Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 9, 1898.djvu/265

Rh version the dead man is not really dead, but merely shamming to evade his creditors. Sometimes one gets the burial of a dead debtor, but nothing comes of it, as in Cosquin's "Le Petit Bossu" (Contes de Lorraine, No. 19, vol. i. pp. 208-222):—

"The prince came to Pekin. When he passed in front of the hotel where his brothers were stopping, they were standing out on the steps, but were ashamed of him, so went inside. The poor little hunchback alighted at a sorry inn, where he unyoked his horse himself; then he got a porter to show him the city. As they went, he saw a dead man whom they had left without burial. 'Why,' he asked, 'haven't they buried him?'

"'Because he had too many creditors, and couldn't pay them.'

"'And by paying for him could one get him buried?'

"'Yes, certainly.'

"The prince summoned the creditors, paid the dead man's debts, and gave money to bury him with; then he continued his journey."

That is all, the dead man is never once afterwards referred to.

Sometimes, on the other hand, there is no dead debtor, no burial, yet we get the division of property, e.g., in Laura Gonzenbach's Sicilian story, "Of one who with help of St. Joseph won the King's Daughter" (Sicilianische Märchen, No. 74, vol. ii., pp. 96-103, 248-250). In this tale which is identical with Asbjörnsen's "Boots and his Crew," the youngest of three brothers builds with St. Joseph's aid a ship that will go by land and sea, and then takes on board a cloud-compeller, a tree-bearer, a stream-drinker, a sharpshooter and a champion walker. St. Joseph has stipulated that he is to get half of all the lad may win, so on their arrival—

"'Now,' said the saint, 'you have got safe home and must keep your promise, and give me half of all your treasures.'

"'That will I, old father,' said the youth, and divided all the