Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/412

 370 Collectanea,

him, and says, — " Lady Mother-in-law, what gift shall I give you, — a horse that eats barley, or a black-handled knife?" The mother-in-law replies, — " Let the black-handled knife be for him who wishes you ill ; give me the horse which eats barley." Then he has the mother and daughter tied to the tail of a horse, and he says to the hostler, — " See that you drag them from mount to mount, and rock to rock, till not a bit of them is left larger than an ear, or a wisp of hair. Bring it and come." They met with their deserts.

The bride and bridegroom lived together, and brother Lambkin with them. They attained to their desires. Three apples fell from heaven. 9

3. The Magpie and his Tail.

An old woman had milked her cow, set her milk-pail down on the ground, and gone to find some twigs and litter with which to light a fire and boil the milk. A magpie came along and dipped his bill into the milk-pail to get a drink of milk. The milk-pail was upset, and the milk was spilled upon the ground. Just then the old woman returns, and seizes the magpie by the tail. The magpie tries to fly, and his tail is left in the old woman's hand. The magpie goes and flies up on to the wall, looks down at the old woman, and caws and begs, saying, — " Old woman, old woman, give me my tail. Let me take it and fasten it on, and go and join my companions." The old woman says, — " Go, and bring me my milk."

Then the magpie goes near the cow, and begs and says, — " Cow, cow, give me some milk ! I will take it to the old woman. The old woman will give me my tail. I will take it and fasten it on, and go and join my companions."

And the cow says, — " Go, bring me some grass." The magpie goes to the field near by, and begs and says, — "Field, field, give me some grass ! I will take it to the cow. The cow will give me some milk. I will take that to the old woman. The old woman will give me my tail. I will take it and fasten it on, and go and join my companions."

' The stereotyped ending for all stories is, — " Three apples fell from heaven : one for the one who told it ; one for the one who asked for it ; and one for the one who gave ear to it."