Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/338

330 from the parish of Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire. Two brothers and a sister, all well stricken in years, and full of "frets," held a small farm. They required a man-servant. He entered their service at the Whitsunday term, and, therefore, had to begin the work of ploughing after harvest. When harvest was finished, he proposed about the beginning of the week to one of the brothers to begin ploughing. "Oh, na, ye needna be in sic a hurry; there's guid time yet." So the servant turned his attention to something else. Next day the same proposal was made by the servant, and with the same result. Next day leave was asked to begin the work. "Oh, aye, ye can begin on Saiterday." When Saturday came, the servant again asked if he would now yoke his horses. "Ye needna be in ony hurry. Jist step oot our, an begin about nine o'clock." The servant obeyed his orders, and, by the time he was at the end of the field with the first furrow, his master was beside him carrying bread, cheese, and a bottle of whisky. The servant partook of the bread and cheese, and then received a glass of the whisky. The old man drank a glass himself, then filled the glass again, and poured it over the bridle of the plough, and repeated the words, "Weel fah the lawbour." A piece of bread and cheese was then carefully wrapped up in paper, and firmly tied to the beam of the plough by the farmer, who, at the same time laid strict injunctions on the servant not to take it off. "It may fah aff o't sell, or the dogs may eht it. Nae maitter, but dinna ye touch it." When all this was done and said, the master added, "Noo, jist tak ye anither fur, an syne louse. Ye'll be ready for yir wark on Muninday's mornin."—(Told by Mr. Sim, farmer, Gateside, parish of Strachan, and he learned the story from the servant.)

3. In ploughing, a stone sometimes gets fixed between the coulter and the sock. Such a stone thrown over the dwelling-house prevents the cream when churned from becoming butter.—(Pitsligo.)

4. Besides putting fire and salt on the threshold of the byre-door before a cow the first time she left the byre after dropping her calf, some guidwives had the habit of cutting a little of the hair from the animal's tail, and placing it over the byre-door in the "eezin o' the wa."—(Pitsligo. Told by one who followed the custom, which she had received from her mother.)