Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/42

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To be repeated during the operation of washing it,—

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One day a housewife was making butter and a tailor working at the door. The housewife went outside on business, and a neighbour woman came in and carried away with her a live coal. The tailor saw her, and got up, and put a live coal into the milk-vessel. The neighbour came in a second time, and carried away another live coal. But the tailor likewise put another into the vessel. The neighbour came in a third time, and took a third live coal. The tailor got up, and put a third one likewise into the vessel. About the same time the housewife came in, and set to work to take the butter from the milk; but, alas! she did not find a scrap of butter there. She screeched, and screamed, and said, "Where has my butter gone?" "Hast thou not it there?" said the tailor. "There is not a particle," said she. "Look in that vessel yonder," said he. She looked in it, and there it was quite full of her butter. For that reason the sorcery went against the woman neighbour, as she was very covetous.

The narrator explained the belief existed that the neighbour could cause the transfer of the housewife's butter to her own buttertub, through sorcery or witchcraft, by means of carrying away a live coal from her hearth. The only way to traverse such a manoeuvre was to act as the tailor did.

Once a gentleman was on a journey through this country, visiting places in order to see the ways and habits of mankind. One day he happened to be out late, without prospect of a lodging. At last he walked up speedily to a big house. He went in there, and made his case known. The gentleman of the house came down, and welcomed him without delay. He told him entirely from his heart that there was board and lodging for the night, and for longer if he wished to ptay. But just this—though it was grief to him to mention it—the lady of the house is about to be confined, and I am greatly afraid on