Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 14, 1903.djvu/151

 Folklore of the Azores. 135

to an earthen cellar, and pointing to a corner said, " Dig there ; whatever you find is yours. You have a good heart, and this is your recompense ; and now I can rest in peace in my grave." Then he disappeared. The woman fetched her husband, and they dug in the spot pointed out and found an immense chest of money. They went back to St. Michael's, sold their cottage at the Arriffes, and then returned to Terceira and bought the haunted house for a small sum. They lived there for the rest of their lives and became wealthy people.

A Story from Rasto de Cao.

During the civil war between Dom Pedro and Dom

Miguel, a girl lived at Rasto de Cao, who was in love with

a young man by whom her love was not returned. She

consulted an old woman believed to be a witch, and by her

directions prepared a love potion, of which donkey's brains

were the chief ingredient. When she gave this to the

young man he suspected treachery, and gave it to his horse.

The horse soon died, and its body was thrown on to the

seashore, where it was devoured by the sea-gulls. As soon

as the gulls had finished it they too died. A band of

hungry robbers came out of the woods, and finding the dead

gulls ate them, and all perished. The cause of all the

deaths was traced to the girl, who was tried, condemned,

and banished to Africa.

" Men Amor matou o Amor ; E o Amor seu cavallo ; Sen cavallo cem aves ; Cem aves a cem ladroes ; Adevinham coracoes, Quern matou tantos ladroPs ? '

Translation.- " My love killed her love, and her love his horse, and his horse a hundred birds, the hundred birds a hundred thieves. Guess then, my hearts, ' Who killed so many thieves? ' "