Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 7 1889.djvu/174

166 THE CLEVER APPRENTICE.

HE following story was given me by Mr. A. Copland, schoolmaster, Tyrie, Aberdeenshire. It is originally from Keith, a town and parish in Banffshire.

A shoemaker once engaged an apprentice. A short time after the apprenticeship began, the shoemaker asked the boy what he would call him in addressing him, "Oh, I would just call you master," answered the apprentice. "No," said the master, "you must call me master above all masters."

Continued the shoemaker, "What would you call my trousers?"

"Oh, I would call them trousers."

"No, you must call them struntifers."

"And what would you call my wife?"

"Oh, I would call her mistress."

"No, you must call her the fair Lady Permoumadam."

"And what would you call my son?"

"Oh, I would call him Johnny."

"No, you must call him John the Great."

"And what would you call the cat?"

"Oh, I would call him pussy."

"No, you must call him Great Carle Gropus."

"And what would you call the fire?"

"Oh, I would call it fire."

"No, you must call it Fire Evangelist."

"And what would you call the peatstack?"

"Oh, I would just call it peatstack."

"No, you must call it Mount Potago."

"And what would you call the well?"

"Oh, I would call it well."