayrell, 6-10; Nassau, 245-247; Tremearne, 373-374; FL 21:211-212; Lenz, 39-40; Boas, JAFL 25:207-209; Rattray, 2:58-72.

Also for future reference, the ATU Tale Type is 2024: Rabbit Borrows Money. A rabbit borrows money from a beetle, a hen, a fox, a dog, a tiger, and a hunter. When the beetle asks for the money back, the rabbit tells him to wait behind to count the money. Instead, the hen eats the beetle, then the fox eats the hen, etc.

Images

SVGSilh Hog.
SVGSilh Dog.

Wikimedia Monkey.

Wikimedia Tiger.

Lion Coloring Pages.

How to Draw a Cartoon Spider. I made the animation by turning the spider into a circle gif using LunaPic and then rotating it with GIMP.

October 12. Story of the Day: Man, Horse, Ox, and Dog

This is from Townsend's version of Aesop's fables.

This is ATU 173 Life Spans Readjusted.

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THE MAN, THE HORSE, THE OX, AND THE DOG

(Breyer)

A Horse, Ox, and Dog, driven to great straits by the cold, sought shelter and protection from Man. He received them kindly, lighted a fire, and warmed them. He let the Horse make free with his oats, gave the Ox an abundance of hay, and fed the Dog with meat from his own table.

Grateful for these favors, the animals determined to repay him to the best of their ability. For this purpose, they divided the term of his life between them, and each endowed one portion of it with the qualities which chiefly characterized himself.

The Horse chose his earliest years and gave them his own attributes: hence every man is in his youth impetuous, headstrong, and obstinate in maintaining his own opinion.

The Ox took under his patronage the next term of life, and therefore man in his middle age is fond of work, devoted to labor, and resolute to amass wealth and to husband his resources.

The end of life was reserved for the Dog, wherefore the old man is often snappish, irritable, hard to please, and selfish, tolerant only of his own household, but averse to strangers and to all who do not administer to his comfort or to his necessities.

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.

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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.

September 26. Story of the Day: Abraham and Nimrod

This is a passage from the Jewish Encyclopedia article on Abraham (1906, online); see the Encyclopedia for the sources of the story. You can read more about the legends of both Abraham and Nimrod at Wikipedia also.

This story is classified as ATU 2031B. Abraham learns to worship God, where you will find also another Jewish legend plus a version of this story from the Koran.

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ABRAHAM AND NIMROD

(Leipzig Machzor, circa 1300)

Terah was a manufacturer of idols and had them for sale. One day when Terah was absent and Abraham was left to take charge of the shop, an old, yet vigorous, man came in to buy an idol. Abraham handed him the one on top, and he gave him the price asked. "How old art thou?" Abraham asked.

"Seventy years," was the answer.

"Thou fool," continued Abraham, "how canst thou adore a god so much younger than thou? Thou wert born seventy years ago and this god was made yesterday."

The buyer threw away his idol and received his money back.

The other sons of Terah complained to their father that Abraham did not know how to sell the idols, and so Abraham was told to attend to the idols as priest.

One day a woman brought a meal-offering for the idols, and, as they would not eat, he exclaimed: "A mouth have they but speak not, eyes but see not, ears but hear not, hands but handle not. May their makers be like them, and all who trust in them," and he broke them to pieces and burned them.

Abraham was brought before Nimrod, who said: "Knowest thou not that I am god and ruler of the world? Why hast thou destroyed my images?"

Then Abraham said: "If thou art god and ruler of the world, why dost thou not cause the sun to rise in the west and set in the east? If thou art god and ruler of the world, tell me all that I have now at heart, and what I shall do in the future." Nimrod was dumfounded, and Abraham continued: "Thou art the son of Cush, a mortal like him. Thou couldst not save thy father from death, nor wilt thou thyself escape it."

Nimrod said: "Worship the fire!"

"Why not water that quenches the fire?" asked Abraham.

"Very well, worship the water!"

"Why not the clouds which swallow the water?"

"So be it; worship the clouds!"

Then Abraham said: "Rather let me adore the wind which blows the clouds about!"

"So be it; pray to the wind!"

"But," said Abraham, "man can stand up against the wind or shield himself behind the walls of his house."

"Then adore me!" said Nimrod.

Thereupon Nimrod ordered Abraham to be cast into a furnace. He had a pile of wood five yards in circumference set on fire, and Abraham was cast into it. But God Himself went down from heaven to rescue him. Wherefore the Lord appeared to him later, saying: "I am the Lord who brought thee out of the fire of the Chaldeans."

(lower: Abraham in fire)

September 23. Story of the Day: Godmother Fox

This story comes from Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane, translating Pitrè's Sicilian story; see the author's detailed notes below.

This is yet another example of ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig.

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GODMOTHER FOX

Once upon a time there was Godmother Fox and Godmother Goat. The former had a little bit of a house adorned with little chairs, cups, and dishes; in short, it was well furnished.

One day Godmother Goat went out and carried away the little house.

Godmother Fox began to lament, when along came a dog, barking, that said to her: "What are you crying about?"

She answered: "Godmother Goat has carried off my house!"

"Be quiet. I will make her give it back to you."

So the dog went and said to Godmother Goat: "Give the house back to Godmother Fox."

The goat answered: "I am Godmother Goat. I have a sword at my side, and with my horns I will tear you in pieces."

(pixabay)

When the dog heard that, he went away.

Then a sheep passed by and said to the little fox: "What are you crying about?" and she told her the same thing. Then the sheep went to Godmother Goat and began to reprove her. The goat made the same answer she had made the dog, and the sheep went away in fright.

In short, all sorts of animals went to the goat, with the same result.

Among others the mouse went and said to the little fox: "What are you crying about?"

"Godmother Goat has carried off my house."

"Be still. I will make her give it back to you."

So the mouse went and said to Godmother Goat: "Give Godmother Fox her house back right away."

The goat answered: "I am Godmother Goat. I have a sword at my side, and with my fist and with my horns I will smash you!"

The mouse answered at once: "I am Godfather Mouse. By my side I have a spit. I will heat it in the fire and stick it in your tail."


NOTES

Sicily (Pitrè, No. 132).
Cummari Vurpidda (diminutive of Fox).
Cummari Crapazza (diminutive of Goat).

The inference of course is that Godmother Goat gave back the house. The story does not say so, but ends with the usual formula:
Story told, story written,
Tell me yours, for mine is said.

Pitrè (No. 133) gives another version in which a goat gets under a nun's bed and she calls on her neighbors, a dog, pig, and cricket, to put the goat out. The cricket alone succeeds, with a threat similar to that in the last story.

In the Neapolitan version (Imbriani, Dodici Conti Pomiglianesi, p. 273) an old woman, in sweeping the church, found a piece of money and, like the sexton in the story of "The Sexton's Nose," did not know what to buy with it. At last she bought some flour and made a hasty-pudding of it. She left it on the table and went again to church, but forgot to close the window. While she was gone a herd of goats came along, and one smelled the pudding, climbed in at the window, and ate it up. When the old woman came back and tried to open the door, she could not, for the goat was behind it. Then she began to weep and various animals came along and tried to enter the house. The goat answered them all: "I am the goat, with three horns on my head and three in my belly, and if you don't run away I will eat you up." The mouse at last replied: "I am Godfather Mouse, with the halter, and if you don't run away, I will tear your eyes out." The goat ran away and the old woman went in with Godfather Mouse, whom she married, and they both lived there together.

The Florentine version (Nov. fior. p. 556) is called "The Iron Goat." In it a widow goes out to wash and leaves her son at home, with orders not to leave the door open so that the Iron Goat, with the iron mouth and the sword tongue, can enter. The boy after a time wanted to go after his mother, and when he had gone half way he remembered that he had left the door open and went back. When he was going to enter he saw there the Iron Goat. "Who is there?" "It is I; I am the Iron Goat, with the iron mouth and the sword tongue. If you enter I will slice you like a turnip." The poor boy sat down on the steps and wept. A little old woman passed by and asked the cause of his tears; he told her and she said she would send the goat away for three bushels of grain. The old woman tried, with the usual result, and finally said to the boy: "Listen, my child. I don't care for those three bushels of grain; but I really cannot send the goat away." Then an old man tried his luck, with no better success. At last a little bird came by and promised for three bushels of millet to drive the goat away. When the goat made its usual declaration, the little bird replied: "And I with my beak will peck your brains out." The goat was frightened and ran away, and the boy had to pay the little bird three bushels of millet. (A version of this story is found in Morosi's Studi sui Dialetti greci, Lecce, 1870.)

September 19. Story of the Day: Johnny-Cake

This story comes from Joseph Jacobs' English Fairy Tales.

It's an example of ATU 2025. The Fleeing Pancake.

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Johnny-Cake

ONCE upon a time there was an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy. One morning the old woman made a Johnny-cake, and put it in the oven to bake. 'You watch the Johnny-cake while your father and I go out to work in the garden.' So the old man and the old woman went out and began to hoe potatoes, and left the little boy to tend the oven. But he didn't watch it all the time, and all of a sudden he heard a noise, and he looked up and the oven door popped open, and out of the oven jumped Johnny-cake, and went rolling along end over end, towards the open door of the house.

The little boy ran to shut the door, but Johnny-cake was too quick for him and rolled through the door, down the steps, and out into the road long before the little boy could catch him. The little boy ran after him as fast as he could clip it, crying out to his father and mother, who heard the uproar, and threw down their hoes and gave chase too. But Johnny-cake outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight, while they had to sit down, all out of breath, on a bank to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to two well-diggers who looked up from their work and called out: 'Where ye going, Johnny-cake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that?' said they; and they threw down their picks and ran after him, but couldn't catch up with him, and soon they had to sit down by the roadside to rest.

On ran Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to two ditch-diggers who were digging a ditch. 'Where ye going, Johnnycake?' said they. He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that!' said they; and they threw down their spades, and ran after him, too. But Johnnycake soon outstripped them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the chase and sat down to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to a bear.

The bear said: 'Where are ye going, Johnny-cake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye?' growled the bear. 'We'll see about that!' and trotted as fast as his legs could carry him after Johnny-cake, who never stopped to look behind him. Before long the bear was left so far behind that he saw he might as well give up the hunt first as last, so he stretched himself out by the roadside to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to a wolf. The wolf said: 'Where ye going, Johnny-cake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and a bear, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye?' snarled the wolf'. 'We'll see about that!'

And he set into a gallop after Johnny-cake, who went on and on so fast that the wolf, too, saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he, too, lay down to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to a fox that lay quietly in a corner of the fence. The fox called out in a sharp voice, but without getting up: 'Where ye going, Johnnycake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

The fox said: 'I can't quite hear you, Johnny-cake; won't you come a little closer?' turning his head a little to one side.

Johnny-cake stopped his race for the first time, and went a little closer, and called out in a very loud voice: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o.'

'Can't quite hear you; won't you come a little closer?' said the fox in a feeble voice, as he stretched out his neck towards Johnny-cake, and put one paw behind his ear.

Johnny-cake came up close, and leaning towards the fox screamed out: 'I'VE OUTRUN AN OLD MAN, AND AN OLD WOMAN, AND A LITTLE BOY, AND TWO WELL-DIGGERS, AND TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, AND A BEAR, AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU, TOO-O-O!'

'You can, can you?' yelped the fox, and he snapped up the Johnny-cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.


NOTES

SOURCE American Journal of Folk-Lore, ii, 60 (cf. No. for July 1891).


PARALLELS Another variant is given in the same Journal, p. 277, where reference is also made to a version, 'The Gingerbread Boy', in St Nicholas, May 1875. Chambers gives two versions of the same story, under the title 'The Wee Bunnock', the first of which is one of the most dramatic and humorous of folk-tales. Unfortunately, the Scotticisms are so frequent as to render the Droll practically untranslatable. I have, however, made an attempt in More English Fairy Tales, 57. Also in Ireland as 'The Wonderful Cake' (Kennedy, Fireside Stories, p. 19). 'The Fate of Mr Jack Sparrow' in Uncle Remus is similar to that of Johnny-Cake.

September 11. Story of the Day: Mouse and His Hole.

This story comes from The Talking Thrush and Other Tales from India by William Crooke and W. H. D. Rouse.

This has a motif classification of TMI Z49.2.1. Fat mouse cannot get into hole, and the sequence in the second half of the story also has many similarities to ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig.

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HOW THE MOUSE GOT INTO HIS HOLE

A Merchant was going along the road one day with a sack of peas on the back of an Ox. The Ox was stung by a Fly, and gave a kick, and down fell the sack.

A Mouse was passing by, and the Merchant said, "Mousie, if you will help me up with this sack I will give you a pea." The Mouse helped him up with the sack and got a pea for his trouble. He stole another, and a third he found on the road.

When he got home with his three peas he planted them in front of his hole. As he was planting them he said to them, "If you are not all three sprouting by to-morrow I'll cut you in pieces and give you to the black Ox."

The peas were terribly frightened, and the next morning they had already begun to sprout, and each of them had two shoots. Then he said, "If I don't find you in blossom to-morrow I'll cut you in pieces and give you to the black Ox."

When he went to look next day they were all in blossom. So he said, "If I don't find ripe peas on you to-morrow I'll cut you in pieces and give you to the black Ox." Next day they had pods full of ripe peas on them.

So every day he used to eat lots of peas, and in this manner he got very fat.

One day a pretty young lady Mouse came to see him.

"Good morning, Sleekie," said she; "how are you?"

"Good morning, Squeakie," said he; "I'm quite well, thank you."

"Why, Sleekie," said she, "how fat you are."

"Am I?" said he. "I suppose that's because I have plenty to eat."

"What do you eat, Sleekie?" asked the pretty young lady Mouse.

"Peas, Squeakie," said the other.

"Where do you get them, Sleekie?"

"They grow all of themselves in my garden, Squeakie."

(harvest mouse)

"Will you give me some, please?" asked the lady Mouse.

"Oh yes, if you will stay in my garden, you may have as many as you like."

So Squeakie stayed in Sleekie's garden, and they both ate so many peas that they got fatter and fatter every day.

One day Squeakie said to Sleekie, "Let's try which can get into the hole quickest."

Squeakie was slim, and she had not been at the peas so long as Sleekie, so she got into the hole easily enough; but Sleekie was so fat that he could not get in at all.

He was very much frightened, and went off in hot haste to the Carpenter, and said to him, "Carpenter, please pare off a little flesh from my ribs, so that I can get into my hole."

"Do you think I have nothing better to do than paring down your ribs?" said the Carpenter angrily, and went on with his work.

The Mouse went to the King, and said, "O King, I can't get into my hole, and the Carpenter will not pare down my ribs; will you make him do it?"

"Get out," said the King; "do you think I have nothing better to do than look after your ribs?"

So the Mouse went to the Queen. Said he, "Queen, I can't get into my hole, and the King won't tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs. Please divorce him."

"Bother you and your ribs," said the Queen; "I am not going to divorce my husband because you have made yourself fat by eating too much."

The Mouse went to the Snake. "Snake, bite the Queen, and tell her to divorce the King, because he will not tell the Carpenter to pare my ribs down and let me get into my hole."

"Get away," said the Snake; "or I'll swallow you up, ribs and all; the fatter you are, the better I shall be pleased."

He went to the Stick, and said, "Stick, beat the Snake, because she won't bite the Queen, who won't divorce the King and make him tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"Off with you," said the Stick; "I'm sleepy, because I have just beaten a thief; I can't be worried about your ribs."

He went to the Furnace, and said, "Furnace, burn the Stick, and make it beat the Snake, that he may bite the Queen and make her divorce the King, who won't tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"Get along with you," said the Furnace; "I am cooking the King's dinner, and I have no time now to see about your ribs."

He went to the Ocean, and said, "Ocean, put out the Fire, and make it burn the Stick, so that it may beat the Snake, and the Snake may bite the Queen, and she may divorce the King, who won't tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"Don't bother me," said the Ocean; "it's high tide, and all the fishes are jumping about, and giving me no rest."

He went to the Elephant, and said, "O Elephant, drink up the Ocean, that it may put out the Fire, and the Fire may burn the Stick, and the Stick may beat the Snake, and the Snake may bite the Queen, and the Queen may divorce the King, and make him tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"Go away, little Mouse," said the Elephant; "I have just drunk up a whole lake, and I really can't drink any more."

He went to the Creeper, and said, "Dear Creeper, do please choke the Elephant, that he may drink up the Ocean, and the Ocean may put out the Fire, and the Fire may burn the Stick, and the Stick may beat the Snake, and the Snake may bite the Queen, and the Queen may divorce the King, and the King may tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"Not I," says the Creeper; "I am stuck fast here to this tree, and I couldn't get away to please a fat little Mouse."

Then he went to the Scythe, and said, "Scythe, please cut loose the Creeper, that it may choke the Elephant, and the Elephant may drink up the Ocean, and the Ocean may put out the Fire, and the Fire may burn the Stick, and the Stick may beat the Snake, and the Snake may bite the Queen, and the Queen may divorce the King, and the King may tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"With pleasure," said the Scythe, who is always sharp.

So the Scythe cut the Creeper loose,

and the Creeper began to choke the Elephant,

and the Elephant ran off

and began to drink up the Ocean,

and the Ocean began to put out the Fire,

and the Fire began to burn the Stick,

and the Stick began to beat the Snake,

and the Snake began to bite the Queen,

and the Queen told the King

she was going to divorce him,

and the King was frightened

and ordered the Carpenter

to pare Sleekie's ribs, and at last

Sleekie got into his hole.

NOTES

Told by Bisram Banya and recorded by Maharaj Sinh, teacher of the school at Akbarpur, Faizabad district.

September 9. Story of the Day: The Ant and the Mouse

This story comes from Italian Popular Tales by Thomas F. Crane.

It is classified as ATU 2023. Little Ant Marries. It does not have a chain of mourners, but this type of story often does. If I were going to tell my version of this story, I would definitely include a chain of mourners too!

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THE ANT AND THE MOUSE

(pixabay)

There was once an ant who, while sweeping her house one day, found three quattrini, and began to say: "What shall I buy? What shall I buy? Shall I buy meat? No, because meat has bones, and I should choke. Shall I buy fish? No, for fish has bones, and I should be scratched."

After she had mentioned many other things, she concluded to buy a red ribbon. She put it on, and sat in the window.

An ox passed by and said: "How pretty you are! do you want me for your husband?"

She said: "Sing, so that I may hear your voice."

The ox with great pride raised his voice. After the ant had heard it, she said: "No, no, you frighten me."

A dog passed by, and the same happened to him as to the ox.

After many animals had passed, a little mouse went by and said: "How pretty you are! do you want me for your husband?"

She said: "Let me hear you sing."

The mouse sang, and went, pi, pi, pi! His voice pleased the ant, and she took him for her husband.

Sunday came, and while the ant was with her friends, the mouse said: "My dear little ant, I am going to see whether the meat that you have put on the fire is done."

He went, and when he smelled the odor of the meat, he wanted to take a little; he put in one paw and burned it; he put in the other, and burned that too; he stuck in his nose, and the smoke drew him into the pot, and the poor little mouse was all burned.

The ant waited for him to eat. She waited two, she waited three hours, the mouse did not come. When she could wait no longer, she put the dinner on the table. But when she took out the meat, out came the mouse dead.

When she saw him the ant began to weep, and all her friends; and the ant remained a widow, because he who is a mouse must be a glutton.

If you don't believe it, go to her house and you will see her.


NOTES

The following version is found in Morosi, p. 73.

Morosi, Prof. Dott. Giuseppe. Studi sui Dialetti Greci della Terra d' Otranto. Preceduto da una raccolta di Canti, Leggende, Proverbi, e Indovinelli. Lecce, 1870. 4o. Leggende, pp. 73-77.

September 8. Story of the Day: The Black Dog is Dead

This story comes from Wit And Wisdom Of India by Shankar Pandit Shyama.

It is an example of ATU 2040. The Climax of Horrors.

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THE BLACK DOG IS DEAD

(photo by P. R. Simoes)

A gentleman, who lived in a country house, had to come to town and stay there for some time. One day he was surprised to meet a servant of his in town, and being very anxious to know about his people he asked, "How are all my people?"

"All well, Master," said the servant.  "The Kala Kutta (black dog) is dead."

"Poor dog, how did it die?"

"How could it live when it ate up the flesh of the dead horses in the stable?"

"Are the horses dead too? What was the cause of their death?"

"How could it be possible for them to live when there were no grooms to feed them?"

"What became of the grooms?"

"That which usually comes to people who get no food, having no one to give them their pay.”

"Why were they not paid? What became of the steward?"

"How could he live when there was no cook
to prepare his food?"

A few questions more gave the gentleman to understand that all his people, with the exception of the servant, had died — a surprise for which he was not prepared by the news of the Kala Kutta's death.

September 7. Story of the Day: Rooster and Hen

This is one of Afanasjev's Russian folktales; I have translated it from the Russian.

The classification is ATU 2021B. The Rooster Strikes Out the Hen's Eye.

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THE ROOSTER AND THE HEN

(video screenshot)

There lived a hen with a rooster, and they went off into the forest for nuts. They came to the nut-tree; the rooster climbed onto the tree to pluck the nuts, and he stationed the hen on the ground to do the gathering. The rooster tosses them down; the hen picks them up.

The rooster threw down a nut and hit the hen in the eye, and it knocked her eye out. The hen went away; she's crying.

Here come some boyars and they ask, "Hen! Hen! Why are you crying?"

"The rooster knocked out my eye."

"Rooster! Rooster! Why did you knock out the little hen's eye?"

"The nut-tree tore my trousers."

"Nut tree! Nut tree! Why did you tear the rooster's trousers?"

"The goats were devouring me."

"Goats! Goats! Why were you devouring the nut-tree?"

"The goatherds are not watching us."

"Goatherds! Goatherds! Why are you not watching the goats?"

"Our mistress does not feed us pancakes."

"Mistress! Mistress! Why don't you feed the goatherds pancakes?"

"Because the sow spilled my pancake batter."

"Sow! Sow! Why did you spill the mistress's batter?"

"The wolf carried off my piglet."

"Wolf! Wolf! Why did you carry off the sow's piglet?"

"I wanted to eat; God commanded me."


Here is the Russian:
Кочет и курица. Жили курочка с кочетком, и пошли они в лес по орехи. Пришли к орешне; кочеток залез на орешню рвать орехи, а курочку оставил на земле подбирать орехи: кочеток кидает, а курочка подбирает. Вот кинул кочеток орешек, и попал курочке в глазок, и вышиб глазок. Курочка пошла -- плачет. Вот едут бояре и спрашивают: "Курочка, курочка! Что ты плачешь?" -- "Мне кочеток вышиб глазок". -- "Кочеток, кочеток! На что ты курочке вышиб глазок?" -- "Мне орешня портки раздрала". -- "Орешня, орешня! На что ты кочетку портки раздрала?" -- "Меня козы подглодали". -- "Козы, козы! На что вы орешню подглодали?" -- "Нас пастухи не берегут". -- "Пастухи, пастухи! Что вы коз не берегете?" -- "Нас хозяйка блинами не кормит". -- "Хозяйка, хозяйка! Что ты пастухов блинами не кормишь?" -- "У меня свинья опару пролила". -- "Свинья, свинья! На что ты у хозяйки опару пролила?" -- "У меня волк поросенчика унес". -- "Волк, волк! На что ты у свиньи поросенчика унес?" -- "Я есть захотел, мне бог повелел".

September 6. Story of the Day: Munachar and Manachar

This story is from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John Batten, and Jacobs in turn used Irish and Scottish sources.

This is another example of ATU 2030 The old woman and her pig.

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

 MUNACHAR AND MANACHAR

THERE once lived a Munachar and a Manachar, a long time ago, and it is a long time since it was, and if they were alive now they would not be alive then. They went out together to pick raspberries, and as many as Munachar used to pick Manachar used to eat. Munachar said he must go look for a rod to make a gad to hang Manachar, who ate his raspberries every one; and he came to the rod. "What news the day?" said the rod. "It is my own news that I'm seeking. Going looking for a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get me," said the rod, "until you get an axe to cut me." He came to the axe. "What news today?" said the axe. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for an axe, an axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get me," said the axe, "until you get a flag to edge me." He came to the flag. "What news today?" says the flag. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get me," says the flag, "till you get water to wet me." He came to the water. "What news today?" says the water. "It's my own news that I'm seeking. Going looking for water, water to wet flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

''You will not get me," said the water, "until you get a deer who will swim me." He came to the deer. "What news to-day?" says the deer. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get me," said the deer, ''until you get a hound who will hunt me." He came to the hound. "What news to-day?" says the hound. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get me," said the hound, ''until you get a bit of butter to put in my claw." He came to the butter. "What news to-day?" says the butter. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get me," said the butter, "until you get a cat who shall scrape me." He came to the cat. "What news to-day?" said the cat. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get me," said the cat, "until you will get milk which you will give me." He came to the cow. "What news to-day?" said the cow. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cow, cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get any milk from me," said the cow, "until you bring me a whisp of straw from those threshers yonder." He came to the threshers. "What news to-day?" said the threshers. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a whisp of straw from ye to give to the cow, the cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get any whisp of straw from us," said the threshers, "until you bring us the makings of a cake from the miller over yonder." He came to the miller. "What news to-day?" said the miller. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for the makings of a cake which I will give to the threshers, the threshers to give me a whisp of straw, the whisp of straw I will give to the cow, the cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."

"You will not get any makings of a cake from me," said the miller, "till you bring me the full of that sieve of water from the river over there."

He took the sieve in his hand and went over to the river, but as often as ever he would stoop and fill it with water, the moment he raised it the water would run out of it again, and sure, if he had been there from that day till this, he never could have filled it. A crow went flying by him, over his head. "Daub! daub!" said the crow. "My blessings on ye, then," said Munachar, "but it's the good advice you have," and he took the red clay and the daub that was by the brink, and he rubbed it to the bottom of the sieve, until all the holes were filled, and then the sieve held the water, and he brought the water to the miller, and the miller gave him the makings of a cake, and he gave the makings of the cake to the threshers, and the threshers gave him a whisp of straw, and he gave the whisp of Straw to the cow, and the cow gave him milk, the milk he gave to the cat, the cat scraped the butter, the butter went into the claw of the hound, the hound hunted the deer, the deer swam the water, the water wet the flag, the flag sharpened the axe, the axe cut the rod, and the rod made a gad, and when he had it ready to hang Manachar he found that Manachar had BURST.

 NOTES

Source.—I have combined the Irish version given by Dr. Hyde in his Leabhar Sgeul., and translated by him for Mr. Yeats' Irish Folk and Fairy Tales, and the Scotch version given in Gaelic and English by Campbell, No. viii.

Parallels.—Two English versions are given in my Eng. Fairy Tales, No. iv., "The Old Woman and her Pig," and xxxiv., "The Cat and the Mouse," where see notes for other variants in these isles. M. Cosquin, in his notes to No. xxxiv., of his Contes de Lorraine, t. ii. pp.35-41, has drawn attention to an astonishing number of parallels scattered through all Europe and the East (cf, too, Crane, Ital. Pop. Tales, notes, 372-5). One of the earliest allusions to the jingle is in Don Quixote, pt. I, c. xvi.: "Y asi como suele decirse el gato al rato, el rato á la cuerda, la cuerda al palo, daba el arriero á Sancho, Sancho á la moza, la moza á él, el ventero á la moza." As I have pointed out, it is used to this day by Bengali women at the end of each folk-tale they recite (L. B. Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal, Pref.).

Remarks.—Two ingenious suggestions have been made as to the origin of this curious jingle, both connecting it with religious ceremonies: (1) Something very similar occurs in Chaldaic at the end of the Jewish Hagada, or domestic ritual for the Passover night. It has, however, been shown that this does not occur in early MSS. or editions, and was only added at the end to amuse the children after the service, and was therefore only a translation or adaptation of a current German form of the jingle; (2) M. Basset, in the Revue des Traditions poplaires, 1890, t. v. p.549, has suggested that it is a survival of the old Greek custom at the sacrifice of the Bouphonia for the priest to contend that he had not slain the sacred beast, the axe declares that the handle did it, the handle transfers the guilt further, and so on. This is ingenious, but fails to give any reasonable account of the diffusion of the jingle in countries which have had no historic connection with classical Greece.