Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/522

516 he went away very, very angry. In the night an angel said to him, ‘You were angry with your slave because she put her eyes out; God has bought her of you, you will find the money under your pillow.’ When he awoke, behold! the money was all there, and when he went to the slave-girl’s cabin, she lay dead.”

,—I am engaged collecting, for literary purposes, legends, traditions, curious biographies, and habits of life among the Celtic clans of the west and north of Scotland, and wish to appeal, through the medium of, to those of your readers who take an interest in this subject, for assistance in carrying a proposed work to a successful issue. The points on which I desire information more particularly are the following:—

. Traditions relating to the pursuit of agriculture—(1) Ceremonies, if any, before or during the preparation of the soil for seed, and connected with sowing, harrowing, cleaning, and reaping the crop. Particularly relating to first-fruits of corn, potatoes, or any other crop. (2) The threshing and winnowing of corn; grinding the new corn into meal, or making bread from the new meal.

. Traditions and customs connected with the rearing of cattle, housing, feeding, and breeding them; drawing blood from cattle in time of scarcity to be used as food; and anything peculiar to the Celts.

. Legends and tales—(1) Folk-lore and ancient laws. (2) Marriage customs and dances. (3) The practice of medicine, and miraculous cures attributed to persons. (4) Virtues supposed to dwell in pools, streams, and springs. (5) Customs at births, baptisms, and funerals especially customs after a death has occurred. (6) Biographies of