Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 8, 1897.djvu/431

 Miscellanea, 395

Mary." When his wife heard this she was very frightened ; but when her husband found out what had been done he took her in the cellar and killed her.

///. — Nicorbore?-

One day in winter-time, when there was a large quantity of snow on the ground, Nicker happened to be going along that narrow road leading from Gleadless to Norton, and walking in the middle of the road, where of course would be the best track, perhaps the only one. At the same time a gentleman was coming swiftly along on horseback in the opposite direction. He saw the man in front of him, but rode on, expecting of course he would give way, but not so. Nicker stuck to his track, and the gentle- man had to pull up very suddenly out of his way.

" What fool are you ? " demanded the gentleman angrily.

"Au'm Captain Stones's fool — -whose fool ar' tha?" retorted Nicker.

I have been told that sixty or seventy years ago Nicker Bore's name was bandied about amongst Mosbro' people like the name of Jim Garton, late of Beighton, has been in Beighton of late years.2

IV. — The Farmer and his Man?

One day a farmer was walking round his farm, when he heard his man singing in a barn. So he stopped to listen, and heard these words :

" Bread and cheese, work as you please, Bread and cheese, work as you please."

The farmer then went and told his wife what he had heard.

' From George Foster, Queen Street, Rotherham. Sent to me by Sir George R. Sitwell, Bart., 24 October, 1895. This is a fragment of one of the numerous tales once current about Nicorbore. See my Household Tales, Ssfc,

P- 37-

" Captain Stones lived at Mosborough, near Eckington, in Derbyshire, not far from Renishaw Hall, the seat of Sir George R. Sitwell. Gleadless, Norton, and Beighton are in the same neighbourhood. " Jim Garton " appears to be a mythical name, but I will make inquiries about him.

' Told to Mrs. S. O. Addy in Sheffield by a nurse, about twenty-five years ago.