Bluegrass Messengers

Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge
By Isabel Gordon Carter
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 38, No. 149 (Jul. - Sep., 1925), pp. 340-374

[Mrs. Jane Hicks Gentry is the grandaughter of Council Harmon (1807-1898) who married Nancy Tester (1809-1850) around 1830. Sabra Hicks (1785- ) was his mother and Andrew Harmon (1789-1814) was his father. Rebecca Harmon (1842-1929) was Council and Nancy's ninth child. Rebecca married Samuel Hicks III and their children included Ben who was Nathan Hicks' father. Nathan was featured in my grandfather's book, Beech Mountain Folk-Songs and Ballads published in 1932.

Council and Nancy's grandchildren, John Benjamin (Ben) Hicks, Andrew Jackson (Andy) Hicks, James Brownlow (Brownlow) Hicks, and Roby Monroe (Roby) Hicks are credited by many as being among the first dulcimer makers and players in Watauga County, NC. My grandfather and now my father has a dulcimer made by Nathan patterned after his father's dulcimer.]

MOUNTAIN WHITE FOLK-LORE: TALES FROM THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE
BY ISABEL GORDON CARTER

During the past few years much attention has been directed towards the old ballads still to be found among the inhabitants of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While the collection of ballads has gone steadily on, so far as the writer knows no collection of the old folk tales has been made in this region. This is not surprising since there are so few people who can tell the old stories. Not infrequently people remember hearing the tales when they were young although they do not remember them in sufficient detail to tell them. The stories were told to entertain children.

The present group of tales was collected in the summer of 1923 from three informants. The first fifteen stories were told by Mrs. Jane Gentry of Hot Springs, North Carolina. Mrs. Gentry was born in Randolph County, North Carolina. She heard the stories when she was a child from her grandfather who had learned them from his mother. At first Mrs. Gentry could not take serioasly the writer's request for stories. She had given Cecil Sharp and others many of the ballads appearing in their collections but no one had asked for the stories which she had always told to amuse children. But she kindly agreed: "Old Jack, Will and Tom Tales they are called. They're the oldest stories that ever been in existence, I reckon. Old Grandpop aluz told us - we'd hire him to tell us. Law, he could tell 'em!"

The stories are taken down exactly as Mrs. Gentry told them. Speech is rapidly changing in the Blue Ridge and there is little consistency in the use of such words as " clomb" for " climb ", "uz " for "was ", etc., - the two forms may appear in the same sentence. In "Little Dickie Wigbun ", she sometimes spoke of "clear apsul rum " and sometimes of "clear apful rum ", and when questioned said that her grandfather had used both terms.

The second informant, Susie Wilkenson, was born in Sevier County, Tennessee, in "the year of the Rebellion". When a baby she was taken to Mississippi but the family soon returned to East Tennessee and settled again in Sevier County. In the summer of 1923 she was living near Elkmont, Tennessee. Her ability as a story teller was by no means as great as that of Mrs. Gentry and many of her stories are mere fragments. She told the next six stories.

The last two short tales are not the old tales told to children but are included to show the type of stories told by the men. They were repeated by Mr. John Campbell of Townsend, Tennessee, who was about eighty years old. He said that when he was a boy the men used to gather around an open fire and see " who cod tell the biggest"

I. OLD BLUEBEARD [1]

One time they was an old man and woman had three sons, Jack, Will and Tom. Will was the oldest one, Tom he was next and Jack was the least one. The old woman and the old man died and left Jack, Will and Tom to look after the place. They was workin' away over in the field and each tuk his time goin' to git dinner. Tom, he was the oldest, was first and he tried to see what a good dinner he could git up. He hung the meat up afore the fire to boil and he fixed some turnips and some potatoes and fixed everything nice for his brothers and when hit was ready he went out to blow the horn - they didn't have no dinner bell
in them days - and when he blowed the horn down the holler he saw an old man comin' with his beard as blue as indigo, his teeth as long as pipe stems and his thumbs tucked behind him. 2

And the man says, "Have ye anything to eat?" Will says, " No, " cuz he didn't want the old man to come in and eat up the nice dinner he'd fixed up for his brothers. Old Bluebeard says, " Well, I'll see about hit!" And he went in and eat up everything Will had cooked up. And Will had to fly around and fix up something for his brothers. He fixed up what he could, but he couldn't fix much cuz he didn't have time. Then he went out and blowed down the holler and when his brothers come in they says, "What in the world tuk you so long to fix up such a shabby dinner? "

And Will says, " Well, I fixed ye up a good dinner, but when I went out to blow for ye to come in an old man come up the holler with his beard as blue as indigo, his teeth as long as pipe stems and his thumbs tucked behind him and he walked in and ate up everything I'd fixed. So I had to fly around and fix you something else. "

Tom says, " Well, I knowed he wouldn't have eat it all up if I'd been here. " Will says, " All right tomorrow is your day and we'll see what he does to you. " So next morning Tom put him on some meat to boil in front the fire and when he come in from the new ground he got him some turnips and potatoes and pumpkin and baked him some bread and fixed him up a good dinner. And when he went out to blow the horn he saw an old man comin' up the holler with his beard as blue as indigo, his teeth as long as pipe stems and his thumbs tucked behind him and he said, " Have ye anything to eat?"

And Tom says, " No. "Old Blue-beard says, " Well, we'll see about that. " And he went in and eat up everything Tom had fixed except jest a little bit of pumpkin. And Tom had to fly around and git up something for his brothers and when they come in Jack says, " Why didn't you keep him from eatin' hit up?"

Tom says, " Tomorrow is your time to git dinner and see if you can keep him from hit. " And Jack says, "Bedad, I will. "So next day Jack put him some meat to boil in the fireplace and got some turnips and potatoes and fixed 'em and when he went out to
blow the horn for his brothers to come in, old Bluebeard was a comin' up the holler with his beard as blue as indigo, his teeth as long as pipe stems and his thumbs tucked behind him.

Jack says, " Now, uncle, you jest come in and have something to eat." Old Bluebeard says, "No, I don't want anything. " Jack says, " Yes, but you must come in and have dinner with us." Old Bluebeard says, "No, I don't want to," and he tuk around the house and tuk out down the holler. Jack tuk out down the holler after him and saw him git down a den - a hole in the ground - and when the brothers come home and Jack was gone they thought old Bluebeard had eat Jack up 'stead of his dinner but
after a while Jack come in and they says, " Jack, where you bin ? "

Jack says, " I bin watchin' old Bluebeard, watchin' where he went to, and I watched him go down a hole in the ground and I'm goin' to foller him. " So Jack tuk a big old bushel basket out and put a strop on hit and him and his brothers went to old Bluebeard's hole. Will says he was agoin' down. Jack says, " We'll take turns. Will, go first. " So Will he climbed in the basket and they let him down in the hole and when he shuck the rope they pulled him up and asked him what he found.

Will says, " Well, I went until I saw a house and then I shuck the rope." "Oh shaw, Will, what ud you shake the rope then fer? Why didn't you find out what was in the house? " Will says, " Well, you go in and find out. " Tom says, "All right I will. " So he clumb in the basket and went down' til he was on top the house and then he shuck the rope and they pulled him up. When he told 'em he shuck the rope when he was on top of the house, Jack says, "You're nary one no account but me. " So he went down and looked in the room and there sat the prettiest woman he ever saw in his life. And Jack says, " Oh ! you're the prettiest woman I ever saw in my life and you're goin' to be my wife. "

"No, " she said, " Old Bluebeard ul git you. You better git out of here. " "Oh no, he wont, " says Jack. " He's a good friend of mine and I'm goin' to take you up and marry you." " No," she said, "you wait 'til you get down to the next house. You won't think nothin' of me when you see her. " So Jack put her in the basket and shuck the rope. And when she come out, Will says, " Oh! you're the prettiest woman I ever saw in my life! " and Tom said, " Oh ! you're the prettiest woman I ever saw in my life."

Jack went on down to the next house and looked in and there was the prettiest woman he ever did see, the other wan't nothing along side this one. Jack says, " You're prettiest woman I ever saw and you're goin' to be my wife. My brothers can have the other one but I'm goin' to have you."

She says, " Oh no, Jack, when you go down to the other house you won't think nothin' of me." "Yes, I will too, " says Jack. "You jest come git in this basket. " So he put her in the basket and shuck the rope. Then he went down to the next house and there was the prettiest woman. Jack says, "Oh! you're jest the prettiest woman I ever did see and you're goin' to be my wife. My brother's kin have the other two but you're goin' to be my wife. Come git in this basket. "

But afore she was pulled up she give him a red ribbon and told him to plait it in her hair so he'd know her when she come out and she give him a wishin' ring. Jack put her in the basket and shuck the rope. When the brothers saw her they stopped talkin' to the other two and fell in love with her right away. Tom says, " You're goin' to be my wife. " Will says, " No, she's goin' to be mine. "And they started fightin'.

She says, " I won't have nary one. I'm goin' to marry Jack. " They said, " No, you won't fer we'll leave Jack down there. " So they pulled up the basket and they commencet to fight and left Jack down there. Jack jest sit there and Old Bluebeard come in and walked around but he didn't give Jack nothin' to eat. Jack jest sit there and after a while he turned the ring on his finger seein' how he'd fell away and said, " I wish I was in my old corner beside the fire smokin' my old chunky pipe. " And there he was and there was the woman with red ribbon plaited in her hair and she said, " Oh Jack !" And they was married and they uz rich when I left there.

2. LAZY JACK AND HIS CALF SKIN [3]

They was an old man and old woman had three sons, Jack, Will and Tom. Jack was awful lazy. So they didn't give Jack anything when they see they had to die, with the exception of one little old poor calf and Jack was too lazy to feed hit. So the other boys was over in the new ground a clearin' away and Jack's little old calf were over there a buzzin' round eatin' lin bushes
and sech, and they cut a tree down and killed it.
 
So they come on over to the house and said, " Killed your little old calf over there, Jack. You can go over and skin it and eat it or just let it lay there. " "Bedads, I'll go over and skin it, " says Jack. So he went over and skinned it and come on back and brilled the meat. He sit there in a corner and brilled and brilled hit 'til he got the meat all eat up. Gin he got the meat all
eat up the hide was good and dry. So he got the hide down and he sewed hit all up good and he left the tail on and filled it with old shucks and cobs so when he shuck hit he could make hit rattle good.

So he tuk hit by the tail and started off down the road one morning, a draggin' hit all day until late that evenin' he come to a house. He called, " Hello ! Can I stop here this evenin ? " Woman come to the door, says, " Yes, I guess ye can. My husband's gone but Mr. Passenger's here and I guess ye can stop the night. " So she met Jack at the door and jest sent him on up stairs. Didn't offer him no supper or nothin'. So, instead of gettin' in bed, Jack lay down on the floor and peeked thru a knot hole to see what they all did there and he saw her fix the finest supper. They jest had everything that cud be thought of, baked pig and
stuffed goose and roast chicken and pies and cakes. And her and Mr. Passenger sat down and started eatin '. So Jack was a lyin' up there jest starved to death. So they eat all they cud eat, then tuk and put hit all away and got out all kinds of drinks. Jack watched good where they put hit. So they was sittin' a drinkin' and they heard her husband come a whistlin'. So the old man said, " Where'll I git. Where'll I git. " She said, " Jump in that big chist and I'lllock you up. " So he run jumped in the chist and she run got all the drinks put away and she run jumped in the bed. So the husband come in und said, " Old woman, got anything cooked to eat around here ? " - " Yes, I guess you'll find some bread on the table, " she says.

So Jack saw the man a eatin' down there so he dragged the cowhide around and old man said, " What's that ? " Woman says, " Little old
crazy boy stopped here to stay the night. Guess that's him makin' that
noise. " Man said, " What's his name ? " - " Says his name's Jack. " So
the man hollered, " Jack, come down here and have some supper with
me. " Jack says, " Don't care if I do. " So Jack didn't eat two bites of
the bread 'fore he stuck his hand back and shuck that cowhide so hit
made a noise. So he fired in on the old cowhide and went to beatin' on
hit. " Shut your mouth, you blobber mouthed thing, " he says. Old
man says, " What's hit sayin', Jack ? What'shit sayin' ? " Jack says,
" Oh I don't want to tell, the big mouthed thing. I'm afraid it will make
the woman of the house mad. " Man says, " Now, you go ahead and
tell me. I don't care for the woman of the house. You tell me what hit
said. " Jack says, " Well, hit says over there in that buffet there's roast
pig and stuffed goose and roast chicken and pies and cakes. " Man says,
" Is they, old woman ? " - " Yes, little bit I was a savin' fur my kinfolks.
" Man says, " Jack and I er your kinfolks, you bring 'em out here. "
So the old woman got up and set 'em out all the good eatings. They
didn't eat long 'fore Jack reached out and shuck the little old calf
agin'. Said, " You shut your mouth, you blobber mouthed thing. " Old
man says, " What's hit saying Jack' What's hit sayin ? " " Oh, I don't
want to tell, " says Jack, " I'm afraid it will make the woman of the
house mad. " " Now, you go ahead and tell me, " says the man. " Well,
hit says over in that cabinet is whiskey and brandy and gin and all
manner of drinks. " " Is they, old woman ? " - " Yes, little I was savin'
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 345
for my kinfolks. " - " Well, Jack and me er your kinfolks, you bring
'em out here. " So she brung 'em out.
The man begin to git a little foxy. " What'll you sell that fer ? " -
" Oh, I couldn't sell hit. " - " I'll give you five hundred guineas for
hit. " - " Well, " Jack says, " if you give me that chist over there and
five hundred guineas you kin have hit. " (My mammy always told that
a five dollar bill was as much as a guinea.) So old woman says, " You
can't sell that old chist. That's a chist my poor old father give me. "
Man says, " I bought that chist and 1 paid fer hit too, and I'm a goin' to
sell hit. " So the man and Jack traded and the man holped Jack git the
old chist up on his shoulders. So Jack carried the old chist a little ways.
He didn't want hit 'cUpt to tease the Old Passenger. He said, " I'll jest
drap this in the well. " Old Passenger says, " Oh don't put me in the
well. I'll poke you out five hundred guineas if you'll not put me in the
well. '" So Jack put down the chist and took the five hundred guineas
that the Old Passenger poked out. Jack jest tuk hit and went on. Old
Passenger didn't have sense enough to say if you'll let me out. So
some people come along and heard the Old Passenger a hollerin' and
they run back toa house and said they was a talkin' chist up the road.
They let the Old Passenger out.
Jack went on home and he had him a load of money. So his brothers
said, " Jack, where'd you git all that money. " -" Sold my cowhide,
how'd you think I'd get hit ? " So his brothers run out and shot some
big fine horses and skun' em. And they didn't give 'em time to dry or
nothin ! They jest sewed 'em up and started. So the flies just got after
them and they drug 'em around and nobody wouldn't let 'em come in
with old green flies. So they come home and says, " Jack, we're agoin'
to kill you. You can have your choice. You can be shot, hung, or drown. "
He said, " Well, I reckon you kin jest drown me. " So they sewed
'im up in a sheet and Jack walked with 'em about a mile down to the
river. So when they got down there they poked Jack in but they didn't
have no string to tie him. Their conscious was so guilty over killin' their
brother neither one of them wanted to go back to the house to git a
string. " Well, ye can both go back, " says Jack, " I'll not leave. " So
while Jack was a layin' there a man come up the road with a big immense
sheep drove. " Stranger, what are you doin' here ? " -" I'm fixin'
to fly to heaven, " says Jack. " In a few minutes two little angels ul
come and fly up to Heaven with me. " So the man said, " I'm old now
and if you'll let me go to heaven in your place I'll give you my sheep
drove. " So Jack says, " All right, " and he jumped out and drove his
sheep up the road a bit and then he come back and holped the old man
git in the sheet. He saw his brothers acomin' and he hide in the thicket.
So they come on down and tied up the sheet and throwed hit in the river.
So then Jack started to holler, "Sheep! Sheep! Open up the gates and
let me in. " " Where'd ye git them sheep? " says his brothers. " Got  'em in the river. Where did you think I got 'em ? "-" Oh, Jack, you
reckon we could git a sheep drove ? " - " I reckon so, but I'm not agoin'
to fix up your sheets. You'll have to yourselves. I'll throw you in. I
could have got a lot more if you'd throwed me out in the river farther. "
So they throwed one of the brothers and he begin to kick about. " What's
he doin' that fur ? " says the other. " Oh, he's gathering his sheep. "
- " Oh, Jack, hurry up and throw me in fore he gits em all. Throw me
farther. " So Jack throwed him in and then he driv his sheep drove
home and when I left there Jack was rich.

3. HARDY HARDBACK. [4]
A man, an old king, he got so rich that he put out an oration that anyone that could do more than his old witch or could find anyone who
could do more might have his youngest daughter and half his kingdom.
So they was an old poor man and he had three sons, Jack, Will and Tom.
And they decided that they'd try for a fortune. So Will he told his
mother he was going over to the king's house to see if he could break
the enchantment of the lady. He had to walk way long ways. His mother
cooked him up a haversack full of rations. So Will started out but if
he couldn't do as much as the old king's witch could, the king would kill
him, cut his head off and set it up on a pole. So when he got over to
the king's house he hollered, " Hello ", and the king come out and said,
" What'll you have ? " He said, " I come over to see if I could break the
enchantment of the lady. " King says, " Now if ye can't do as much as
my witch, I'll kill ye and cut your head off and set hit up on a pole. "
" I know hit, " says Will. King says, " Do you think ye can hit the iron
hackle as hard as my witch can ? " -" Yes, bedads, I think I can. " King
says, " Come, old witch, " and she popped her back against that hackle
and popped like a rubber ball and danced all over the floor. Will he come
in and pounced agin that hackle and stove hit through his body and hit
killed him and the king cut his head off and set hit up on a pole.
So then Tom decided he wanted to go. His mother said, " Oh Tom,
don't go, Will was killed. " " Well, bedads I'm going anyway, " says
Tom. So Tom, he starts out and meets the same little old dried up man
that Will met, so he said, " Good morning, Tom. " Tom says, " Good
morning. " He said, " Where ye started ? " Tom says, " None of yer
business. " So Tom had his haversack of rations and he tramped a long
ways over to the king's house and he says, " Hello, " and the king come
out and says, " What'll ye have ? " Tom says, " I come over to see if
I could break the enchantment of the lady. " " Well, if ye don't, I'll
kill ye, " says the king. " Ye know that, don't ye ? " " Yes I know hit, "
says Tom. " Come in, " says the king. " Can ye hit that iron hackle
with your back as hard as my old witch can, or can ye find anyone who

Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 347
can ? "- " Yes, bedads, I think I can. " So the old witch come in, hit
agin the iron hackle, bounced off like a rubber ball and danced all over
the floor. Tom he come in, stove his back against the hackle and hit
stove into his back and killed him. King cut his head off, put hit up on
the pole. By that time he was a gettin' a pretty long pole full of heads.
So Jack decided he wanted to go and he got to beggin' his mother
to cook up a haversack full of rations. Mother said, " Now, Jack, you're
all we've got. " Jack said he was a goin' anyway. But his mother wouldn't
cook up a haversack full of rations so he jest tuk some old dried bread
un started out. When Jack got out he met the same little dried up man.
He says, " Good morning, Jack. " Jack says, " Good morning, father
- good morning, uncle, ain't ye a goin' to have some breakfast with
me ? " - " Where ye started, Jack ? "-" Well, uncle, I've started to try
to make a ship sail on dry land. " - " Well, you take my stick, Jack, un go
back aroung the way I've come to a spring. And you stir my stick in
that there spring until hit turns to wine and you'll see a new tin bucket
and tin cup. Gin ye get back here I'll have yer ship made. " So Jack went
and stirred in the spring until hit turned to wine and +here sat the tin
bucket and he filled hit and come back and the little old man had the
ship made, and they sat down and eat their bread and drank their
wine. He said, " Now, Jack, you git in this ship and say, ' Sail, ship
sail ' and hit'll sail. Now, Jack, you take in every man that y'u see between
here and the king's house. Now when you see a man you say,
' Hey ! What's your name ? 'and when he tells you say, ' Come here
and git in this ship and say, Sail, ship, sail, ' and it ul sail right along. "
So Jack was sailing along and he looked up on the mountains and he
saw a man hitting his back against the trees and knockin' 'em every
which away. Jack says, " Hey ! What's your name ? "- " Hardy
Hardback. " - " Hardy Hardback ? Hardy hard back I think you are,
come un get in here. " So they sailed on a little ways and he saw a man
out in the pasture jest a eatin' up the sheep and hogs. " Hey! What's
your name ? " says Jack. " Eat Well." - "Eat Well ? Eat well I
think you are, come and get in here. " Went on a little ways and he saw
a man up the holler jest drinking up the little springs and branches.
Says, " What's your name ? " -" Drink Well. " - " Drink Well ? Drink
well I think you are, get in here. " So Drink Well got in and Jack said,
" Sail, ship, sail, " and it sailed right on. So went a little ways and saw a
man running. He'd run a ways on one leg, then take hit up and run a
while on tother. Jack says, " Hey ! What's your name ? " - " Run Well. "
-- " Run Well ? Run well I think you are. Come git in here. " So Run Well
got in and they sailed right out ; went a little further saw a man standing
with a gun like he was a shootin' a hare in the skies. " Hey ! What's your
name ? " says Jack. " Shoot Well. " - " Shoot Well ? Shoot well I think
you are, " says Jack." Come on git in here. "So he got in and Jack said,
" Sail, ship, sail, " and they sailed right out. Little further saw a man a
348 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
listenin'. He'd put one hand over one ear, and one over the tother. " Hey.
What's your name ? " says Jack. " Hark Well. " - " Hark Well ? Hark
well I think you are. Come on git in here. " So Hark Well got in and
Jack says, " Sail, ship, sail, " and it sailed right out. So they sailed on a
little ways 'til they got to the king's house. Jack hollered, " Hello, "
and the king come out and says, " What ul ye have ? " Jack says, " I
come over to see if I could break the enchantment of the lady. "-" Well,
if you don't, I'll kill ye. " " Yes, I know hit, "says Jack. Said, " Do you
think you can hit the iron hackle as hard as my old witch can, or can
ye find anyone who can ? "-" Yes, bedads, I think I can. "So the king
called his old witch and she stabbed her back agin the iron hackle and
bounced off like a rubber ball and danced all over the room. " Hardy
Hardback, come in here, " says Jack. Hardy Hardback come in and
struck that iron hackle and stove hit through the wall, jumped off on
the floor and danced all over. King says, " Well, now do you think you
can eat as much as my old witch can, or can ye find anyone who can ? "
- " Yes, I think I can. Come in here, Eat Well. " So Eat Well come in
and they assigned each a horse apiece. Eat Well jumped out and eat
up his horse, and a cow or two, and a couple of sheep, and some pigs,
and the old witch didn't have one horse eat up. So they called 'em in.
Said, " Well, now do you think you can drink as much as my old witch
can, or can ye find anyone who can ? " " Yes, I think I can, " says Jack.
" Drink Well, come in here. " So they assigned them a creek apiece and
Drink Well jumped in and drank his up, and a spring or two, and was
drinking the river up when they called 'em in. "Well now, " says the
king, " can you find a man that can run as fast as my old witch can ? "
" Yes, I think I can. Run Well, come in here. " So they give 'em an egg
shell apiece and started 'em to the ocean after an egg shell full of water.
So Run Well run on to the ocean, got his water and come on back and
met the old witch half way. She said, " I'm tired. " He said, " I'm tired,
too. " She says, " Let's sit down and rest and not run ourselves to death
for other people. "
So they went up above the road a few steps to a nice grassy place
and sat down and rested. She says, " Lay yer head over here and rest. "
She had an old jaw bone in her pocket and if she could git anybody to
sleep and put that under their head they wouldn't wake up until that
was knocked out. So Run Well being tired, she waited 'til he uz asleep
and put that jaw bone under his head. She poured his egg shell out and
started on to the ocean. Jack began to get uneasy and said, " Hark
Well, hark well and see where Run Well's at. " - " Jack, he's layin' asleep
half way between here and the ocean with a jaw bone under his head,
and he'll never wake 'til that's knocked out. " " Shoot Well, shoot well
and shoot hit out, " says Jack. So Shoot Well shot and knocked hit out.
Run Well jumped up and picked up his egg shell and started to the
ocean. When he was comin' back he ketched up to the old witch and
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 349
knocked the old witch, and come on back to the king's house. And they
was married 'fore the old witch got there and when I left they was rich.

4. JACK AND THE FOX. 1
One time they was an old man and three sons, Jack, Will and Tom.
He called 'em up and divided his fortune. Give 'em all their portion and
started 'em out to see who could marry the richest. Jack says to his
father, " I don't want but one thing you've got, that's the old pet fox. "
Will and Tom got theyselves all dressed up fine and started out. They
didn't want Jack to foller 'em, he looked like such a slab, so they made
him go by hisself. So he tramped all day long. Finally along about dark
he looked up the hill and saw a farm house and he thought he'd better
go there and try to git lodgin' fer the night. Didn't have a penny, jest
old pet fox. He went on up to the house and out in the yard he said,
" Hello ! " And here come the prettiest little cat walkin' to the door.
" Who keeps house here ? " says Jack. She says, " Cat and a mouse. I
use to be a woman but the witches got mad at me and witched me into
a cat, but, " she says, " if you'll stay here three days and nights and not
let a thing come into this house, not the least thing even down to a
mouse, I'll be a pretty girl and I'll marry you. " So he squeezed the old
fox and it said, " Gold enough. " " Yes, bedads, I will, " says Jack.
So he put his old fox down and he cut him some clubs and fixed
hisself at the door. Everything from a elephant to an ant tried to come
in on him that night - all kinds of varmints. Next morning he went
to the cat about hit and there's the prettiest baby he ever saw. So he got
breakfast. The varmints weren't bad to try to come in of a day
always at night. And that night he got him some lamps and candles
and he jest killed snakes and rats an other varmints all night long. Next
mornin' he saw jest the prettiest little girl he ever did see. And he squeezed
the fox and hit says, " Gold enough. " So he fit all that night and
she was a pretty woman and they uz married. So they hitched up the
horses and carriage and started out fer his father's so as Jack cud show
him his wife.
When they got near, they heard the banjo and the fiddle and music
and all, and Will and Tom and their wives was there. So Jack jest pulled
out on a turnpike and left his wife and put on his old clothes and tuk
his pet fox under his arm and went in. So Will he pushed his wife behind
one door, Tom, he pushed his behind the beds so they wouldn't see Jack
he was so shabby. So Jack come on in and he squeezed his fox and hit
says, "Gold enough. " And then Jack, he went and got his wife and
carriage and all and drove up. And Tom tuk his wife out one door and
Will tuk his out the other - 'cause they weren't rich. So Jack he come
out the right end of the horn. He married plumb rich.
i. Bolte & Polivka LXIII, XXXIII A.
350 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
5. THE ENCHANTED LADY.
One time they's an old king and he got so rich and he put out an
oration that anyone who cud break the enchantment of his youngest
daughter cud have her and the half of his kingdom. And the way to
break the enchantment was to stay in sight of a rabbit twenty-four
hours. But if you couldn't keep the rabbit in sight twenty-four hours the
king killed ye. But if ye cud, you killed the king. So they's jest lots and
lots went over. Every time one ud start over they'd meet a little old
dried up man. He's ask 'em where they was goin' and they jest sass
'em and go on. So this little old Jack, he started over. So he met the
little old man." Where you goin', son? "-" Well, Uncle, I'm goin' over
to the king's house to try to keep in sight of a rabbit twenty-four hours. "
" Take this drill and go right over in a pine thicket; you jest put this
little old drill down and the rabbit ul jest take right out around hit and
go 'round and 'round until hit falls over dead. " So Jack put hit in his
pocket and went over to the king's house. Says, " Hello. " King comes
out and says, " What'll ye have ? " " I've come over to try and break
the enchantment of the lady, " says Jack. "You know if ye don't I'll
kill you, don't ye ? " " Yes, I know hit, " says Jack.
So the old king stove out and ketched a rabbit right down in the
thicket and he give hit to Jack and while he was a ketchin' the rabbit
Jack jest wretched down and stuck the drill in the ground and the
rabbit tuk out around hit. So the old king begun to git kind of sick. He
didn't know what was the matter but he seen Jack was a goin' to git
him. So long in the evenin' he says to his daughter, " Jack's goin' to
git to kill me. I wonder if you kin go down there and buy that drill. "
So she went down to where Jack was and tried to buy the drill off him.
Jack says, " If you'll hug me and kiss me right good. " So she did but he
said, " No, I'm goin' to have you and half the old king has got. " So
she went on back and told the old king and he sent his oldest daughter.
She offered Jack a pile of money. Jack says, " No, but if you'll hug me
and kiss me right good, you kin have hit. " So after a while he says,
"Now you've hugged me and kissed me, but I'm goin' to kill him and
have your sister. " So the oldest sister went on back. " Well, " says the
king, (It was between sun down and dark) " I guess Jack's goin' to kill
me. " So he went in where the queen sit a smokin' her pipe and says,
" Mammy, you go down and see if you kin buy hit. " She went down un
told Jack all the disheartenin' tales she cud. Jack says, " If you'll hug
and kiss me right good, I'll let ye have hit. " So she hugged and kissed
him right good, but when she got through, Jack says, " I'm goin' to kill
the old king, I'm goin' to have a half of his fortune and his youngest
daughter. That's the oration and I'm goin' to stick to hit. " So she went
on back. Long in the evenin' old king says," I'm goin' to die, I'm goin'
to take this bowl and we'll have Jack sing hit full fer me 'fore I die. "
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 351
So king went down and says, " Jack, will ye sing the bowl full for me ? "
Jack says, " All right. "
" Your youngest daughter she come down,
Oh fer to buy my drill;
She hugged me and she kissed me well,
Fill, bowl fill.
" Your oldest daughter etc.
" Your queen she come down
Oh fer to buy my drill
She hugged ............... "
" Stop! Jack, stop! Oh, oh, oh, don't sing that, Jack, " says the old
king, "jest kill me. " So Jack killed him and married his daughter
and when I left there, Jack uz rich.
6. JACK THE GIANT KILLER.
One time they was a fine wealthy man lived way out in the forest. But
he couldn't have nothing, hogs and sheep and cows and sech like because
the giants killed 'em. So he went out and put him up an ad-ver-tisement
(Put up a board or hew out the side of a tree and write what he want
to.) So he put up one for some one to clear land. Little old boy Jack saw
hit and he tramped and tramped until he got away out in the forest and
he called, " Hello. " Old man hollered, " What'll ye have ?" Jack says,
" I've come to clear yer land. " " All right, " says the man. It was Sunday
evenin' un they uz havin' supper. The old lady says, " What'll
ye have for supper, Jack ? " He said mush and milk. While they was
makin' the supper a preacher come in an' they sit the mush away and
they fried him a chicken and fixed some coffee and fixed a good supper.
After supper Jack tol 'em he wanted a piece of leather so he made him
a pouch, a sort of haversack thing to tie around his waist. Next morning
they got up, asked Jack what he'd have for breakfast. Said, " Jest
give me that cold mush and milk. " He'd take a spoonful and then poke
one in a hole in his pouch. So he got it full. Then he said he was ready
to go to work. So man says, now he says, " Jack, I don't want you to
back out, but I'm no a wantin' any land cleared. I want to kill them
giants over there and I'll give a thousand dollars a head for them -
some of 'em has two heads, and I'll give you five hundred dollars down,
and five hundred dollars when you come back. " Jack says, " Give me a
tomihawk (that's a thing like a hatchet 'cept it has two heads to hit.
They used hit in olden times. Indians use to use hit to scalp with.) and
I may be in for dinner, and hit may be night when I git in. " So they give
him a tomihawk and he went over in the forest and climb a great long
pine. Along about one o'clock he looked way down in the holler and saw
352 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
a great old giant a comin' up with two heads. So he says to himself,
" Land I'm gone. " So the old giant come up, and he says, " What are
you doin' up there ? " Jack says, " I'm a clearin' timber. " Giant says,
"Come down from there, you aint got sense enough to clear timber,
you have to have an ax and chop down timber. " So Jack come down a
little way. " Have ye had yer dinner ? " says the Giant. Jack says,
" I've had my dinner. " Giant says, " I'm sorry, I jest come to ask you
to come down and take dinner with me. Come down, let's wrestle and
play a while. " Jack says, "All righ, bedads, I'll be down. " So Jack
come down and down, till he got right on a limb a top the giant. He had
no idea of comin' down when he started, jest tryin' to bluff the giant.
Jack says to the giant, " I can do somethin' you can't do. " Giant says,
" What is hit ? " Jack says, " I can squeeze milk out of a flint rock. "
Giant says, " Oh ye can't do hit ? " Jack says, " Yes I can, you hand
me up one and I'll show you. " So Giant handed him up one, and Jack
gits hit right close to his little old pouch and squeezes milk out on the
rock and drapped the milk on the giant. Giant says, " Hand me down
that rock; if you can squeeze milk out of hit, I can. " Jack handed it
down to the giant. The giant was so stout that when he put his hands
to hit, he just crushed it into powder. Jack says, " I told you you couldn't
squeeze milk out of hit. I can do something else you can't do. "
- " What's that ? " -" I kin take a knife and cut my belly open and
sew hit up again. " Giant says, " Oh you can't neither. " " Yes, I can, "
says Jack. " I'll show you, hand me your knife. " So the giant hands
him up his knife and Jack cut that pouch open and sewed hit up again.
"Now didn't I tell you I could ? " Giant says, " Hand me down that
knife, " and he just rip his belly open and fell over dead. So Jack crawled
back down and tuk his tomihawk and cut off his head. And that
evening late he come waggin' him in a giant's head. That jest tickled the
forest man and he paid Jack a heap of money and says, " Now Jack, if
you kin jest get the rest of 'em ; they's a whole family of 'em. "
So next morning Jack took his tomihawk (or Tommy hatchet) and
went over and climb the big old pine agin. So long about noon he looked
down the holler and he saw two giants a comin' each with two heads on.
So they begin to get closter and closter. Jack climb down and
tuk out down the holler and as he went he filled his shirt tail with rocks.
After a while he come to a big old holler log and he climb in hit with his
shirt tail plumb full of rocks. So the giants went up and mourned over
their brother. And they went down past Jack sayin', " Poor brother,
it we jest knew who it was a murdered him, we'd shore fix him. " Jack
was a layin' in there with his heart jest a beatin'. They past the log and
said, " Let's pick up this log and carry hit down to poor old mother for
some kindlin". So they each tuk an end and carried hit a little ways.
Jack thought he'd try his rocks on'em. So he crawled up pretty close to
the end and throwed a rock and hit one of the giants. Giant says to the
Mountain White Folk-Lore : Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 353
other one, " What you hit me for ? " Giant says, " I didn't hit you. "
- "Yes, you did too. " Then
Jack
crawled back and throwed a rock at
the other giant. " What you hit me for ? I never hit you. " - " I didn't
hit you. " - " Yes you did too. " So they fit and they fit and fit and
directly they killed each other; one fell one side of the log dead and the
other on the other side. So Jack crawled out and cut their heads off and
went on back home. So he was gettin' him a pretty good load of money
and was gettin' awfully tickled. The forest man were plumb tickled
too and said, " Jack, if you jest can get the rest. But watch out they
don't get you. " " Bedads they won't git me, " says Jack. So next morning
he says, " Give me my tomihawk, " and he went on out. So along
in the evenin' he looked down the holler and saw a little old giant
comin' up about his size. " Well, " says Jack, " I've about got 'em from
the looks of this one. " This little giant come up a talkin' to hisself.
Looked up in the tree and sawJack sittin' there. " Stranger, can you
tell me who has killed my poor old brothers ? "- " Yes, I killed your
brothers, and bedad, I'll come down and kill you if you fool with me. "
-" Oh please, Jack, please Jack, I'm all the child my mother's got
left, and you kill me there won't be nobody to git her wood this winter
and she'll freeze to death. If you'll come down I'll take you home with
me and we'll have the best dinner. " So Jack went on down. Giant went
to his mother and says, " Jack come home with me, and he says he's
the one who killed brothers but he's not much. " So Giant's mother says,
" Well, come on in Jack, you'uns go out and play pitch crowbar awhile. "
Jack couldn't lift it. Little old giant pick hit up and throwed hit about
one hundred yards. Jack went over and picked up one end and begin to
holler, " Hey, uncle. Hey, uncle. " Giant says, " Hey, Jack, what you
hollerin' about ? " -" I've got an uncle in the Illinois who is a blacksmith
and I thought I'd jest pitch hit to him. " - " Oh don't do that
Jack, hit's all we have. " - " Well if I can't pitch hit to Illinois, I won't
pitch hit at all. " Little old giant slipped back to the house, " Mother,
I don't believe Jack is much stout. " " Well, we'll see, " says the mother.
" Here boys, take these pails down to the river." Little old giant tuk the
buckets and when he got to the river he stove in his bucket and put hit
up full and then he stove Jack's in and put hit up full. Jack begun to
roll up his sleeves. Little old giant says, " What you goin' to do Jack ? "
- " Oh thought I'd carry up the river. " -- " Oh don't Jack, mother
might walk in her sleep and fall in. " - " All right, " says Jack, " but
I wouldn't be ketched a carryin' that little old bucket. " So they went
on back. The mother had a big hot oven sittin' in front of the fire with
a plank across hit. " Get on this plank Jack and I'll ride ye, " says she.
So Jack got up un she shuck him and shuck him trying to shake him
into the oven but he fell off on the wrong side. " Let me show you, '
says old inother giant, and she got on and Jack give her a shake and
popped her in the oven, and he had him a baked giant in a minute.
354 Journal of American Folk-Lore,
Little old giant came in, says, "Mother, mother, I smell Jack. " Jack
says, "No you don't, that's your mother ye smell. " When little old
giant sees Jack, he begin to holler," Oh! Jack, I'll give ye anything if
you won't kill me. "-" All right, give me a suit of invisible clothes. "
So he give him invisible suit and Jack just went over the house and tuk
what he wanted, all that was any account, because the giant couldn't
see him. And Jack tuk a sword and walked up to the little old giant
and stuck hit in him and went and got him some silver and when I left
there, Jack was plumb rich.
7. SOP, DOLL, SOP 1
They was a poor little old orphan boy growed up in the country and
his name was Jack and he never could find anything he could do. So
he found an advertisement of a man wanted a miller. So he tramped
across the mountain and went a long ways 'til he come to the Miller's
house. Got there one Sunday afternoon. In them days they didn't never
come up to the house and ring the door bell, they always hollered,
" Hello. " So Jack hollered, " Hello. " Miller says, " What'll ye have ? "
"I've see yer advertisement, " says Jack, " and I've come to work fer
ye. " - " I'm in need of a miller. " - " Well, bedad, I've come to tend
your mill fer ye. " " Well, I'll jest tell ye now I've hired lots of millers
but they always died, " says the Miller. " Well, I'd jest as soon be dead
as alive. I've got no home and no place to stay, " says Jack.
" Well, you're the kind of man I'm looking fer, " says the Miller. " We'll
go down and I'll show ye around about the mill. Now you'll have to
cook here on this fire place ; here's yer meal un yer meat and yer skillet.
Jest make yourself at home and cook what ye need. " " Well, bedads, I'll
get along all right, " says Jack. So Jack baked him some bread un made
him some coffee un fried him some meat. So he didn't put his meat un
bread up on the table, jest put 'em on the floor and sat down beside 'em.
He had him a little brass lamp and the light of the fire place and the
moon was shining as bright as daylight. All at once the little old cabin
got as dark as midnight. He got up and chared up his fire and when he
looked around every crack in the house was full of cats - jest as thick
as they cut stick - with their eyes jest shinin'. That sort of scared
him and he jest sit down and commenced to eatin'. All of a sudden one
big old black cat jumped out in the middle and hollered, " Sop, doll,
sop. " Then all the cats sat down on the floor. She walked up and popped
her paw in his meat sop and licked hit and hollered, " Sop, doll, sop. "
He began to get scared and he said, " Stick your old paw in here again
and I'll whack hit off. " So she stick hit in and hollered, " Sop, doll,
sop. " " If you do hit again, " says Jack, " I'll hack it off. " She did hit
I. Bolte & Polivka, Iv.
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 355
again and he hacked it off. When he hacked hit off, it fell into the fryin'
pan - hit was a woman's hand with a ring on the finger and she hollered,
" Whar-a-a, " and they all went out the cracks and the moon
shined back in as bright as day. So he tuk that hand and he wrops hit
up in some tissue paper and drops hit down in his coat pocket.
So next morning he wuz up bright and early and had his breakfast
over and was grinding and whistling when the miller comes down.
Said, " Why, hello, Jack, I see you're still alive " " Yes, bedads, I'm
still alive, " says Jack, " but I'll tell ye what I done last night. " And he
telled all about the cats. " Show ye what I done too, " and he pulled
this hand out of his pocket. So he handed out this hand to the man.
And he says, "That's my wife's hand. " Jack says, " Oh surely not. "
He says, " Yes hit is. " Jack says, " Well, she was a big black cat when
I hacked hit off." --- " Well, hit is, " says the Miller, " fer this is a ring I
put on her hand yestiday. " So he tuk the hand and went up to the house.
Says, " Nancy, let's see your right hand. " She poked him out her left.
Says, "Nancy, hit's yer right hand I want. " She begin cryin' and said,
" I haven't any. " So he says, " Now tell me all about this, Nancy, and I
won't have you burned. "
" Well, I didn't want you to have a miller. I wanted you to keep the
mill yourself. So I got all my friends and witched 'em into cats, and got
'em to witch 'emselves into cats and we put pizen into the miller's sop.
And when I went, put pizen into this man's sop he hacked off my hand. "
So he gathered up all the other witches and had 'em burned and that
made the other husbands mad, and they had his wife hung. He wouldn't
let 'em burn her 'cause he had said she shouldn't be. So Jack made an
e nd of a good many witches.
8. OLD STIFF DICK. 1
They uz a little old boy long time ago, didn't have no mammy or
poppy, jest growed up in the hog weeds, and he didn't even know his
name, but everybody called him Jack. And he jest stayed here and yonder,
wherever he could drop in at night. So one day he was a walkin'
the road and he had him a belt around his waist and he had him a little
old knife and he was a whitlin' and makin' him a paddle. So he come
along past a mud hole and there was a lot of little old blue butterflies
over hit. So he struck down with his paddle and he killed seven of the
butterflies. So he goes on a little piece further and he comes to a blacksmith
shop, and he gets the blacksmith to cut letters in his belt,
" Stiff Dick killed seven at a lick. " So he goes on a piece further and he
passes the king's house. King runs out and says, " I see you're a very
brave man; I see where you've killed seven at a lick. " - " Yes, bedads,
i. Bolte & Polivka, xx.
356 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
I'm a mighty brave man. " So the king says, " Stranger, I want to hire
a brave man to kill some animals we have here in the woods. We have
a wild municorn here killin' so many people, soon we'll all be kilt. If
you'll kill that municorn, we'll pay you one thousand dollars, five hundred
down, and five hundred when you bring the municorn in. " So Dick
says, " All right. " So the king paid him five hundred dollars. Stiff Dick
stuck that in his pocket and said to hisself, "Bedads, if they ever see
me around here again. " And he tuk out. When he got way up in the
mountains the municorn smelled him and here it come,
Whippity cut,
Whippity cut,
Whippity cut.
Stiff Dick tuk to runnin' and the municorn after him. The municorn
was jest clippin' Stiff Dick. They run up the mountains and down the
ridges. So long late in the evening they started down a long ridge, the
municorn jest a runnin' after Stiff Dick. And away down at the end of
the ridge Stiff Dick saw a big oak and he made a beeline to see if he cud
clumb hit. So the municorn was jest a gettin' so close that agin they got
there the municorn was jest behin' him. Jack jest slipped around the
oak right quick and the municorn stove his horn into hit and he just
rared and plunged. As soon as Stiff Dick saw he was fastened for all
time to come, he went on to the king's house. King says, " Did you get
the municorn ? " Dick says, " Municorn ? Laws an massy, never was
nothin' but little old bull calf come tearin' out there after me. I jest
picked it up by one ear and tail and stove it agin a tree and if you all
wanst hit, you'll have to go up thar and git hit. " So the king got
him a great army and went up and killed the municorn, come back and
paid Jack five hundred dollars more. King says, "Now, Stiff Dick,
there's one more wild animal living up here, a wild bull-boar. I'll give
five hundred dollars now and five hundred more when you ketch hit. "
Jack tuk the five hundred dollars and says to hisself, " You'll never see
me anymore. " But after he'd gone a little ways here come the wild
boar after him,
Whippity cut.
Whippity cut,
Whippity cut,
All day long around the mountains, across the mountains and down the
ridges, all the day just a runnin'. So along late in the evenin' away down
in the holler he saw an old house and when he got down there the door
was open. So he run right in the door and up the wall and the wild boar
run right after him and laid down under him. Boar was tired and soon
fell asleep So Dick eased up the wall and over and down the outside
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 357
and shut the wild boar up in there. So he went down to the-king's house.
King says, " Did ye git the wild boar ? " Stiff Dick says, " Wild boar ?
Laws a massy, I never saw nothing but a little old boar pig come bristlin'
up after me. I jest pickedhit up by the tail and throwed hit in an
old waste house. And if you all wanst hit, you'll have to go up thar and
git hit. " So king got up an army of men and went up and killed the
wild boar and went back down and paid Stiff Dick his other five hundred
dollars. King says, " Now, Stiff Dick, there's one more wild animal
we want to git killed. That's a big brown bear. " So he give Dick another
five hundred dollars. Stiff Dick says to hisself, " If I can jest get out of
here no brown bear ul never see me. " So he got way up on the mountain;
old brown bear smelled him and here he come, -
Whippity cut,
Whippity cut,
Whippity cut.
Across the hills, up the ridges, every way to dodge the bear. The bear uz
right after him. So late in the evenin', way down at the end of a ridge
he saw old pine tree that had been all burned over and was right black.
Jack made a beeline fur that tree. The bear was jest a little ways behind
when Jack run up the tree. Bear was down at the root of the tree and he
was so mad he tried to gnaw the tree down. Hit gnawed and gnawed.
Jack keep a easin' down on another old snag and another old snag and
directly he got on a snag jest above the old bear and the old snag broke
and Jack fell just a straddle the old bear and they jest burnt the wind.
Stiff Dick was so tickled and so scared, too, that he was jest a hollerin'
and screamin and directly he run the bear right thru the town and the
soldier boys heared him a screamin' and they run out and shot hit.
Stiff Dick got off it when it fell, and he was jest a swearin' and a rarin'.
He was swearin' he was breakin' hit for the king a riddy horse. And king
come out and heard Stiff Dick a swearin' he was a breakin' the bear for
the king a riddy horse and he got mad and made the soldier boys pay
Dick five hundred dollars. And when I left there Stiff Dick was rich.
9. WHITEBERRY WHITTINGTON. 1
Whiteberry Whittington was a hired boy and he lived with the king,
and he loved the hired girl. So he was out helpin' to kill beef one day
and he got some blood on his shirt. The king's daughter she was kinda
in love with him. So when he got back he says to the hired girl and the
king's girl, " Whichever one washes this stain out my shirt, that's the
one I'm goin' to marry. " So the hired girl she washed hit out, he knowed
i Bolte & Polivka, XC XCITT CXXVIL.
358 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
she would, and he married her and lived with her until they had three
children.
One day King's daughter says, "I washed that shirt and you said
whichever one washed that stain out your shirt, that's the one you was
goin' to marry. " " Yes, I did, " says Whiteberry Whittington, so he
left with the king's daughter. And the hired girl she was home jest a
mournin', and at last old woman come by and says, " Why are you always
a grievin' and a cryin' ? " The hired girl told her how her husband had
left her and gone away with the king's daughter. Old woman says, " If
you'll give me one of these children, I'll tell you where your husband is.
But, " she says, " you'll have to climb the glassy hills and wade the bloody
seas to git to him. " - " I don't mind that but I hate to give up one of
my little children. " She wasn't a aimin' to give hit up to her at all.
Old woman says, " Well, when you find your husband you kin come
back and git the child. " So she wouldn't give it to her and the old woman
says, " Well, now listen, if you give me this child, I'll give you this
beautiful fan and help you git your husband. " So she give her a child
and started on her way with the two children and she travelled and
travelled until she met another old woman who looked like the first one.
" Oh ! these two pretty children, " she says. " You've jest got to give me
one of them. " So the hired girl says, " No, I've already had to give one
to the old witch and I can't give way nary nother one. " Old woman
says, " You'll never find your husband if you don't give me one of them
children. " Girl says, " Oh, I can't give nary nother child. " Old woman
says, " Give me one of them children and I'll give you this pretty comb
and it'll help your husband to love you and I'll help you find him. "
So she give the old woman one of the children and she tuk the comb and
started on. So she clumb the glassy hills and waded the bloody seas and
went on. Travelled on for about two more days and met another old
woman who says, " Oh, this pretty baby, I'm bound to have this pretty
baby. " - " No, I jest can't give you this baby. I've had to give the
other two children to the old witches and I have to hunt my husband
and I jest don't believe I could live if I had to give up this one. " The
old woman says, " If you'll give me this one, I'll give you this pretty
string of beads, and if you don't, you'll never find your husband and
you'll never live nuther. " So she tuk the string of beads and give the
old witch the child and went on to the place her husband and the king's
daughter was, and it want but a day or two before she saw Whiteberry
Whittington, and it want but a few more days 'fore she saw the king's
daughter. King's daughter says, " Oh, that pretty fan, I've got to have
that pretty fan. " " No, " hired girl says, " You got my man and that's
enought for you. " -" No, I've got to have that fan, I'll send my husband
over to spend the night with you. " - He wasn't her husband of
course because he'd married the hired girl. The king's daughter jest said
that. She was anxious to git him to come over so she could tell him how
Mountain White Folk-Lore : Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 359
the king's daughter had lied her and lied him. So she give the king's
daughter the fan.
So the king's daughter went home and told him he was to go over. So
he went over, he jest minded the king's daughter like he was a little
brown puppy, and the king's daughter says, " You got to take this dost
of laudnum because I don't want her a talkin' to you. " So when he got
over there, she wanted him to have some supper with her. But he said
no, he was sleepy and wanted to go to bed. So she fixed the bed and he
went to bed. She crawled in behind him. So she says,
" I've clumb the glassy hills and waded the bloody seas,
My three little babes I've give for thee,
Turn over to me, my fair Whitington. "
But he was jest so sound asleep he couldn't wake. So in two or three
days the king's daughter happened to notice the comb. " Oh, what'll
you take for that comb, I just must have that comb. " - " No, you
have my man and that's enought for you. " - " Say, if you'll give me
that comb, I'll send him back to stay all night with you. " So she give
her the comb. So the king's daughter give him another dost of laudnum
and he wouldn't eat no supper and all during the night she'd
talk to him, but couldn't git him to wake enought to speak to. She'd
say,
" I've clumb the glassy hills and waded the bloody seas,
My three little babes I've give for thee,
Turn over to me, Whitberry Whitington. "
He'd never move. So in two or three days the king's daughter saw her
beads. " Oh, I'm jest bound to have them beads. " - " No, you got my
man, you got my fan, you got my comb. I'm jest not goin' to let you have
these beads. " - " I'll let my man come and stay all night with you if
you'll jest let me have them beads. " So she let her have the beads, So
that night when she give the laudnum to Whiteberry Whittington, he
jest spite hit down in his boot and went on over. So she told him what
a hard time she'd had to git to him, how she had had to give up her
children. She told him that the king's daughter lied him and that she
was the one that washed the blood out. So he went back to the king's
daughter and says, " You jest lied me and I'm goin' back with my wife,
kill the old witches and git my children. " So he tuk his wife and they
went on back and stopped at every house and killed the old witch and
tuk the children and when I left there, they was rich and livin' happy.
360 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
I0. OLD FOSTER. 1
They use to be an old man, he lived way over in the forest by hisself,
and all he lived on was he caught women and boiled 'em in front of the
fire and eat 'em. Now the way my mother told me, he'd go into the villages
and tell 'em this and that and get 'em to come out and catch 'em
and jest boil they breasts. That's what she told me, and then I've heard
hit that he jest eat 'em. Well, they was a beautiful stout woman, he
liked 'em the best (he'd a been right atter me un your mother) so every
day he'd come over to this woman's house and he'd tell her to please
come over to see his house. " Why, Mr. Foster, I can't find the way. " -
" Yes, you can. I'll take a spool of red silk thread out of my pocket and
I'll start windin' hit on the bushes and it'll carry ye straight to my house."
So she promised him one day she'd come. So she got her dinner over one
day and she started. So she follered the red silk thread and went on over
to his house. When she got there, there was a poor little old boy sittin'
over the fire a boilin' meat. And he says, " Laws, Aunt, " - she uz his
aunt, - " what er you doin' here ? Foster kills every woman uz comes
here. You leave here jest as quick as you can. "
She started to jump out the door and she saw Foster a comin' with
two young women, one under each arm. So she run back and says, " Jack,
honey, what'll I do, I see him a comin' ? " " Jump in that old closet
under the stair and I'll lock you in, " says Jack.
So she jumped in and Jack locked her in. So Foster come in and he
was jest talkin' and a laughin' with those two girls and tellin' the most
tales, and he was goin' to taken 'em over to a corn shuckin' next day.
Foster says, " Come on in and have supper with me. " So Jack put
up some boiled meat and water. That's all they had. As soon as the
girls stepped in and seed the circumstance and seed their time had come
their countenance fell. Foster says, " You better come in and eat,
maybe the last chanct you'll ever have. " Girls both jumped up and started
to run. Foster jumps up and ketched 'em, and gets his tomihawk and
starts up stairs with 'em. Stairs was shackly and rattly, and as they went
up one of the girls wretched her hand back and caught hold of a step
and Foster jest tuck his tomihawk and hacked her hand off. It drapped
into whar she was. She laid on in there until next day atter Foster
went out then Jack let her out.
She jest bird worked over to where the corn shuckin' was. When she
got there Foster was there. She didn't know how to git Foster destroyed.
The people thought these people got out in the forest and the wild animals
ud ketch 'em. So she says, " I dreamt an awful dream last night.
I dreamed I lived close to Foster's house and he was always a wantin'
me to come to his house. "
I. Bolte & Polivka, xL.
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 361
Foster says, " Well,'that ain't so, and it shan't be so, and God forbid
it ever should be so. "
She went right on, "And I dreamt he put out a red thread and I
follered hit to his house and there uz Jack broilin' women's breasts in
front the fire. "
Foster says, " Well, that ain't so, and it shan't be so, and God forbid
it ever should be so. "
She went right on, " And he says,' What er you doin' here ? Foster kills
every woman uz comes here.'"
Foster says, " Well, that ain't so, and it shan't be so, and God forbid
it ever should be so. "
She went right on, " And I seed Foster acomin' with two girls. And
when they git thar the girls their hearts failed 'em and Foster ketched
'em and gets his tomihawk and starts up stairs with 'em. "
Foster says, " Well, that ain't so, and it shan't be so, and God forbid
it ever should be so. "
She went right on, "The stairs was shackly and rattly and as they
went up, one of the girls wretched her hand back and caught hold of a
step and Foster jest tuk his tomnihawk and hacked her hand off. "
Foster says, " Well, that ain't so, and it shan't be so, and God forbid
it ever should be so. "
She says, " Hit is so, and it shall be so and here I've got the hand to
show. "
And they knowed the two girls was missin' and they knowed it was
so, so they lynched Foster and then they went and got Jack and bound
him out.
II. OLD CATKINS. 1
They was an old man and an old woman and they had three girls and
the mother died. One of the girls was awfuly lazy when she was a growin'
up, and the other two girls jest fairly hated her. So she'd always
say when they was a fussin' at her, " That's all right; Catskins ul come
out the big end of the horn someday. " So when the mother died the
father tuk her wedding dress and put it away and said whenever he
found another woman who looked as nice in that dress he'd marry agin.
So the girls, they fussed so much at Catskins they really made her father
think she was no good and he didn't get her no pretty things or nothin'.
So one day the two oldest girls were off visitin' so Catskin, she jest tried
herself to see what a nice dinner she could git for her father. So they
was eatin' dinner that day and her father said, " Catskin, I believe
you're the smartest girl I've got. " That tickled Catskins pretty near to
death. So after she washed and cleaned up, she thought she'd try on her
mother's wedding dress. She'd never been dressed up before in her life.
I. Bolte & Polivka, LXV.
23
362 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
So her father was up on the hill a ploughin' and he looked down in the
yard and he saw someone with his wife's wedding dress on. So he loosed
the horse from the plough jest as quick as he could and went down and
said, " Who was that with my wife's wedding dress on ? " She said she
didn't know. He said, " Yes, you do know and you've got to tell me too. "
- " Well, I'll tell you what I'll do. If you'll get me a dress the color of
every cloud that ever floated in the ereal I'll tell ye. " So he went and
got the dress just as quick as he could. Then she said she had to have one
the color of every bird that ever flew in the air and then she'd tell him.
So he went and got a dress the color of every bird that ever flew in the
air. And then she said she had to have a dress the color of every fish
that ever floated in the sea. So he went and got that. And then she said,
" Twas me. " And that made him mad and he said he was goin' to beat
her up and she had to leave home. So she tuk her dresses and started
out to git work. And on the way she left her dresses at the dressmaker's
and told her she'd come and redeem 'em. So she went on to the king's
house and she went round to the back door, and so she knocked and a
colored girl went to the door and she said, "Could I see the queen,
please ? " And the colored girl hunted the queen and brought her to
the door and the girl says, " Do you want to hire some more help ? "
Queen says, " Do you want to work with the darkies ? " She says, " Yes,
I don't mind. I'd jest as soon work with the colored girls as anybody. "
So Catskins just went in and pushed up her sleeves and went to work,
and she soon had the rest of the girls jest ashamed of theyselves. She
had the kitchen jest a shinin'. So the queen come in and says, "My
goodness, you'll have the other girls ashamed of theyselves. " Says,
" There's goin' to be a big dance down at the club house Saturday night
and I'll dress you up in some of my clothes and let you go and have a
good time. " So Saturday night rolled around and the queen come and
dressed Catskin up and started her down to the ball to have a good time.
Catskins went down where her dresses was and drug out the one the
color of every cloud that ever floated in the ereal and she put hit on
and went on down to the ball. So she sure enough did have a good
time. The king's son was there and he danced with her, and he got to
liken her and thought she was the prettiest thing he ever saw. So they
give out they'd be another ball the next Saturday night and wanted
'em all to be there. So she promised 'em she'd be there. So she went back
and she tuk the queen's dress to her and told her what a good time she'd
had and the queen said. " 'You jest keep a workin' like you been and you
can go to all the balls they is and I'll dress you in a heap fine dress next
time. "So she jest made things shine that week. And the queen just fell
in love with her and so the next Saturday night she brought her a fine
dress. But Catskins went out and got her dress the color of every bird
that ever flew in the sky and she fixed herself up and went on to the
ball. So the king's son was there and jest fell in love with her. So he told
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 363
her he loved her and he told her he'd bring the ring next week. So that
week Catskin jest spread herself to see how much she could do. So next
Saturday night the queen brought out the finest dress and sent her
to the ball to have a good time. But Catskins went out and got her dress
the color of every fish that ever floated in the sea. So the king's son
was there and he brought her the ring and when the ball was over, he
wanted to take her home. She said, " No, you're not goin' to take me
home. If you take me home, I'll not get to come back no more. " He
was bound to take her home, but she said, " You're not goin' nary step. "
So she went on home alone. Well, there was nary nother dance give out
and there they was. The king's son didn't have no way to know whar
she was and he couldn't find her nowhere. So he got sick; got bad sick.
So his mother was jest gettin' all kinds of doctors. He said, " Now,
mother, don't get nary doctory fer me 'cause my heart's broke. " So
he went to bed and wouldn't eat nary a bite. The queen, she was all the
time a cookin' tryin' to get him to eat a bite. One day Catskins says,
" Let me cook him a cake. " She said, " Oh Catskin, he wont eat what
you cook him. " She said, " Well, he did eat my cookin' every day.
Let me try hit. I jest believe he would. " So his mother said, " Well,
honey, go ahead and bake. I'd jest give anything in this world if I could
see him eat jest one bite. " So Catskins went to work and she baked a
little cake and she put the ring in hit and carried it to his mother and
she begged his mother to let her carry hit up stairs. So his mother consented
to let her carry hit upstairs. Catskins says, " I'll jest take it to
the door and hand it in to you. " So Catskins carried hit up to the door
and handed hit in to the queen and Catskins jest peeked in and smiled.
And the king's son said, " Oh, mother, let Catskins come in, she smiles
jest like the girl at the ball. " So his mother says, " Eat a little cake. "
Catskin fixed hit so he could find that ring. So when he bite the cake
and found the ring he said, " Oh, Catskins, you're the girl I saw at the
ball, come holp me up. "So she holped'em up and they uz married and
when I left there they uz rich.
Note. - When asked why girl was called Catskins, she said, " She
was raggy and she didn't have no new clothes, her sisters jest wouldn't
give hit to her, so they patched her dress with the old cat's hide. "
When asked to repeat where dance was to be held, she changed from
" a big dance at the club house, " to " a big dance Saturday night. "
12. JACK AND THE NORTHWEST WIND. 1
Once they was a boy and he got awful triffling. He got so thinly clad
he was about to freeze to death and he got hit into his head he cud stop
the northwest wind. So he had an old uncle lived way out in the northi.
Bolte & Polivka, XXXVI, LIV.
364 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
west so he thought he would go to that uncle. So he went out there and
his uncle said, " Jack, where you started ? " " Well, bedads, I've started
to stop the northwest wind. I'm about to freeze to death, " says
Jack. " Oh, Jack, don't do that; if you'll go on back home and leave
that northwest wind alone, I'll give you a rooster and you can jest pat
him on the back and say,' Lay a gold egg, 'and he'll lay ye a cap full. "
So Jack tuk his rooster and stuck him under his arm and started. Uncle
says, " Now don't you stay over at that house. " So he told him how to
go so as not to stay there. So boy tuk his rooster and went over to that
house, and called to stay all night. So one of the boys come to take
Jack's rooster to put it away and Jack says, " Now this rooster is all
I've got to make my living so take good care of hit. You can jest pat
him on the back and he'll lay gold eggs. "
So the boy jest eased the rooster in his hen house and next morning
he gave Jack his old rooster. They uz awful good to Jack; wouldn't
charge him a penny. So he went on home. When he got there, he let the
rooster down and patted him on the back and said, " Lay a gold egg, "
and he wouldn't lay none, so that made Jack mad and he killed him
and eat him. So when he got his old chicken eat up, heuz coldand thought,
"Bedads I'm going to stop that northwest wind. " So he went on out
to his uncle's and when his uncle saw him, he says, " What you doin'
back here ? " " I've come to stop the northwest wind; I'm about to
freeze to death, " says Jack. " That old chicken was no account and I
jest killed hit and et it. "
"Now, Jack, you'll jest go on home and let that northwest wind
alone. I'm agoin' to give you a sword and hit ul cut forty inches through
anything - cut trees down, cut heads - jest anything. If you'll jest
go on home. Now don't stop over at that house, Jack, if you do, they'll
steal hit. They've got swords jest exactly like hit and they'll put you in
one of theirn. " So Jack gets his sword and starts out an goes right over
to that house and stays all night. So the boy says, " I'll take care your
sword fer ye. " "All right, " says Jack. "But take good care because
it'll cut forty inches through anything. " So boy jest takes hit and puts
hit in his box and puts one of his own swords in Jack's box. So next
mornin' Jack gets up and takes his sword and goes on home with it.
And when he gets there he takes the sword and puts it down Jn his wood
yard and says, " Cut away, cut away, sword, " and it wouldn't do nothin',
so he got awful mad and sold his sword for about a dollar and started
back to stop the northwest wind. So he got back over there where his
uncle lived. And his uncle says, " Jack, what you doin' back here, and
where's your sword ? " - " That sword want no good and I sold hit for a
dollar and I'm goin' to stop the north wind. " So his uncle says, " I'll
tell ye what'll I'll do. If you'll go on home and let the northwest wind
alone, I'll give ye a club and when you say, 'Play away club', hit'll jest bust
up anything. " - " Well, bedads, I will. " So he got his club and started
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 365
and went right on over to that house and stopped to stay all night. And
he told that boy all about his club. So way in the night Jack was layin'
there awake and heard the boy say, " Play away club. " And the club
began to play away and just knocked the boy over and jest addled him.
And Jack got his rooster and his sword and tuk his club and went on
home and when I left there Jack was plumb rich.
13. JACK AND THE BEANSTALK. 1
Once there was a little boy and he didn't have no mother or no father
and his grandmother was a raisin' him and she uz awfully mean to him.
So she whipped him one morning and she whipped him awfully hard and
he was cryin'. So she was sweepin' the house and she swept up a bean
and she says, " Here, take this bean and go out and plant it and make
you a bean tree. " He went out and planted it and he played around
all day and was very good after that. So next morning- he got up and
ran out early to see about his bean tree and hit had growed to the top
of the house. So he run and said, " Grandmother, my bean tree is as
high as the house. " So she slapped his face and said, " Go on out of here,
you know it's not up yet. " When she went out, sure enough it was high
as the house. So hit made her kind a sorry and she give him a piece of
bread and butter. So next morning he jumped up and ran out and says,
" Granny, my bean tree's as high as the sky. " So she slapped him again
and says, " Son, don't come in here telling such lies as that, you know
hits not as high as the sky. " So after a while when she got thru cleanin'
up she went out and sure enought it did look like the bean tree
had growed up thru the sky. So Jack played around all that day and
looked at his bean tree and next day he decided he'd climb hit. So he
started and he told his grandmother, " I'll hack you off a mess of beans
as I go up. " So he clumb and clumb and throwed her down the beans.
Atter a while he come to a big field. So he got out and got to wandering
around in that field and he saw a house. So he went to this house and
then he saw the old giant's wife was a sittin' thar and she says, " Law,
little boy, what youdoin' here? don't you know the giant ulbe in directly
? " - " Oh, hide me, do please hide me, " says Jack. And atter a
while she hid him under the bed. So directly the old giant come in
and says, " Fi fo fiddledy fun, I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Dead or alive I'll have his bones to eat with my bread and butter. "
His wife says, " Aw now, poppy, don't talk that way, that was iust a
little old boy that was here this evenin' and he's gone now. " So the
giant et his supper and Jack lay there under the bed and he looked out
at the giant's boots and a gun. Fastened to the bed cords they was the
prettiest china bells. So he wanted the china bells and he wanted the
r. Bolte & Polivka, CLXV.
366 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
boots and he wanted the giant's gun. So he laid there 'til they was all
asleepin' and he eased out and got the giant's gun and down the bean
stalk he went. So he laid around all next day, he rested and next morning
he started to climb the bean stalk again. So he clumb back up the field
and went back to the giant's house. " Law, Jack, what you come back
for ? The giant thinks you stole his gun and he'll sure eat you up. " -
" No, no, he wont, jest let me crawl under the bed one more night. "
So she let him crawl under the bed. So the old giant come in says, " Fi
foo fiddledy fun, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Dead or alive I'll
have his bones to eat with my bread und butter. " - " Aw, poppy,
don't talk that way, it's jest that little ol poor boy comin' back here
everyday. " So Jack, he laid there and studied what he'd get next, so
way in the night he got out and got the giant's boots and went down the
bean tree. So atter he got down he laid around two or three days, but he
wanted them bells so he decided he'd go again. So he clumb up the bean
tree and went to the giant's house and when the giant's wife saw him
she says, " Law, Jack, the giant's awfully mad at you, he thinks you
stole his boots. You better go way before he ketches you. " - "Aw,
he wont ketch me, jest let me come in one more time. " So he crawled
under the bed. So the giant come home and says, " Fi foo fiddledy fun, I
smell the blood of an Englishman. Dead or alive I'll have his bones to
eat with my bread and butter. " - " Law now, Poppy, " says his wife,
" that little old boy's been here but he ain't comin' back again. " So
Jack laid there under the bed and he begun untying the bells and every
now and then one ud make a noise and the old giant ud say, " Fi foo
fiddledy fun, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Dead or alive I'll
have his bones to eat with my bread and butter. " Then another bell ud
go " dingle " and he'd say, "Fi foo fiddledy fun, I smell the blood of
an Englishman. Dead or alive I'll have his bones to eat with my bread
and butter. " So finally at last Jack, he got 'em all untied from the bed
cords and got 'em down. And he started out for the bean stalk and they
begun to go " dingle. " And the giant says, " Fi foo fiddledy fun, I
smell the blood of an Englishman. Dead or alive I'll have his bones to
eat with my bread and butter. "And tuk out after Jack. And when they
got to the bean stalk, Jack clumb down and then he looked up and here
come the giant right atter him. And Jack hollers, " Give me a hand ax,
granny, give me a hand ax. " And he begun to hack and hack and down
come the bean tree and down come the giant too.
14. LITTLE DICKY WIGBUN. 1
He was a little bit of a man and his wife didn't like him nary a bit.
She loved the old passenger. I don't know what the old passenger was.
They uz men use to travel about and they called 'em the old passenger.
i. JAFL, I9I6, vol. 29, p. 122.
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 367
So she was all the time playin' off like she was sick and sending little
Dicky Wigbun to the Clear Apsul Springs to get clear Apsul Rum fer
her. (I don't know what clear Apsul Rum were, it's just in the story;
they didn't really have anythinglike hit.) She was hopin' the wild varmints
ud get him and eat him up and she cud have the old passenger.
So one day he uz going down to the spring and he met the peddler.
Peddler says, " Dicky, where you started ? "- " I've started down to Clear
Apsul Springs to git my wife some Clear Apsul Rum. " Peddler says,
"Dicky, I'm jest as sorry fer you uz I can be. Your wife don't care
nothing fer you. " - " You think she don't ? " - " No, she's jest sendin'
you off down here to see if you wont get killed by the wild animals.
You jest get in this knapsack of mine and let me carry you back to your
house and let you see what's going on. " " Well, I believe I will, " says
Dicky. So Dicky got in the haversack.
Got to Dicky's house and the peddler says, " Kin I stay all night ? "-
"Yes, I guess ye can, but my husband's not here. " So he went in and
says, " Mrs. Wigbun, kin I bring my haversack in ? I dropped hit in a
mud hole down the road a piece and I'm feared I'll get my rations wet. " -
"Yes, I guess ye kin. " So the peddler went out and cut a couple of
holes so's Jack cud see out and just picked him up and carried him into
the house.
So the peddler says, " Let's all sing some little ditties. " "All right,"
the passenger says. " Well now, Mrs Wigbun, " says the peddler, " you
sing the first one, then Mr. Passinger, you sing the next one and then
I'll sing one. "
So Mrs. Wigbun sings:
" Oh, Little Dicky Wigbun
To London he's gone
To buy me a bottle of Clear Apful Rum,
God send him a long journey never to return
Thru the green wood and below. "
" Well now, Mrs. Wigbun, that's a pretty song, sing hit agin. "
" Oh, Little Dicky Wigbun
To London he's gone
To buy me a bottle of Clear Apful Rum,
God send him a long journey never to return
Thru the green wood and below. "
"Well now, Mr. Passenger, you sing yourn. "
" Oh, little Dicky Wigbun thinks
Who eats of his sweets and drinks of his drinks,
And if God spares my life
I will sleep with his wife
Thru the green woods and below. "
368 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
"That's pretty, sing hit agin. "
" Oh, little Dicky Wigbun thinks
Who eats of his sweets and drinks of his drinks,
And if God spares my life
I will sleep with his wife
Thru the green wood and below. "
"Now, Mr. Peddler, you sing yourn, " says Mis' Wigbun.
" Oh little Dicky Wigbun, he's not very fur,
And out of my knapsack I'll have him to appear
And if friends he don't like, I stand to his back
Thru the green fields and below. "
" So they hung the old passenger all right away
And they burnt Dicky's wife the very next day
Thru the green fields and below. "
15. OLD GALLY MANDER. 1
Once they was on old woman and she was so stingy she wouldn't
spend a penny and she lived on ash cakes and water. She had a big long
leather sack hanging up in the chimmey with her money in hit. She
didn't have any money 'cept gold and silver. So her hired girls got so
they pilfered around and tried to find her money. So she sent herson over
the ocean to git a girl who wouldn't know anything about her money.
So he went and got her a girl that evenin'. And the girl fixed 'em the
supper. So after supper the old woman wanted to go out a visitin'. So
the old woman says, " Don't you look up the chimney. " So of course as
soon as the old woman was out of the house, the girl went and looked up
the chimney and got to gougin' 'round with her stick and directly the
big long leather purse fell down and she looked in hit and seed the silver
and gold and she just tuk hit and started out.
Directly she passed old cow. Old cow says, " Oh come pretty lady
milk my old sore bag. " - " I've got no time to fool with your old sore
bag. I'm goin' over the ocean. " Went on a little way and met an old
horse. " Oh come pretty lady wash my old sore back. " - " I've got no
time to wash your old sore back. I'm goin' over the ocean. " Went on
a little way, met a peach tree all loaded down to the ground with peaches.
" Oh come pretty lady and pick off some of my peaches and rest my poor
tired limbs. " - " I've got no time to pick your old peaches. I'm goin'
over the ocean. "
Old woman come home, seed the girl was gone, looked up the chimney
and seed her purse was gone and just tuk out down the road a hollerin'.
"Gally Mander, Gally Mander, all my gold and silver's gone and my
I. Bolte & Polfvka, XXIv.
Mountain. White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 369
great long leather purse. " So she started off down the road at a looploopy-
te-loop. Met the old cow. " Old cow, have you saw anything of
a girl with a long leather purse ? " - " Yes, run, old woman, and you'll
soon overtake her. " - " Gally Mander, Gally Mander, all my gold and
silver's gone and my great long leather purse. " Pretty soon met the
old horse. " Old horse, have you saw a girl with a long leather purse ? "
-- " Yes, old woman, and you'll soon overtake her. " - " Gally Mander,
Gally Mander, all my gold and silver's gone and my great long leather
purse. " Met the peach tree. " Peach tree, have you saw a girl with a long
leather purse ? " - " Yes, old woman, she's right down there at the
side of the ocean. " - " Gally Mander, Gally Mander, all my gold and
silver's gone and my great long leather purse. " And got to the ocean
caught her, flogged her up and pitched her into the ocean.
Old woman tuk her purse, went back home, lives long time by herself.
Then sent her son out to hunt her another girl away out where nobody
didn't know 'em. So the girl come and the old woman liked 'er very
well. After while old woman says, " Now, I'm goin' out to visit, don't
you look up the chimney while I'm gone. " So when she got out of sight
the girl wanted to look up the chimney for curiosity. Got her stick, got
to gougin' into hit, and directly the leather purse fell down. Looked
inside and it was full of gold and silver, and she tuk out down the road.
Directly she met old cow. " Oh come, pretty lady, and milk my old
sore bag. " - " I've got no time to milk your old sore bag, I'm goin'
across the water. " Went on, met the horse. " Oh come, pretty lady, and
wash my old sore back. " - " I've got no time to wash your old sore
back, I'm goin' across the water. " Went on, met the peach tree. " Oh
come, pretty lady, pick off some peaches and rest my poor tired limbs. "
" I've got no time to pick off your peaches, I'm goin' over the water. "
So old woman come in, looked up the chimney. " Gally Mander, Gally
Mander, all my gold and silver's gone and my great long leather purse. "
So she tuk out down the road. Directly she come to old cow and said,
" Have you saw a girl with a long leather purse ? " - " Yes, old woman,
and you'll soon overtake her. " - " Gally Mander, Gally Mander, all my
gold and silver's gone and my great long leather purse. " Directly she
met old horse. " Old horse, have you saw a girl with a long leather
purse ? " - " Yes, run. old woman, and you'll soon overtake her. "-
"Gally Mander, Gally Mander, all my gold and silver's gone and my
great long leather purse. " Come to peach tree. " Pretty peach tree,
have you saw a girl with a long leather purse ? " -" She's right down by
the side of the water. " So the old woman shuck her and flogged on her
and pitched her into the water. Then she tuk her long leather purse and
went back home. " I'll stay by myself and eat ash cakes all the days of
my life 'fore I'll bother with ary other girl. "
But atter a while her son went way off where nobody didn't know
'em and brought her back another girl. Old woman, she jest stayed there
370 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
and wouldn't go out un visit but atter a while she went out to visit.
Says, " Don't you look up that chimney. " So the girl tuk her stick and
went to the chimney un gouged, un gouged, un directly the purse fell
down. She opened it and it was full of gold and silver, so she grabbed
hit up and started. She passed old cow. " Pretty fair maid, come milk
my old sore bag. " She says, " Yes, I'll milk your old sore bag, " and she
milked it and bathed it and bathed it. She passed the old sore horse.
" Pretty lady, won't you bathe my old sore back ? " - " Yes, I'll bathe
your old sore back. " So she bathed it and bathed it. So she come to the
pretty peach tree. " Pretty fair lady, won't you come pick off some of my
peaches and rest my poor tired limbs ? " - " Yes, I'll pick off some of
your peaches. " So she picked un picked un picked. Peach tree says,
"You climb up here in my limbs. The old woman ul be here in a minute. "
Old woman come home, looked up chimney seed her long leather
purse was gone, " Gally Mander, Gally Mander, all my gold and silver's
gone and my great long leather purse." She tuk out down the road.
"Old cow, have you saw a girl with a long leather purse? " - " Yes,
she passed here long, long, long ago and forgot about hit. " - " Gally
Mander, Gally Mander, all my gold and silver's gone and my great long
leather purse. " Met old horse. " Old horse, have you saw a girl with
a long leather purse ? " - " Yes, she passed here long, long ago and
forgot about hit. " - " Gally Mander, Gally Mander, all my gold and
silver's gone and my great long leather purse. " Come to peach tree.
" Pretty peach tree, have you saw a girl with a long leather purse ? "
- "Yes, but she's over the ocean long ago. " Old woman, "What'll
I do, what'll I do ? " - " Go home and eat ash cakes all the days of
your life. " And that's what she got fer bein' so stingy.
16. THE KING AND OLD GEORGE BUCHANAN. 1
In olden times they was a king (jest a king of the United States, I
reckon - that's jest the way they told hit) and they was old George
Buchanan, he was called the king's fool, and he didn't like the way the
king made the rules. The king made a law that anyone come in and asked
him to pardon 'em he'd pardon 'em and not law 'em. George Buchanan
didn't like this law, so he kept a doin' things and then askin' the king
to pardon him. Finally at last he come in and told the king to pardon
him fer knockin' a man's hat off the bridge and the king did and then
George said, " His head was in hit. " But the king had done pardoned
him and couldn't do nothing. The king told him he'd behead him if
he didn't come to the king's house to-morrow at noon, " Clothed and
i. Campbell, Tales of the West Highlands, vol. II, p. 406 :
" There are a great many similar saws current which are generally fathered
on George Buchanan, the tutor of James VI. "
Mountain White Folk-Lore : Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 371
onclothed, riding and walking. " So George tore one breech leg, one shoe
and one sock, one half his shirt. He bridled his old ram sheep and put a
saddle on hit and throwed one leg over hit and time of day come he
went hoppin' up to the king's door. So the king says, " I thought I told
you to come clothed and onclothed and a ridin' and a walkin' both "
" I did, sir, " says George. " Part of me's clothed, part of me's onclothed,
one of my legs rode and one walked. "
So the king tuk him to be his fool but before he tuk him he went to
George's house ; wasn't anyone there but George's sister who was in back
room. King says, " Where's your mammy ? " and George says, " She
tuk some honey to go to town to buy some sweetenin'. " (Tuk some honey
and went to git some sugar.) He headed the king that way. " Where's
your poppy ? " - " He's gone to the woods. What he kills he'll throw
away and what he don't kill he'll bring back. " (He uz picking off lice.)
- " What's your sister doin' ? " - " She's in the back room mournin'
fer what she did last year. " (She uz having a baby.) You see George
headed the king every time.
So George, he was called the king's fool. So he tried to do one thing and
another to make the king make good laws. The king had a law that a
man could burn his own house down anytime he had a mind to. So
George built a house next to the king's and filled hit with shavin's.
King says, " George, what er you doin' ? " George says, " I'm fixin'
to burn my house. " King says, " George, you can't do that, hit'll ketch
my house. " George says, " Hit's the law. " So king says, " If you won't
burn hit I'll pay you a good price. " George says, " All right, if you make
a law that you can't burn a house without you tear hit down and pile
hit up. " That's the law now.
The king keep a pardonin' George fer things he'd do, and atter awhile
he told him that whatever George wished he could have. So George
wished to be the king and the king his fool. So the king says, " George,
you headed me all the time, now you got my seat. " So George sat up
there a while and then give hit back to the king if the king ud promise
not to grant nothing until he seed what he was a grantin'. So the king
told him, "Now, George, you leave here and don't you show yourself
on Scotland land anymore. " So George he left and put England dirt in
the bottom of his shoes and got England dirt and put in his hat and he
come where they was havin' court, and the king said, " Fetch him here;
I told him I'd behead him if he ever stood on Scotland land anymore. "
And they went and fetched him and he says, " I'm standing on England
land and livin' under England land. " So he headed the king agin. And
the king never could head George and George never would let the king
make no bad laws.
" Jest come to where they was a holdin' court to law people you know. "
372 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
17. THE LOUSE SKIN.
A king had three daughters. He got a big louse skin and he said the
first man who come there and knowed that skin could have his daughter.
They was none. that come knew it. They could hear someone come to
the gate and holler, " Hello, " but they couldn't see nobody. But they
was always a fine horse hitched up and saddled but couldn't find no
man. At last one day the old man went and saw a frog and frog says,
" Well, mister, you said who ever knew that skin could have your daughter.
" Old man says, " I did " " Well, " says the frog, " hit's a louse
skin. " So the frog jumped up on the horse and told the girl to jump up
behind him and they went on home. Frog had a fine house ; nd everything
in hit. Had the house jest full of pretty bed clothes and everything.
He asked the girl which she would rather he would be, a frog of
a night and a man by day, or a man by night and a frog of a day. And
she said she would rather he would be a man of a night and a frog by
day. He told her to het up a kettle of water right hot and pitch him in
hit and he could be a man. She was afraid hit would kill him but he said
no. She's afraid and started a cryin'. He says, " What you cryin'
fer ? " and she says, " I'm afeared hit will kill you. " He says, " Well,
jest fer that you pitch me in hit and I'll be a man fer always. " So she
pitched him in hit and he was a man. Now he never let her pitch him,
jest made her think hit 'cause he could turn hisself into anything he
wanted.
18. TOM FOX. 1
Young lady a courtin' and her sweetheart was goin' to kill her and
bury her. He come to her yard gate and called her out and told her to
meet him at such a place; they was goin' to b6 married. So she went and
got there and when she got there they was a tall pine and she seed her
grave was dug. So she clim that pine and watched fer him. And the
wind blowed and her heart ached and she watched fer one and two come,
I climbed a pine and set up there,
And watched fer one,
And two come,
And the wind blowed and my heart ached,
And what a hole Tom Fox did make.
19. THE IRISHMAN.
There was an Irishman come to America, he went to a house and
wanted to stay there the night, but they told him thar wasn't room
i. Holliwell, Popular Rhymes, JAFL, 1917, vol. 13, p. 49.
Mountain White Folk-Lore: Tales from the Southern Blue Ridge. 373
but that there was a house which didn't nobody dare to live in and he
could stay thar if he wanted to. So he went thar and after he went to
bed in come a woman with a candle in her hand. " Well, what do you
want ? " said the Irishman. And she told him that her husband went
away and while he was gone a neighbor man came in and killed her.
" You go make oath of it and if he denies hit, I'll appear the day of the
trial. " So the next day the Irishman made oath of hit and they had him
arrested and he confessed to hit and they had him destroyed.
20. OLD NOTCHY ROAD.
There was a road they called old Notchy Road in olden times. One
man lived at one end of hit, and nother one at tother end of hit, which
whar seven miles. And in the middle there lived a man and this man
was a gettin' rich. And they accused him of murdering people. So man
at end of the road told the man at the other end that he would send him
word when some one past and fer him to watch fer them.
There was another man had a wite and two children, and his wife's
mother lived about one hundred miles from them. And she sent her
daughter word her father was dead and she needed her. So she went and
she stayed all night at the middle house and they told her to come back
a past and stop agin. So when she come back she stopped agin. And the
next morning he wanted to take her through a nigh way. He tuk her off
and turned into a wilderness to a big pit. He wanted to take her things
and throw her in the pit so he told her to take off her things. She said,
" Turn your back fer I never stripped before a man and I never will. "
So he turned his back and she pushed him into the pit. Then she ran
and told what she had done and they come and found him dead at the
bottom of the pit with all the people he had killed. And there were
about a thousand.
21. THE THREE GHOSTS.
A young man a traveling went to a house to call. Nother man told
him he could stay over in a new house where there was plenty, but the
house had been hanted. So the man went thar that night. After he had
been thar a while, rize up three young ladies. He says, " What's wrong
with you three ladies ? " They said, " Our brother killed us and put us
away because this was to be our house so now we come back and hant
him. "
Well, one of the young ladies give him a handkerchief and said, " Whar
ever you go, fan this in people's faces and they'll always love you; keep
hit and you'll have friends. " The other young lady gave him a five dollar
gold piece and said, " Put this in your pocket and no matter how much
you spend it you will always find it in your pocket. " The other one gave
374 Journal of American Folk-Lore.
him a walkin' stick and said, "Always present that (point hit) and
people will have to answer you. "
He travelled to a fine house where a man and woman and three
daughters lived. He tuck a notion he wanted to stay thar. He sit down
to eat pretty close to the old lady and one of the girls. He tuk out his
handkerchief and wiped his mouth. The mother and daughter got a
whiff of it and fell in love with him and wanted him to stay. So he stayed
and the others got a whiff of his handkerchief and all fell in love with
him, the girls and mother. And he wanted to stay and marry one of the
girls, and after a while the old man give out and said he could. And he
tuck one and pinted his stick at her and talked to her and she wasn't
the one he wanted. Then he talked to t'other one and she wasn't the
kind he wanted, and then he talked to the one he wanted, and the last
one was the one he wanted. And they were married and stayed on and
always had plenty of money.
22. THE POWDER HORN.
Once there was a man went out hunting and he went a long way and
atter a while he got tired and it was a gettin' night and so he hung his
powder horn up on a little bright yellow hook that was hangin' there
and he lay down and went to sleep. When he woke up, his powder horn
was gone. So he went on home and stayed all day and next evenin' he
went back up there and there was the new moon with this powder horn
hangin' on it and he jest took it on home.
23. THE BENT GUN.
There was a man use to hunt on a little old round mountain and they
was a deer there and jest couldn't git it. He chase it and chase and it
'ud go round and round the mountain and he couldn't git clost enough
to hit it. So he went on home and made the barrel of his gun jest to the
curve of the mountain and he went on back to where he could see the
deer and then he fired and atter a while here come the deer jest a splittin'
past him and then he heard the bullit jest a wisting atter the deer
and they went round that little old mountain two or three times that
away, but atter a while the bullet ketched up to the deer and kill it and
he took it on home.

FOOTNOTES
I. Bolte & Polivka, CLXVI ;see also Friedrick Panzer, " Studien zur
germanischen Sagengeschichte "I, 3eowulf Munich, 1910.
2. " With his beard as blue as indigo, his teeth as long as pipe stems and
his thumbs tucked behind him, " is spoken very rapidly.
3. Bolte & Polivka, LXI.
4. Bolte & Polivka, LXXI.