Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 10, 1899.djvu/144

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118

Miscellanea.

hearth, and the fox had to go out and cllmb up on the roof, and drop the contents of his bag down the chimney. And so he did; and the big stone fell down and knocked the family glass pot into bits. And when the mother saw this, she was so angry that she took off her wooden shoe, and ran out of the house, and knocked him off the roof with it.^[1]

Philip Redmond.

Hampden Club,

Phoenix Street, N.W.

Method of Starting a New House in the Olden Times.

Perhaps the following, told me by a man at Kiltubbrid, co. Leitrim, may interest the society:

The ground for the house having been measured out, a sod would be turned at the four corners. The four sods would be left for two or three nights, to see if the proposed house were on a fairy "walk," in which case they would surely be found replaced, and another site would have to be found. If nothing occurred, a hen or some such small animal would be killed, and the blood allowed to drip in the four holes, after which the house might be proceeded with.^[2]

A new house is such a rarity in the neighbourhood now that I can get no testimony as to recent procedure.

↑ This story evidently consists of two distinct stories imperfectly welded together. An amusing version of the former of the two is given by M. René Basset from Ech Cherichi, Commentaire des Maqâmât de Hariri, Boulaq, 1300 A.H. (1882-3 A.D.). A parasite accompanied a traveller. When they arrived at a place where they were to stop, the traveller said to the parasite: "Take a dirhem, and go and buy us some meat." "Go yourself," said the parasite; "I am weary." The man accordingly went himself and bought the food. Then he said to his companion: "Get up and cook this." The parasite refused; and so on for the successive requests to break the bread and draw the water. When the traveller at length had made all ready, he said to the parasite: "Get up now, and eat." "Yes," said the other; "why should I contradict you any longer? By Allah! I am ashamed of having contradicted you so often." And he arose and sat down to eat. Rev. des Trad. Pop., vol. xiii., p. 225.—Ed.
↑ Cf. the customs in the Fseroe Islands and Sweden cited by Mr. Feilberg Zeitschrift der Vereins für Volkskunde, vol. viii. p. 273.—Ed.

[1] This story evidently consists of two distinct stories imperfectly welded together. An amusing version of the former of the two is given by M. René Basset from Ech Cherichi, Commentaire des Maqâmât de Hariri, Boulaq, 1300 A.H. (1882-3 A.D.). A parasite accompanied a traveller. When they arrived at a place where they were to stop, the traveller said to the parasite: "Take a dirhem, and go and buy us some meat." "Go yourself," said the parasite; "I am weary." The man accordingly went himself and bought the food. Then he said to his companion: "Get up and cook this." The parasite refused; and so on for the successive requests to break the bread and draw the water. When the traveller at length had made all ready, he said to the parasite: "Get up now, and eat." "Yes," said the other; "why should I contradict you any longer? By Allah! I am ashamed of having contradicted you so often." And he arose and sat down to eat. Rev. des Trad. Pop., vol. xiii., p. 225.—Ed.

[2] Cf. the customs in the Fseroe Islands and Sweden cited by Mr. Feilberg Zeitschrift der Vereins für Volkskunde, vol. viii. p. 273.—Ed.

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