Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/73

 to the neighbour's over the fence where people drink with jollity and roar with merriment."

Such was the beginning and origin of ale. From what did it obtain its good name, its famous reputation? A cat called out from the stove, a puss from the end of a bench exclaimed: "If this pertains to good living (hyvä-oloinen) may its name be ale {olut)."

Hence ale obtained its name, its famous reputation, as it pertained to good living, was a good drink for the temperate, gave laughing mouths to women, a cheery mind to men, caused the temperate to be merry, the boisterous to stagger [v. fight].

The late Professer Ahlqvist gives a Mordvin example of "the origin of ale", which is short enough to transcribe.

"Where does hops originate, where does hops grow? It originates in a damp spot, in a willow copse, its seed is a white pearl. The wind blew, puffed it. Whither, whither did it puff it? To the bank of a river, into a cook-house it puffed it, in the cook-house they are brewing ale. It puffed it to the edge of a vat, where it began speaking with the rye: 'Mother Rye, Mother Rye, allow us who are speechless to begin to speak, us who do not fight to begin to fight, us who do not dance to begin to dance.'"

XL.—

From what has brandy originated, from what has the lovely drink grown? Brandy has been brought forth, the lovely drink has been produced from the beards of young