Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/698

388 woman, and rebuked her, who had been taken care of, for her unkindness to the old man, who was one of God's poor.

(4) In one of the townships there lived a bad boy, who was quite fearless. He wished to experience fear, and he went to a wise man to ask him how he might manage it. He was told to go to the gallows by night. He did so, and called out at the gallows' foot, "Who will make me afraid?" A voice from the gallows replied, "Take me on your back and I will show you fear." The boy approached the gallows and something sprang on his back. The boy asked if the Thing wished to go to the nearest house, and was told no, as the housewife had blessed the house. At the second there was a black cock, hatched in the month of March, and they could not stop there. But at the third house they halted. Here were a husband and wife at variance for want of a child. The Thing told the boy that the woman should, after their visit, bear a son, who should be superhuman in ability, and should become a minister. The child was born and grew up as prophesied, was ordained and came to church to take the services. But on his entry he told the people to throw the holy water on the dogs (which come to church quite sedately still) and not use it themselves. As he said this, he was changed into a black bird, a raven in all likelihood, and flew away, while the church crashed into dust. The bad boy witnessed all these things and, in consequence, changed his ways.

(5) While the Virgin, with her Son, still a child, was walking along a road, a young woman came out and emptied ashes, so that the dust flew into Christ's eyes. "What do you wish for that woman?" asked the Virgin of her Son. "I wish her a good husband," was the answer. Further along the road, they passed another young woman, who was very careful that the dust of her ashes should not fly into Christ's face. "And what do you wish for that woman?" asked the Virgin once more. "I wish her a bad husband," was this time the reply. Curious as to these answers, the Virgin asked her Son the meaning of them. He replied that a good husband would convert the first, and that the second, by her goodness, would convert a bad husband.