Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 5, 1894.djvu/352

 344 Miscellanea.

cry. She with the scrubbing-brush kneels down and rubs the floor. The one who holds the whitening-brush stands by the wall and pretends to whitewash. The girl with birch and basket looks for children who are unwilling to say their prayers, and forces them to pray, threatening them with the brush. When the children have learnt to pray better, the girl takes from her basket some apples, nuts, or sweeties. For mother and father she has a bottle of good brandy to offer them. Meanwhile, the priest blesses and prays. If it happens that a girl is washing things, then they all help. Woe to those women who are plucking feathers or weaving when the maids come in ! They blow all the feathers away. If a girl is spinning, the Lucka takes the distaff and spins away with it. If they come into a room where young bachelors live, they turn all their attention to them, and their first care is to drive them all out.

When they have done their visit, they go softly away again. All the girls who have been disguised as Lucky are hard to recognise. They all, and the priest, wet their faces, and then blow a handful of meal over it, that they be not known of any.

(A picture is given of these folk in a cottage at their deeds.)

243 fif. Painted houses in Moravia (pictures, and details of the decorations).

256. Picture of peasant man in costume.

257 ff. Local pottery, with pictures. W. H. D. RouSE.

Folklore Items from North Indian Notes and Queries, vol. iii. Folk-Tales.

254. Lai Baku, the Red PVi/e.—How the jackal tricked the alligator.

255. The Sparrow attd the Shell. — She takes in a dog, and saves her life.

256. The Rajah and the Musahar Girl. — Catches a fairy by taking her garment while she was bathing. Talking birds.

257. Prijicess Phalande. — Snake's jewel. Wicked stepmother ; faithful animal ; princess transformed into a bird that weeps pearls and laughs flowers.

258. The Princess and the Cat. — (Cinderella : Cap-o'-Rushes type.) She has a pet cat, which is so jealous that he will not let her husband take her. She puts on a skin coat., and flees into hiding. She takes service in her husband's house as a kitchen wench. The Prince recognises her, and eventually kills the cat.

259. IVhat's in a Name ? The point of the story may be gathered from these words : " Immortal I saw dead ; wood upon Beauty's