Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

English Fairy and Other Folk-Tales

1890; University of Illinois Press; Volume: 3; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/532827

1535-1882

W. W. N., E. Sidney Hartland,

Themes in Literature Analysis

forget that they themselves were extremely cre- dulous.John Wesley's diary teems with ghost stories, stories of miraculous interpositions of Pro- vidence, and so forth, in all of which he placed the most implicit faith.His fellow-workers, both in England and Wales, were to the full as trustful.Hence they would readily accept soma sorts of folk- tales.Nay, the imagination would be quickened in certain directions under the influence of powerful religious emotion ; and sagas of corpse-candles and of evil spirits, whether ghost or devil, would become doubly dreadful.But stories untouched by the prevailing impulse, or which afforded no arguments in favour of a preacher's doctrine, would naturally recede from view and be lost ; while if any were condemned as idle or sinful they would cease to be 4 ENGLISH FOLK over to the main-land, where he would furnish himself with whatever came in his way.The good folk, at his approach, forsook their habitations, while he seized on their cattle, making nothing of carrying half-a-dozen oxen on his back at a time ; and as for their sheep and hogs, he would tie them round his waist like a bunch of bandeleirs.This course he had followed for many years, so that all Cornwall was impoverished by his depredations.One day Jack, happening to be present at the town hall when the magistrates were sitting in council about the giant, asked what reward would be given to the person who destroyed him.The giant's treasure, they said, was the recompense.Quoth Jack, " Then let me undertake it"So he furnished himself with a horn, shovel, and pickaxe, and went over to the Mount in the beginning of a dark winter's evening, when he fell to work, and before morning had dug a pit twenty-two feet deep, and nearly as broad, covering it over with long sticks and straw.Then strewing a little mould upon it, it appeared like plain ground.This completed.Jack placed himself on the con- trary side of the pit, fartherest from the giant's lodging, and, just at the break of day, he put the horn to his mouth, and blew, Tantivy, Tantivy.This unexpected noise aroused the giant, who rushed from his cave, crying : " You incor- rigible villain, are you come here to disturb my rest ?You shall pay dearly for this.Satisfaction I will have, and this it shall be, I will take you whole and broil you for break- fast," which he had no sooner uttered, than tumbling into the pit, he made the very foundations of the Mount to shake." Oh, giant," quoth Jack, " where are you now ?Oh faith, you are gotten now into Lob's Pound, where I will surely plague you for your threatening words : what do you think now of broiling me for your breakfast?Will 6 ENGLISH FOLK same wood to share in Jack's destruction.While he was gone, dreadful shrieks and lamentations affrighted Jack, especially a voice which continually cried -" Do what you can to get away, Or you'll become the giant's prey ; He's gone to fetch his brother, who Will kill, likewise devour you too."This dreadful noise had almost distracted Jack, who, going to the window, beheld afar off the two giants coming towards the castle."Now," quoth Jack to himself, "my death or my deliverance is at hand."Now, there were strong cords in a corner of the room in which Jack was, and two of these he took, and made a strong noose at the end ; and while the giants were unlocking the iron gate of the castle he threw the ropes over each of their heads.Then drawing the other ends across a beam, and pulling with all his might, he throttled them.Then, seeing they were black in the face, and sliding down the rope, he came to their heads, when they could not defend themselves, and drawing his sword, slew them both.Then, taking the giant's keys, and unlocking the rooms, he found three fair ladies tied by with two heads ; yet he did not appear so fiery as the others were, for he was a Welsh giant, and what he did was by private and secret malice under the false show of friendship.Jack, having told his condition to the giant, was shown into a bedroom, where, in the dead of night, he heard his host in another apartment muttering these words -" Though here you lodge with me this night, You shall not see the morning light : My club shall dash your brains outright I" "Sa/st thou so," quoth Jack; "that is like one of your Welsh tricks, yet I hope to be cunning enough for you."Then, getting out of bed, he laid a billet in the bed in his stead, and hid himself in a corner of the room.At the dead time of the night in came the Welsh giant, who struck several heavy blows on the bed with his club, think- ing he had broken every bone in Jack's skin.The next morning Jack, laughing in his sleeve, gave him hearty thanks for his night's lodging." How have you rested?" quoth the giant ; " did you not feel anything in the night ?" " No," quoth Jack, " nothing but a rat, which gave me two or three slaps with her tail" With that, greatly wondering, the giant led Jack to breakfast, bringing him a bowl con- taining four gallons of hasty pudding.Being loath to let the giant think it too much for him, Jack put a large leather bag under his loose coat, in such a way that he could convey the pudding into it without its being perceived.Then, telling the giant he would show him a trick, taking a knife.Jack ripped open the bag, and out came all the hasty pudding.Whereupon, saying, "Odds splutters, hur can do that trick hurself," the monster took the knife, and ripping open his belly, fell down dead.ENGLISH FOLK Now, it fell in these days that King Arthur's only son requested his father to furnish him with a large sum of money, in order that he might go and seek his fortune in the principality of Wales, where lived a beautiful lady possessed with seven evil spirits.The king did his best to persuade his son from it, but in vain; so at last granted the request, and the prince set out with two horses, one loaded with money, the other for himself to ride upon.Now, after several days' travel, he came to a market-town in Wales, where he beheld a vast concourse of people gathered together.The prince demanded the reason of it, and was told that they had arrested a corpse for several large sums of money which the deceased owed when he died.The prince replied that it was a pity creditors should be so cruel, and said, " Go bury the dead, and let his creditors come to my lodging, and there their debts shall be discharged."They accordingly came, but in such great numbers that before night he had almost left himself moneyless.Now Jack the Giant-Killer, coming that way, was so taken with the generosity of the prince, that he desired to be his servant This being agreed upon, the next morning they set forward on their journey together, when, as they were riding out of the town, an old woman called after the prince, saying, "He has owed me twopence these seven years; pray pay me as well as the rest."Putting his hand to his pocket, the prince gave the woman all he had left, so that after their day's refreshment, which cost what small spell Jack had by him, they were without a penny between them.When the sun began to grow low, the king's son said, "Jack, since we have no money, where can we lodge this night?"But Jack replied, "Master, we'll do well enough, for I have an uncle lives within *• Fee, fi, fo, fum !I smell the blood of an English man 1 Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make me bread I " '* Sa/st thou so," said Jack ; " then thou art a monstrous miller indeed."At which the giant cried out again, " Art thou that villain who killed my kinsmen ?Then I will tear thee with my teeth, suck thy blood, and grind thy bones to powder.""You will catch me first," quoth Jack, and throwing off his invisible coat, so that the giant might see him, and putting on his shoes of swiftness, he ran from the giant, who followed like a walking castle, so that the very foundations of the earth seemed to shake at every step.Jack led him a long dance, in order that the gentlemen and ladies might see; and at last, to end the matter, ran lightly over the drawbridge, the giant, in full speed, pursu-" Whoever shall this trumpet blow, Shall soon the giant overthrow, And break the black enchantment straight ; So all shall be in happy state."Jack had no sooner read this but he blew the trumpet, at which the castle trembled to its vast foundations, and the giant and conjurer were in horrid confusion, biting their thumbs and tearing their hair, knowing their wicked reign was at an end.Then the giant stooping to take up his club, Jack at one blow cut off his head ; whereupon the conjurer, mounting up into the air, was carried away in a whirlwind.Thus was the enchantment broken, and all the lords and ladies who had so long been transformed into birds and beasts returned to their proper shapes, and the castle vanished away in a cloud of smoke.This being done, the head of Galligantus was likewise, in the accustomed manner, conveyed to the Court of King Arthur, where the very next day.Jack followed, with the knights and ladies who had been so honourably delivered Where- upon, as a reward for his good services, the king prevailed upon the aforesaid duke to bestow his daughter in marriage on honest Jack.So married they were, and the whole kingdom was filled with joy at the wedding.Furthermore, the king bestowed on Jack a noble habitation, with a very beautiful estate thereto belonging, where he and his lady lived in great joy and happiness all the rest of their days. THE PRINCESS OF CANTERBURY.'In days of yore, when this country was governed by many kings, among the rest the King of Canterbury had an only daughter, wise, fair, and beautiful.The king issued a decree that whoever would watch one night with his daughter, and neither sleep nor slumber, should have her the next day in marriage ; but if he did either he should lose his head.Many knights and squires attempted it, but ended in losing their lives.Now it happened, a young shepherd, grazing his flock near the road, said to his master, " Zur, I zee many gentle- men ride to the Court at Canterbury, but I ne'er see 'em return again."" Oh, shepherd," said his master, " I know not how you should, for they attempt to watch with the king's daughter, according to the decree, and not performing it, they are all beheaded."" Well," said the shepherd, " I'll try my vorton ; zo now vor a king's daughter or a headless shepherd !" And taking his bottle and bag, he trudged to CourtNow, in his way he was to cross a river, over which lay a plank, and down he sits and pulls off his shoes and stockings to wash his feet While he was doing this a fish came biting his toes, and he caught it and put it in his bag.After this, came a second, and a third, and a fourth ; which he put in his bag likewise, and then pursued his journey.When he came to the palace he knocked at the ^From The History of the Four Kings of Canterbury^ColchesterĈ ormvall, and Cumberland, their Queens and Daughters.Chap-book, Falkirk, 1823." However," said he, " take my daughter according to