The Pelican
: The Folk-tales Of The MagyarsThere was once, I don't know where, there was in the world an old king;
one of whose eyes always wept, and the other always smiled. He had three
sons. The youngest was twelve, the eldest twenty, and the middle one
sixteen. These three sons got talking together one spring morning about
different things: the eldest of his sweetheart, the middle one of his
saddle-horse, and the youngest one of his birds. Their conversation at
father's one eye always wept and why the other always smiled; so they
decided to go and ask him the reason at once. The father was at
luncheon. The eldest son knocked; and, after greeting his father, kissed
his hand, and asked him why the one eye always wept and the other always
smiled? The father looked very angrily at his son, and beckoned him to
go. The boy became very frightened at seeing his father grow angry so
suddenly, and ran away. Just as he ran through the door he heard a noise
at his heels, and found that his father had thrown his knife and fork
after him. The terrified lad brought the disappointing news to his
brothers. "Then I'll ask him, if no one else will," said the middle son,
who, for his chivalrous deeds, was his father's favourite. The king
still sat at lunch, and the second son, like his elder brother, also
asked his father why one eye always wept, whilst the other always
smiled. The father then threw knife and fork after him, and the fork
stuck fast in the heel of the lad's shoe. The lad was very frightened,
and told his brothers what had happened, at which they were much
disappointed, as they had every confidence in him. "It is of no use your
going," said the second eldest to the youngest, "because our royal
father dislikes you on account of your bird-catching habits."
But still the little boy went in, and in a trembling but confident voice
asked his father why one eye always wept, whilst the other always
smiled. The king, who had just finished his lunch, no sooner heard the
boy's question than he threw his knives and forks at him, and the blade
of one knife lodged in the boy's thigh, so that the blood spurted out;
but the little boy was not frightened, and, amid his tears, drew the
knife out from his thigh, and having wiped it, took it back to his
father, and repeated his question. The father lovingly stroked the
little fellow's hair and bade him sit on a low chair, and told him the
secret, saying: "One eye always laughs because you three boys are very
handsome children; and when I die you will make three brave kings for
any three countries. My other eye always weeps because once upon a time
I had a beautiful pelican, whose song was so charming, that whosoever
heard it was at once transformed into a youth seventeen years of age.
That bird was stolen from me by two men dressed in black. That is the
reason why one eye always weeps, and why my soul is vexed within me."
The little fellow kissed his father's hand and hurried off to his
brothers, who received him with a mocking smile, but soon felt ashamed
of themselves, when the child, with his wounded thigh, brought the reply
to their question. "We will try to console our father, and make him
young again," said the three brothers all together; "We will endeavour
to find that pelican, if it be yet alive, whether it be on land or sea."
Having thus spoken, they at once got ready for the journey.
The eldest and the middle sons went to their father's stables, saddled
the finest horses, and put a great deal of treasure in their
sabretaches, and set forth: so that the youngest son was left without a
horse, as his elder brothers had taken away the horses that would have
suited him.
When they came to the end of the village, an old beggar met them, and
asked them for a coin or a bit of bread: the two elder lads took no
notice of him, but galloped on, the beggar shouting mocking words after
them. The youngest lad arrived half an hour later, and shared half his
cake with the beggar. "As you have helped me, prince," said the beggar,
"I will help you. I know where you are going, and what you are seeking.
You would need the lives of three men if you went on foot, or on the
back of an ordinary horse, for the church in which your pelican sings
now is beyond the Operencian Sea. The saddle-horse which can go there
must have been brought up on dragon's milk, to prevent its hoofs being
worn away on the long journey; but for a good deed you may expect a good
one in return. You have helped me, and I will help you, with my advice
at least, and that is all a poor beggar can offer. Five miles from this
bridge where we stand lives an old witch who has two horses. If you
serve her for a year (her year has three days) she will give you as much
money as you ask for; but if you do not serve your whole year she will
chop off your head. The man has not yet been found who can serve her a
whole year, for her horses are her two daughters, and so soon as the
groom falls asleep, they either disappear into the clouds or the sea; or
slip under ground, and do not reappear until the groom's head is
impaled. But I trust that you will be able to take care of them. Take
this whistle; it has three holes. If you open the first hole the King of
the Gnats will appear at your command; if the second, the King of the
Fishes; if the third, the King of the Mice. Take great care of this
whistle, and when you have done your year, don't ask for money, cattle,
clothes, lands, or suchlike things (the old witch will offer you all
these), but ask for the half-rotten foal which lies buried seven fathoms
deep in the dung-heap. There is a hen-coop, and on the top of it a
saddle and a bridle; put these on the foal just after you have dug it
out. It will be too weak to walk, therefore you must take it on your
back, and carry it to the end of the village. There you will find a
bridge. Place it under the bridge, in the water, for one hour, and then
wash it. I won't tell you any more."
The same evening, just after the cows had been driven home, the lad was
to be seen sitting on the threshold of the witch's door. The old witch
was at the same hour driving her horses home from the field. Sometimes
they jumped about on the ground; sometimes they flew in the air; but the
old witch was after them everywhere, riding a-straddle on a saddled
mopstick. "Good evening, my dear old mother," said the lad, in a
confidential voice. "Good fortune has brought you, my dear son,"
commenced the witch, "it's lucky that you called me your mother, for
see! there are ninety-nine human heads impaled, and yours would have
been the hundredth. What's your errand, my dear son?" "I'm looking for a
situation, my dear old mother!" "Good fortune has brought you, my dear
son; the year lasts three days with me, and during that time you will
have to take care of my two horses. Your wages will be whatever you ask,
and as much as you desire. But if you don't take care of those two
horses, you must die!" "The Lord will help me." "Come in to supper, for
you will have to take the horses out into the Silken Meadow for the
night." The prince went in, and after supper the witch poured a sleeping
draught into the new groom's drinking-cup. Supper over the prince went
into the stables and stroked the horses. He then prepared two halters
from a piece of rope that the beggar had given him, threw them over
their heads, and jumped on the back of the finer horse. The horse, which
had become quite tame with the unusual halter, walked along peaceably
with the prince on its back, to the great surprise of the witch. "Well,
that fellow must know a thing or two!" sighed the old witch as she
looked after him, and slammed the door behind her. As soon as the prince
arrived in the Silken Meadow with the horses a heavy sleep seized him,
and he slept soundly all night. The sun was high in the heavens when he
woke, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and began to call for his horses, which
would not come. He was in great despair until, fumbling in his pockets,
he found the little whistle, which he immediately blew, leaving the
first hole open. The King of the Gnats appeared! "We wait your orders,"
said a huge gnat: "speak and tell us what you require. If it be anything
in the air we will find it for you." "I had to take care of two horses,
and I cannot find them. If I do not take them home, death will be my
doom." Gnats went flying forth in all directions at their king's
singing, and in less than half an hour two griffins alighted in front of
the lad. He struck them on the heads with a halter, and they became
horses, and the little groom went home in great joy. "So you have
brought them home safely, my son; your breakfast is ready; eat it and
then go to sleep. By-and-by your dinner will be ready. You have nothing
else to do to-day." So saying, the old witch gave her horses a sound
thrashing with a peel, and then, giving them some burning cinders to
eat, went back to the house, and, sitting in a corner, threaded beads
until noon.
In the evening the old woman again mixed some sleeping draught into the
little groom's drink, making it stronger than before. He took out his
horses, and when he had gone a little way on the road he fell off the
saddle, and slept till noon the next day. When he awoke his horses were
gone, and so he blew his whistle, leaving the second hole open, and the
King of the Fishes appeared. "We wait your orders," said a mighty whale;
"speak and tell us. If it is to be found in or above the ocean we will
find it." "I had to guard two horses, and I can't find them anywhere,
and if I don't take them back I must die." Fishes swam forth in every
river and sea at the command of their king, and in an hour they drove a
big pike to shore, which had two little gold fish in its inside. The
whale ordered a sword-fish to rip open the pike's belly. The little lad
struck the gold fishes on the head with his halter, and they became
horses once more. Late in the afternoon the little groom arrived in the
courtyard with the horses. "Go inside, my son, and have something to
eat, you have nothing more to do until the evening," said the witch, who
then thrashed her horses with a huge poker, and, having given them some
burning cinders to eat, hobbled back into the house and began to count
her gold coins. The prince had to spend another night with the horses;
and in the evening the old witch went to the horses, and, having scolded
them well, declared that if they would not hide themselves properly this
time she would punish them horribly. She gave her little groom drink
until he was half drunk, and also three pillows which were stuffed with
owl's feathers, which would make him sleep sounder. And he did go to
sleep until the midday sun awoke him next day in the Silken Meadow. But
the little whistle again came to his aid; he opened the lowest hole and
blew the whistle, and the King of all the Mice appeared. "We wait your
orders," said a rat with a big moustache. "Whatever is to be found on
earth or under its crust we will bring to you, if you order us to do
so." "I had to guard two horses and can't find any trace of them; if I
don't take them home I must die." The mice came forth from every wall
and every hole in the ground at the squeak of their king. After an hour
and a half they drove two rats from a granary to the lad, who struck
them on the head with his halter, and changed them back into his horses.
On his arrival at home the witch said to the prince, "So you have
guarded them well, my dear son. Your year of service is over. Ask what
you like. Here are three keys, one of which opens a cellar where there
are vats full of gold and silver, take as much as you like. The second
key opens a wardrobe, from which you may choose either royal dresses, or
if you like magic garments, which will change into anything you like.
The third key opens the stables, where you will find horses with golden
or silver hair; take which you like best, and as many as you like, it is
all the same to me." The prince looked at the treasures, clothes, and
horses, but chose none of them, and returned the keys, looking very
downcast.
"My father the king has horses, costly garments, and gold; I have no
need for any of these things."
"Ask, then, whatever you like; ask my life, because whosoever has served
a year with me well deserves his wages."
"I don't want your life or your death, my dear old mother; but under
your dung-heap there lies buried seven fathoms deep a wretched foal, and
on the top of your hen-coop there's a worn-out old saddle very much
soiled. These are the things I want; give them to me."
"You're in league with the devil, my dear son, take care that you don't
get into hell."
The witch tried to put him off, and made all manner of excuses, but at
last she brought a golden spade and traced a triangle on the dung-heap
which pointed to where, without fail, the wretched foal was to be found.
The prince dug without ceasing for seven days and seven nights, and on
the dawn which followed the eighth night the ground began to move under
his spade and the Tatos foal showed its hoofs. The prince dug it out,
scraped the dirt from it, and, having fetched the saddle from the
hen-coop, put it on the foal; and having taken leave of his witch
mistress he took the foal on his back and carried it as far as the
bridge. While the foal was soaking in the water the old beggar appeared
on the bridge and received a piece of bread from the prince.
"Prince, when you sit on your horse's back," said the beggar, "take care
of yourself. It will carry you through clouds and over waters; it knows
well the way to the country where the pelican lives, so let it go
wherever it pleases. When you arrive at the shore of the Operencian Sea
leave your horse there, for you will have to walk three hundred miles
further. On your way go into every house and make inquiries. A man who
knows how to use his tongue can get far, and one question is worth more
than a hundred bad guesses. On the shore of the Operencian Sea there are
two trees, one on this side and one on the opposite shore; you cannot
get over the sea unless you climb the trees when they kiss each other,
and this only happens twice a year, at the end of the summer and at the
beginning of spring. More I will not tell you. Good-bye."
Their conversation had lasted a whole hour, and behold! the wretched
foal had become such a beautiful horse with golden hair and three legs,
that one could not find another to match it.
The little prince got into the saddle, which had also become gold, and
rode leisurely over the bridge. At the other end his steed spoke thus:
"I shall now be able to see, my little master, whether we can start at
once;" and thereupon darted into the clouds; from thence to the moon;
from thence to the sun; and from the sun to the "hen and chickens" (the
Pleiades); and from thence back to the bridge.
"I have lived for many a thousand years, but such a rider as you has not
sat on my back before." And again it darted off over seven times seven
countries, and in half an hour the prince reached his brothers, who had
been galloping for the last three days and three nights. They rode
together for a little while when the eldest thus spoke: "My younger
brothers, if we all three keep together we shall never be able to find
the pelican. The road divides into three branches here. Let each of us
go into a different country, and let us mark this finger-post, and in
one year's time meet here again. Should blood ooze out of the post it
will be a sign that the brother who is absent is in misery or captivity;
but if milk flow out of it, then he is well." This proposal was
accepted. The two eldest took the roads on the right and the youngest
the one on the left. But the two eldest were wicked. They did not look
for the pelican but got into bad habits and spent their time in making
love to young ladies. They did not trouble themselves very much about
their father's rejuvenescence. The youngest prince went on steadily and
covered a thousand miles a day; till at last he reached the Operencian
Sea. The two trees which stood on its shores were just then kissing each
other. The prince slackened the girth of his horse, jumped on the tree,
ran along its upper branches, which touched the tree on the other side
of the sea, and in an hour gained the opposite shore. He had left his
horse in a silken meadow, the grass standing as high as the horse's
knees. His horse neighed after him and urged him to make haste.
On the opposite shore of the sea there was a golden forest. He had a
small hand-adze with him and with it he notched the stems of the trees
so that he might not miss his road upon his return. Beyond the golden
forest there stood a small cottage where an aged woman a hundred years
old lived.
"Good day, my dear old mother."
"Good fortune has brought you, my dear son. What are you doing here,
whither not even a bird ever comes? What do you want here, my dear son?"
"I am trying to find the pelican, my dear old mother."
"Well, my son, I do not know where it is, but I have heard of it. Go a
hundred miles beyond yonder silver forest, and ask my grandmother. If
she does not know anything about it, nobody does. On your way back with
your bird come and see me, my dear son, and I will give you a present.
Life is worth living."
The old woman sent her cat with the prince, which accompanied him as far
as the right road, mewed once, and turned back. The wandering prince,
after a journey which lasted for weeks, got through the silver forest
and found a cottage where the old woman lived, who was so much bent from
age that her nose touched the ground.
"Good evening, my grandmother."
"Good fortune has brought you, my dear son. What are you doing here,
whither not even a bird ever comes? What do you want, my dear son?"
"I seek the pelican, my dear mother, whose song makes old people young
again. The Jesuits have stolen it from my father."
"Well, my son, I know nothing of it. But fifty miles beyond yonder
copper-forest lives my mother, and if she knows nothing about your bird,
then nobody does. On your way back with the bird call upon me, my dear
son, and I will give you a good present for your trouble. Life is still
very pleasant, even to me."
The prince again continued his journey in company with a red cock, which
took him as far as the right road. There it crowed once, and flew back.
After a journey of days and weeks the prince discovered on the borders
of the copper-forest a little cottage, in which the old woman sat, whose
eyelids were quite covered with moss. "Good day, my dear old mother!"
"Good fortune has brought you, my dear son. What do you want?"
"I am looking for the pelican." "You are on the right spot, my dear son.
Though I have never seen it; because when it was brought hither I could
use my legs no longer. Step across the threshold, and within a gun-shot
you will see an old tumble-down church; the pelican is kept in there.
By the side of the church there is a beautiful mansion, in it live the
two old Jesuits who brought the bird from some foreign land; but the
bird will not sing to them. Go and tell them that you think you will be
able to make the bird sing, as perhaps it will sing to you as you come
from a foreign land."
The prince, however, didn't dare to go to see the friars, but waited for
the evening or the morning bell to be rung, and then stole into the
church. He had to wait for seven days, and still he did not succeed in
hearing the pelican sing, as on each occasion a deep sleep overcame
him. The two friars had become youths of seventeen years of age during
the last two days.
No one knew why the bird did sing on the third day. On this day, the
prince, as soon as he had stepped into the church, made his nose bleed,
and this kept him awake, and he heard the bird's song, and saw the
friars caper round the cage and throw sugar into it. The prince hid
himself under a chair, and when every one had retired to rest after
evening prayers he let the bird out of its cage, hid it under his cloak,
and went back to the first old woman and made her young again. The old
woman jumped with delight, and gave him as much gold and silver as he
liked. In a few weeks he got back to the other old women who lived in
the gold and silver forests, and they regaled him in a royal manner.
When he reached the sea-shore the two trees were kissing again, so he
ran across them with the bird and appeared by the side of his horse,
which had eaten so much of the fine grass that it had become so fat that
the girth had quite cut into its belly. He made the horse young too, and
sat on its back, and in a short time returned to the post where he had
left his brothers. Lo! blood was flowing on that side on which his
brothers had gone. His sensitive heart was quite overcome with sorrow,
because his brothers were either in danger or misery. So he went on the
same road on which the poor fellows had departed. He had not gone more
than a couple of miles before he came to an inn. Adjoining the inn was a
garden, where his two brothers were working in irons, because they had
squandered their all, including their horses, and had got into debt for
drink. After scolding the innkeeper the little prince bought his
brothers off and repurchased their horses.
They then started home all together, and he related all his adventures,
and how he had got possession of the favorite pelican. At last they came
to the outskirts of a forest about three miles from home, and at this
place the two elder brothers attacked him from behind, cut off his hands
and feet, took his little bird from him, and hurried home in order to
lengthen their father's life by means of the song of the dear bird that
had been brought back from so far off. The poor little prince began to
cry bitterly with pain and fear. His cries were heard by a swine-herd
who was tending his herd in the same forest in which the wicked brothers
had maimed the little prince.
The swine-herd picked up the poor boy without hands and feet and carried
him to his hut. "He will do to take care of the hut," said the
swine-herd, "poor wretch!" In the evening, the little crippled boy
related all about his brothers' cruelty, and the poor swine-herd's heart
was filled with pity for the boy's misfortune. Next morning just as he
was going to look after his hogs the little prince called him back with
fearful screams, and to his surprise he saw something that looked like a
human skull wriggle out of the ground. He quickly knocked off the top of
the skull with his hatchet, and the remainder slipped back into the
ground. From the part cut off, blood flowed on to the ground. Somehow or
other his maimed finger came in contact with the mud formed out of the
blood and the dust and to his astonishment it was healed. Great was the
simple swine-herd's joy! He rubbed the boy's stumps with the mud, and
lo! his hands and feet grew again!
As soon as the news had spread in the royal town that the pelican had
come back all the old men gathered together and many brought presents to
the princes, and took out their horses and dragged their carriage along
the streets. At ten o'clock the next morning the church was crowded, and
the pelican was reinstalled in its old place. The organ began to play
but the bird would not sing. The king had it proclaimed through the
length and breadth of his kingdom that any one who could make the
pelican sing should have half his realm. The swine-herd heard the news
and told it to his helpmate. "Take me, my brother, under your cloak,"
said the little prince, "as I do not wish my brothers to see me, lest
they kill me. Let us then go into the town, and, as you are very old, I
will induce the pelican to sing and make you young." So they set off
together and the swine-herd sent word into the crowded meeting that he
had confidence in the Lord, and thought he would be able to make the
bird sing. The people crowded round the swine-herd, who had a handsome,
well-built boy hidden under his cloak. They conducted him into the
church, where he at once took off his great cloak, and no sooner did the
pelican see its liberator than it at once began to sing most
beautifully, and all the old men who were there assembled in great
numbers became seventeen years old. The king recognised his son and made
him tell all about his journey. When he came to the incident of the
savage attack by his brothers the people began to hiss and groan, and
resolved to draw and quarter the two villains, to tie them to horses'
tails, drag them over the town, and hang them on the four corners of the
fortress. The resolution was at once carried into effect. In vain did
the kind-hearted lad beg for their lives. They had to die. The old king
gave half of the realm to the young prince. The swine-herd was dressed
up in velvet and purple, and they all are alive to this day, if they
have not died since.
More
-
The Old Man And The Ass
An old man, riding on his ass, Had found a spot of thrifty grass, And there turn'd loose his weary beast. Old Grizzle, pleased with such a feast, Flung up his heels, and caper'd round, Then roll'd and rubb'd upon the ... The Old Man Of The Sea
The Old Man of the Sea (Atui koro ekashi) is a monster able to swallow ships and whales. In shape it resembles a bag, and the suction of its mouth causes a frightfully rapid current. Once a boat was saved from this monster by one of the two sailors ... The Old Mill At Somerville
The old powder-house, as the round stone tower is called that stands on a gravel ridge in Somerville, Massachusetts, is so named because at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War it was used temporarily as a magazine; but long before that it was a wi... The Old Stone Mill
If the round tower at Newport was not Benedict Arnold's wind-mill, and any one or two of several other things, it is probably a relic of the occupancy of this country by Thorwald and his Norsemen. After coasting Wonderstrands (Cape Cod), in the year... The Old Stump
Long ago there was an old woman called Grizzly Bear. She had neither husband nor children, and lived all alone in a lodge on the hillside. As the days went by, she became very lonely, and so she made up her mind to find a daughter for herself. S... The Old Woman And Her Servants
A beldam kept two spinning maids, Who plied so handily their trades, Those spinning sisters down below Were bunglers when compared with these. No care did this old woman know But giving tasks as she might please... The Old Woman And The Tides
Again Raven flew over the waters till he reached the mainland and the wigwam of the old, old woman who holds the tide lines in her hand. At that time the tide would remain high for many days at a time, so that the people could get no clams or other ... The Older Periods Of The Troy Saga
How did the belief that Troy was the original home of the Teutons arise? Does it rest on native traditions? Has it been inspired by sagas and traditions current among the Teutons themselves, and containing as kernel "a faint reminiscence of an imm... The Origin Of Betel And Tobacco
Long, long ago two boys lived in a village on the slopes of the hills, who were very fond of one another and were inseparable companions. The name of one was U Riwbha; he was the son of one of the wealthiest men in the country. The other was calle... The Origin Of Death
The Moon, it is said, sent once an Insect to Men, saying, "Go thou to Men, and tell them, 'As I die, and dying live, so ye shall also die, and dying live.'" The Insect started with the message, but whilst on his way was overtaken by the Hare, who ... The Origin Of Lightning
There was once a great chief who desired above all things to be happy in the future life, therefore he continually made feasts for the priests and the poor; spending much money in making merit. He had ten wives, nine of whom helped him in all the me... The Origin Of Sickness And Medicine
There was a time when man and the animal people were friends, and talked the same language, and even intermarried with one another. Later on, the human race declared war upon the animals and began to kill them in great numbers, using their flesh for... The Origin Of The Hare
Suddenly there was a large house on the top of a mountain, wherein were six people beautifully arrayed, but constantly quarrelling. Whence they came was unknown. Thereupon Okikurumi came and said: "Oh! you bad hares! you wicked hares! who does not k... The Origin Of The Mole
Once upon a time a rich man and a poor man had a field in common, and they sowed it with the same seed at the same time. But God prospered the poor man's labour and made his seed to grow, but the rich man's seed did not grow. Then the rich man cla... The Origin Of The Narran Lake
Old Byamee said to his two young wives, Birrahgnooloo and Cunnunbeillee, "I have stuck a white feather between the hind legs of a bee, and am going to let it go and then follow it to its nest, that I may get honey. While I go for the honey, go you... The Origin Of The Story In Regard To The Trojan Descent Of The Franks
We must now return to the Frankish chronicles, to Fredegar's and Gesta regum Francorum, where the theory of the descent from Troy of a Teutonic tribe is presented for the first time, and thus renews the agitation handed down from antiquity, which at... The Origin Of Tobacco
This is the way that the chewing tobacco began. There was once a Brahmin girl whose relations did not give her in marriage and she died unmarried. After the body had been burned and the people had gone home, Chandu thought "Alas, I sent this woman i... The Origin Of White-fish
An Indian who lived far in the north was so devoted to the chase that he was never at home for the whole of a day, to the sorrow of his two boys, who liked nothing so much as to sport with him and to be allowed to practise with his weapons. Their mo... The Origins Of The Totems And Of Names
Zuni (New Mexico) Now the Twain Beloved and the priest-fathers gathered in council for the naming and selection of man-groups and creature-kinds, and things. So they called the people of the southern space the Children of Summer, and those who love... The Ostrich Hunt
The next day all the time that was not given to lessons and meals was spent by the little boys in scouring the veld for a red tortoise. Disappointment at their fruitless search found vent in no measured terms when Outa Karel appeared in the dining... The Owl
This bird's dismal and persistent screeching near an abode also foretold the death of an inmate of that house. ... The Owl
The hooting of an owl about a house was considered a sign of ill luck, if not of death. This superstition has found a place in rhyme, thus:-- Os y ddylluan ddaw i'r fro, Lle byddo rhywun afiach Dod yno i ddweyd y mae'n ddinad, ... The Owl And The Tortoise
The tortoise[-god] in the sea and the owl[-god] on land were very intimate. The tortoise spoke thus: "Your child is a boy. My child is a girl. So it will be good for us to unite them in marriage. If I send into the river the fish that there are in t... The Owl Gets Married
There was once a woman who had a marriageable daughter. Many men came wooing, but the mother told the girl never to accept any but a skilled hunter, who would keep the lodge well supplied with meat. One evening the Owl called, in the shape of a ha... The Owl Tree
One day in October, 1827, Rev. Charles Sharply rode into Alfred, Maine, and held service in the meeting-house. After the sermon he announced that he was going to Waterborough to preach, and that on his circuit he had collected two hundred and sevent... The Oyster And The Litigants
Two pilgrims on the sand espied An oyster thrown up by the tide. In hope, both swallow'd ocean's fruit; But ere the fact there came dispute. While one stoop'd down to take the prey, The other p... The Paharia Socialists
Formerly before the Santals came into the country the four taluqs of Sankara, Chiptiam, Sulunga and Dhaka formed the Paharia Raj and the whole country was dense jungle. Then the Santals came and cleared the jungle, and brought the land under cultiva... The Palace Of The Proud King
The children slumber sweetly in their curtained beds; the brown dog snores upon the broad hearth-stone; the cows chew the cud behind their screen of broom; and the fading fire-light quivers on the grandsire's old arm-chair. This is the time, de... The Pale Faced Lightning
Twenty miles from the capital of Arizona stands Mount Superstition--the scene of many traditions, the object of many fears. Two centuries ago a tribe of Pueblo dwarfs arrived near it and tilled the soil and tended their flocks about the settlements ... The Partridge Witch
Two brothers, having hunted at the head of the Penobscot until their snow-shoes and moccasins gave out, looked at each other ruefully and cried, Would that there was a woman to help us! The younger brother went to the lodge that evening earlier than... The Party From Gibbet Island
Ellis Island, in New York harbor, once bore the name of Gibbet Island, because pirates and mutineers were hanged there in chains. During the times when it was devoted to this fell purpose there stood in Communipaw the Wild Goose tavern, where Dutch ... The Passing Of Arthur
That story which the bold Sir Bedivere, First made and latest left of all the knights, Told, when the man was no more than a voice In the white winter of his age, to those With whom he dwelt, new faces, other minds. ... The Passing Of Loku
The tale of Loku is applied to a large, ugly lizard which climbs to the rafters of houses and gives the peculiar cry that suggests its name. This lizard, although hideous, is harmless; it lives on centipedes. Its strange cry may be heard everywhere ... The Passover Feast
Very different was the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes from what it had been in the palmy times when the children of Israel were swayed by their own native kings. There was now no mighty gathering tog... The Pawnees
When the Territory of Louisiana was still the property of France; when the United States was endeavoring to subdue the savages within its own domain; a wild and unsophisticated people, to whom the vices of civilization were as yet unknown, travers... The Peacock In The Sky
A cloudless sky has a peacock in it, whose servants are the eagles. The peacock lives in the sky, and only descends to earth to give birth to its young. When it has borne one, it flies back with it to the sky.--(Written down from memory. Told by Pen... The Pelican
There was once, I don't know where, there was in the world an old king; one of whose eyes always wept, and the other always smiled. He had three sons. The youngest was twelve, the eldest twenty, and the middle one sixteen. These three sons got tal... The Pentrevoelas Legend
I am indebted to the Rev. Owen Jones, Vicar of Pentrevoelas, a mountain parish in West Denbighshire, for the following tale, which was written in Welsh by a native of those parts, and appeared in competition for a prize on the Folk-Lore of that pa... The Pericos
Throughout the Visayan islands almost every family owns a pericos, kept as American children keep canary birds. The pericos is about the size and color of a Crow, but has a hard white hood that entirely covers its head. The people teach it but one p... The Phantom Dragoon
The height that rises a mile or so to the south of Newark, Delaware, is called Iron Hill, because it is rich in hematite ore, but about the time of General Howe's advance to the Brandywine it might well have won its name because of the panoply of wa... The Phantom Drummer
Colonel Howell, of the king's troops, was a gay fellow, framed to make women false; but when he met the rosy, sweet-natured daughter of farmer Jarrett, near Valley Forge, he attempted no dalliance, for he fell too seriously in love. He might not ven... The Phantom Train Of Marshall Pass
Soon after the rails were laid across Marshall Pass, Colorado, where they go over a height of twelve thousand feet above the sea, an old engineer named Nelson Edwards was assigned to a train. He had travelled the road with passengers behind him for ... The Pious Woman
There was once a very pious woman and her special virtue was that she would not eat or drink on any day until she had first given alms to a beggar. One day no beggar came to her house, so by noon she got tired of waiting, and, tying in her cloth som... The Piper
The sea-breeze blew from the shore of the Black Water, and the stars were rising. The young maidens had gone homewards to the little farms, carrying on their fingers the metal rings their friends had bought them at the fair. The youths went across... The Place And The People
It was winter in the Great Karroo. The evening air was so crisp and cutting that one seemed to hear the crick-crack of the frost, as it formed on the scant vegetation. A skraal windje blew from the distant mountains, bringing with it a mingled odo... The Ploughman And His Sons
_The farmer's patient care and toil Are oftener wanting than the soil._ A wealthy ploughman drawing near his end, Call'd in his sons apart from every friend, And said, "When of your sire bereft, The heritage our... The Poor Widow
Once there was a poor widow who had two children; she lived by daily labour and if she got no work any day, then that day they had to go without food. One morning she went out to look for work and a rich woman called her and asked if she wanted a jo... The Position Of The Divine Clans To The Warriors
The circumstance that the different divine clans had their favourites in the different camps gives the war a peculiar character. The armies see before a battle supernatural forms contending with each other in the starlight, and recognize in them t... The Position Of The Private Parts
At the beginning of the world it had been the Creator's intention to place both men's and women's genitals on their foreheads so that they might be able to procreate children easily. But the otter made a mistake in conveying the message to that effe... The Pottawatomies
The Pottawatomies were of Algonquin descent and were termed "Firemakers," in reference to their secession from the Odjibwas and becoming the makers of their own fires. The Odjibwa tradition says that there were two brothers at St. Mary's Falls. Th... The Powis Castle Ghost Revealing A Hidden Box To A Woman
The following is the narrative:--It had been for some time reported in the neighbourhood that a poor unmarried woman, who was a member of the Methodist Society, and had become serious under their ministry, had seen and conversed with the apparitio... The Pre-eminence Of The Oak Pine-tree And Mugwort
At the beginning of the world the ground was very hot. The ground was so hot that the creatures called men even got their feet burnt. For this reason, no tree or herb could grow. The only herb that grew at that time was the mugwort. Of trees, the on... The Prince Of The Glow-worms
"No! I'll bear it no longer, you good-for-nothing vagabond!" screamed the old woman to little Julius. "When you should be sitting with your book in your hand trying to learn somewhat, if I do but turn my back off goes the dunce to the wood, and ... The Prince Who Acquired Wisdom
There was once a Raja who had an only son and the Raja was always urging his son to learn to read and write in order that when he came to his kingdom he might manage well and be able to decide disputes that were brought to him for judgment; but the ... The Prince Who Found Two Wives
There was once a Raja who had an only son. When the Prince grew up the courtiers proposed to the Raja that he should arrange for his son's marriage; the Raja however wished to postpone it for a time. So the courtiers used to laugh and say to the Pri... The Prince Who Would Not Marry
There was once a Raja who in spite of having many wives was childless; and his great desire was to have a son. He made many vows and performed every ceremony that was recommended to him, but in vain. At last a Jogi came to his kingdom and hearing of... The Prisoner In American Shaft
An Indian seldom forgets an injury or omits to revenge it, be it a real or a fancied one. A young native of the New Almaden district, in California, fell in love with a girl of the same race, and supposed that he was prospering in his suit, for he w... The Procession Of Lord Long-legs
Lovely and bright in the month of May, at the time of rice-planting, was the day on which the daimio, Lord Long-legs, was informed by his chamberlain, Hop-hop, that on the morrow his lordship's retinue would be in readiness to accompany their wors... The Prohibited Food
When mankind first came to live upon the earth, the Great God saw fit to walk abroad in their midst frequently, and permitted them to hold converse with Him on matters pertaining to their duties and their welfare. At one time the discourse turned ... The Prophet Of Palmyra
It was at Palmyra, New York, that the principles of Mormonism were first enunciated by Joseph Smith, who claimed to have found the golden plates of the Book of Mormon in a hill-side in neighboring Manchester,--the Hill of Cumorah,--to which he was l... The Prophetic Dream
In a little obscure village, there once dwelt a poor shepherd, who, for many years, supported himself and his family upon the very trifling wages he earned by his labour. Besides his wife he had one only child, a boy. He had accustomed this boy,... The Punishment Of Loki
The gods were so angry with Loki that he had to run away and hide himself in the mountains, and there he built a house which had four doors, so that he could see around him on every side. He would often in the day-time change himself into a salmon... The Punishment Of Loki
When Loki was driven out by the mighty Thor from Aegir's palace-hall he knew that he could never again be allowed to come among the gods in Asgard. Many times had this mischievous fire-god brought trouble and sorrow to the Aesir, but now he had do... The Pwka Or Pwca
Another imaginary being, closely allied to the Fairy family, was the Pwka. He seems to have possessed many of the mischievous qualities of Shakespeare's Puck, whom, also, he resembled in name, and it is said that the Pwka, in common with the Brow... The Quarrel Of The Dogs And Cats
In mansion deck'd with frieze and column, Dwelt dogs and cats in multitudes; Decrees, promulged in manner solemn, Had pacified their ancient feuds. Their lord had so arranged their meals and labours, ... The Queen Of Death Valley
In the southern part of California, near the Arizona line, is the famous Death Valley--a tract of arid, alkaline plain hemmed in by steep mountains and lying below the level of the sea. For years it was believed that no human being could cross that ... The Queer Little Animal
An Indian was once wandering across the prairie. He was tired and hungry and very lonely, too, for he had not seen a human being for many weeks. He lay down on the ground and fell asleep. While he was lying there, he dreamed that a small voice sa... The Raibar And The Leopard
Once upon a time a Raibar was going backwards and forwards between two families arranging a marriage and part of the road which he used to travel ran through a forest. One day as he was going to the bride's house he took a sack with him intending... The Raja Who Went To Heaven
Once upon a time there was a Raja, who had many water reservoirs and tanks, and round the edges he planted trees, mangoes, pipals, palms and banyans; and the banyan trees were bigger than any. Every day after bathing the Raja used to walk about and ... The Raja's Advice
Once upon a time an aged Raja lay dying. Before he breathed his last he sent for his only son and gave him the following advice. "My son," he said, "never go on a journey alone; do not associate with low people, for if you do no one will respect you... The Raja's Dream
Once upon a time there was a Raja who had no children. So he and his wife agreed that he should marry again. His second wife bore him two sons, and they were very pleased that the Raja should have heirs and all lived happily together. But after the ... The Raja's Son And The Merchants Son
Once upon a time the son of a Raja and the son of a merchant were great friends; they neither of them had any taste for lessons but would play truant from school and waste their time running about the town. The Raja was much vexed at his son's behav...