Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 26, 1915.djvu/320

 3IO Collectanea.

They all joined together, and celebrated one of those Imperial Weddings that everyone hears of.

And I heard of it too, and jumping quickly on a Saddle, came to tell you so. . ..

" The Tale of a Bet r

Listen, and you'll hear what happened once upon a time. But remember that it really did happen, for otherwise no one would ever have talked about it. So listen, for the tale begins.

One day, three fellow-shepherds went into the woods to get some game ; they lost their way, and as night fell, they all three sat down under a tree. As they sat there, they began to feel hungry, but they had no fire to cook their game upon; so the Eldest climbed up a tree, hoping to catch a glimpse of a fire upon which to cook their game. When he had climbed the tree, he saw, far away, the faint flickering of a fire ; so down he came, and went towards it. When he got to the fire, what do you think he found ? Why, Half-a-Man roasting a Man !

" Lord ! What a wonder ! " said he, " That Half-a-Man should roast a Man ! A thing unseen and unheard of! "

" Do you know that I am going to roast you, too, if you don't hurry up and tell me a good lie ! '' answered Half-a-Man.

" I don't know of any lie," replied the Shepherd.

Upon that, Half-a-Man tied the Shepherd to a tree, and went back to his fire.

The two younger brothers waited for a while, and then, seeing that their elder brother did not come back, the Second Shepherd climbed the tree, saw the same faint flickering of a fire, and went towards it. The same thing that had happened to his eldest brother happened to him also.

After a little while, the youngest of the Shepherds climbed the tree, and seeing the same light, he, too, went tqwards it.

" Now . . . how is this ? " said he, when he saw Half-a-Man roasting a Man ; " but ... do you mean to say you will be able to eat a whole man ? "

" Don't you know that I'll roast and eat you, too, if you don't hurry up and tell me a good lie," said Half-a-Man.

"Whom?" said the Shepherd.