Folk Tales from Western Newfoundland




As Told by Angela Kerfont and Transcribed by Marie-Annick Desplanques

Source: Folk Tales from Western Newfoundland, Copyright © 1985 Publications de l'Universite de Rouen

This book is on display at the Heritage room at Ozzie's General Store in Cape St. George, NL.








The Fox

Well, one time it was a man and a woman. They had three daughters who had each a sheep. Every morning, there was one of them who used to go and feed her sheep. One morning, anyway, one of them went and she heard a voice : « Leave your sheep and go to find your fortune ! » So, she went back home and told that to her mother. « Where are you going to find your fortune ?» asked the mother to her eldest daughter. « Well! » answered the daughter. « Tomorrow I am going to give it a try !» And the next morning she took off. She was travelling through the woods, and by and by she got hungry. She sat down by the side of a brook and started to eat. Suddenly, she heard something around her a noise, pfuitt, pfuitt. It was a little fox. He saw her. « Wait! » he said, « What are you doing here ? » « I am eating ! » she said. « Could you give me crumbs of your bread ? » said the fox. « Well I haven't got too much for myself! » said the girl. Anyway the fox went and passed his tail in the brook and turned the water into blood so that she could not drink. « Where are you going ? » he asked. « Well, I am going to look for a job ! » she said. « Well! » he said, « Well my mother wants a servant girl. Why don't you come and stay with us ? » The girl agreed and off they went, him ahead and her behind. Soon they arrived at his place. There was a big black dog chained in the yard. He barked and jumped at the girl. He would have eaten her life if he could have caught her. Anyway, they entered the house. It looked like a miserable camp. Moss grew everywhere. An old lady was there, stuck on a chair. « Mum ! » said the fox, «I brought you a servant girl! » «I told you, to bring no servant girls ; they don't want to stay ! » said the lady to the fox. « No fear grandmother, I am going to stay ! » the girl said. « 0. K. then, all you'll have to do is cook dinner for the dog and get water for the night! » And the girl did what she was told. She cooked dinner for the dog first and got out to bring it to him. But that was a very naughty dog. He made a snap at her and threw out everything. So she went back to the house, took her two buckets of water and went to the well. She dipped her two buckets in and, oh ! my God ! she saw all kinds of roses around the well. She sat down there watching the roses. By and by there was a little boy coming, kicking a football ahead of him. He came near and said, « What are you doing here ? » « Well! » she said, « I'm getting water for my night! » « Where are you staying ? » « I stay at the old woman's right over the hill there ! » « You know that's the devil that, come home with me ; there's lots of fun, lots of money, lots of sport! » he said, « Come home with me ! » The little girl left her two buckets of water and off they went. When they got there, there was a great big giant who took her by the hand, and put her in a room and locked her. And there she was.

Meanwhile, her sisters were still at home with their mother and father. And one morning, the second daughter went and fed her sheep, and she heard a voice, too : « Leave your sheep and go to find your fortune ! » So she went back home and told that to her mother. She said, « I heard a voice who told me to leave my sheep and go look for my fortune and I am going to go ! » she said, « Maybe my sister is there, too. She is happy there, she has lots of money, lots of fun and lots of sport. I am going to find her ! » So she took a pack of lunch and she took off. She took the same road and when she got hungry, she sat down by the same brook to eat. By and by, the little fox came along again and said, « What are you doing here ? » « Well I am eating ! » she said. « Well, you should give me a piece of your bread! » he said. «I have not too much for myself! » she answered. « Even a crumb ? » « No nothing at all! » Anyway he went to the brook, passed his tail in, and the water turned into mud so that she could not drink. « Well! Where are you going ? » he asked. «I am going to look for a job ! » she said. « Well! my mother wants a servant girl; why don't you come and stay with us ? » « 0. K. ! » she said. They took off, him ahead and her behind. When they arrived at his place, the girl got frightened by the big black dog that was chained in the yard. He made such a mess at her, barking and jumping everywhere, well, she was not proud then. So they went in the house. The old lady was there stuck on her chair, and the fox said, « Mum ! I brought you a servant girl! » « I told you not to bring a girl! » she said, « they don't want to stay ! » « No fear grandmother! » said the girl, «I'm going to stay ! » « Well! 0. K. then ! Now listen, all you got to do is cook dinner for the dog and get some water for the night! » There was not much to do, you know, and she went to give his dinner to the dog. But when she got there, my God! He made a grab at her and threw out everything ! She got frightened to death. She went back to the house and she took her two buckets of water to go to the well. She dipped her two buckets of water and suddenly she saw all kinds of roses around her. It was so pretty that she sat down and took a spell. By and by she heard a noise coming towards her. She looked and there were two little boys coming, each of them kicking a ball ahead of him. And they asked her « What are you doing here ? » « Well! » she said I came to get my water for my night! » « Where do you stay ? » « Well! I stay at the old woman's right over the hill! » « Oh ! That's the devil there ; she's going to kill you ; you should come home with us ; your sister's home ! » said one of the little boys. «... Then you would see her; she's big and fat, she has lots of fun, lots of money and lots of sport! she goes to the dances everynight! Well, you should come with us; you would see her ! » « Oh ! well! » said the girl. « Yes ! I'm going to go with you ! » She left her two buckets of water by the well and off they went, the two little boys ahead and her behind. When they arrived there, the poor girl was in for a surprise. A big giant grabbed her by the hand and threw her in a dark room with her sister. When she saw her, she did not recognize her. Her sister was just the bones !

Meanwhile, a long time had passed. And one morning, the youngest girl went to feed her sheep, and she heard a voice too : « Leave your sheep and go for your fortune ! » So she went home and told that to her mother, « I heard a voice and tomorrow morning I am going to go ! » So the next day she took a pack of lunch and off she went. She travelled on the same road as her sisters. She passed by the same brook and sat down there to eat. By and by and by, she heard some noise. It was the little fox. «0h ! » she said, « A little fox. I am so glad to have company to eat with me ! » she said, «then I'm not alone to eat my dinner; come and have dinner with me ! » « Well! » said the fox, « That's nice of you. It's three days at least, I had nothing to eat \ » And they had dinner together. Anyway, he asked her if she wanted a drink of wine. « Yes ! » she said, «I'd love that! » So he went and passed his tail in the brook and thus turned the water into wine. He came out and gave her a big glassful of wine. « Oh ! » he said, « Where are you going ? » « I am going to look for a job ! » « Oh ! That's fine. My mother wants a servant girl. Come with us ! » « 0. K. ! » she said. And off they went, him ahead and her behind. When they arrived at his place, she met the dog and he was ever so nice with her. She smoothed him down and everything. Then they walked into the house and the fox told the old woman, « Mother I brought you a servant girl! » «I told you ! » she said, « not to bring servant girls. They don't want to stay ! » « Well! » said the girl, «I am going to stay grandmother ! » « 0. K. ! then ! All you'll have to do is cook dinner for the dog and get the water for the night! » The girl was pleased with that and started in to cook dinner for the dog and when she went and gave it to the dog, he flattened right down to her. He was so kind to her, she couldn't believe it. She went back to the house and cleaned everything that was to be cleaned. Then she was to go to the well with her two buckets. When she got there, the well was ten times prettier ; there were all kinds of roses around the well. So she decided to sit under the tree and take a spell. By and by, after a while she heard a noise. Three little boys were coming towards her each kicking a football ahead of him. « What are you doing here ? » they asked. « Well I am getting water for my night! » she answered. « Where do you stay ? » « I am staying at the old woman over the hill! » « What ? » said the boys. « She's the devil! she's going to kill you ! » « The devil ? No ! You're wrong. She's a nice old woman ! And I like her ! » said the girl. « You should come home with us ! » said the boys. « Your two sisters are at home, they are big and fat, they have lots of money, lots of fun ! » « I don't care what they've got! » she said, « I'm not going ! » « Well! they asked us to tell you to come and cook dinner for them ! » « No ! not today, maybe tomorrow if I have time though ! » she said. Anyway, she went back to the house and when she got there she saw the old woman was lacing her shoe. When the night came, she went to bed, she went in a room that looked more like a barn, whole pieces of hay coming through the cracks of the walls, but she didn't mind and had a good sleep. The next morning she woke up, she was stunned. « My god ! » she said, « What's this ! I was in a barn last night and I wake up in a castle ! » Then she heard somebody was up. It was the lady. She was all smart and well dressed, too. Everything was enchanted, and when she got up she saw the old lady. Well she was not old anymore, she was young, she was a queen. Anyway, she had breakfast and gave his breakfast to the dog, and had nothing else all day until the evening. When evening came she went and gave his supper to the dog. When she looked at him, she said to herself, « Poor dog, well nobody would know if I unchained him, he could run free ! » And so she did. When she came back and took her two buckets to get water, the three little boys came again. « Will you come today ? »they asked. « Well sure ! » she said, « And I hope they will be ready because I won't be long I got work to do ! » By and by they got to their castle. When she entered, a great big giant grabbed her by her hand, he wanted to throw her in the dark room with her sisters. «I am not coming here to go in the room ! » she said. « I come here to work and nothing else. Go and get my sisters, they have to help me ! » So her sisters came out. She didn't recognize them. She almost fainted, they were so skinny. Anyway they started to cook supper and she asked them, «Is there any poison here ? » « Well we don't know ! » After a while she had found some. When she raised the table, she put three plates on the one side for the giants, and three on the other side for them. Of course she had put poison in the giant's plates. They started eating and soon one of the giants said, « Oh I got a headache ! » « Go and lay down ! » she said. « It'll soon pass away! » And indeed after a while the giant had passed away. By and by, the same thing happened to the other giants and soon they were all dead. « Well! » said the girl to her sisters, « we are going to clean all that mess up and leave ! Are you coming with me ? » « Well! we don't know ! » they answered, « Well! if you don't know who knows then ? » They wouldn't go with her, so she left slamming the door behind her and the whole castle went in a blaze of fire.

Anyway, she went back to the old woman's and she was looking for the dog on her way, but in vain. The dog had disappeared. When she got in, she went straight to her room and there she was in for a surprise. She opened the door and saw a young prince lying on her bed smoking his pipe. Everybody was enchanted. He asked her in marriage and soon they got wed. By and by she went back to her mum to get her to live with them. So they all lived together and if they're not dead, they're living yet.








The Twenty-four Robbers

One time there was a king and a queen. They had one daughter. One day the king got a crew and was to go sailing for six months. On the very day he was to sail out, he lost one of his men. There was a boy standing there. Crazy Jack was his name. He said to the king, « Well king ! I want to go with you ! » « No ! Not you ! » the king said « Well, you don't know what I can do » he said, «I can do a lot you know, king ! » said Crazy Jack. « Well all right then ! » said the king « But before, go in town and get a quarter of mutton and a gallon of rum, and don't be long, because at one o'clock I'm sailing out! » And Crazy Jack went to town. But on his way going he met some of his friends. They took him for a drink or two and got him drunk. By the time he came back with his mutton and rum the king had just sailed out. So Crazy Jack went back to his friends and opened his gallon of rum. Well! They had a good bash out of it, my dear ! Now, while the king was gone, the queen was chasing a young fellow, a prince who used to come down and see her every night. So one night, they were in the lounge, and Crazy Jack was there too. The prince invited the queen and her daughter to come to his castle tomorrow night, but he never asked Crazy Jack to join them. No ! He never asked him ! So the next evening he came down with his horse and carriage to take the queen and her daughter out to his castle. « You don't ask me to go ? » Crazy Jack said, « Well! » he says, « Where my mistress goes, I go too ; I'm supposed to, you know ! » and he jumped behind the carriage. Anyway, on their way going, they called to a restaurant, and Crazy Jack never went with them. He went in the next door bar where the girls were. He was playing with them and everything ! I guess you know what I am talking about. Suddenly, he noticed the prince, the queen and daughter were gone. My God ! He took his cap in his hand, cursed the girls and he took off. He jumped behind the carriage, well, just in time ! They travelled through the woods and arrived to a very big castle. A servant girl opened the door and when she saw them she said to herself, « Well, he brought them here to kill them ! » But she never told them that. So, they had supper. While they were eating, she slipped a note under Crazy Jack's plate. On the note it was written:

« You are in a highway robber's castle tonight. The prince brought you here to kill you but try your best to get in the room with the red door. I have hidden lots of guns and everything ; there you'll be all right»

Well, Crazy Jack read the note and passed it to the queen. The queen was all in with fright. She could not eat anymore, she would not pass it to her daughter though. At nine o'clock, the prince said, « All hands to bed ! Jack you go to sleep in that room ! » « No ! » said Jack, « I must go in the same room as my mistress. I always did when the king was gone. I'm supposed to do that! » So the three of them went in the room with the red door. When they got in there. Jack locked the door and said, « We're all right now, we got lots of powder and guns there ! » So he loaded up twenty-six guns and lined them. « Well! Right! Now we can set them all together ! » he said. He was foolish but there he wasn't foolish ! The queen and her daughter were going crazy with fright. He said, «If you make noise, they are going to rush in here and we're gonna be all killed ! Don't make noise ! » By and by, they heard noise coming upstairs, knocks on the door, « Can I come in ? » « No ! » Jack said, and the prince answered « Well I paid for a room for my night and it's mine ! » The ladies were to open the door but Jack said « Wait! » The prince had gone downstairs to get the rest, so Jack counted them coming upstairs, twenty-five of them. So, they took the guns Jack had twenty-five and the queen had one for her own, too, in case some might escape ! When the robbers came by the door, the prince knocked again and Jack asked, « How many of you are there ? » « Twenty-five ! » « 0. K. I am going to let you in ! » Jack said, and he pulled on the trigger. He cleaned them, boy ! And the queen killed one too! They were all killed. So, Crazy Jack, the queen and her daughter went downstairs and said goodbye to the servant girl, and they went back to town. The queen had written down all what happened, and when they got back, she married Crazy Jack to her daughter.

By and by, six months had passed and the king was sailing in. So they went to the boat, the queen's daughter on Crazy Jack's knees ! When the king saw that - his own daughter on Crazy Jack's knees - he was tearing his hair, he was going crazy ! He said, « Take Jack from there and whack him in jail right off there ! » The queen would not say a thing, at least not before the king had calmed down, and it took a while before he calmed down, let me tell you !

So by and by, when he calmed down a bit, he looked at the note and said « That's impossible ! That never happened ! » « Yes ! » said the queen, « Yes it happened, and if only for Jack we'd be all killed! » So the king told his men, « Go in jail and get that Jack out! Don't you hurt a hair of his head! » he said. « We're going to go all in, and we're going to marry them all round and have the wedding for all of us ! » So if they're not dead, they're living yet!








The Bumble Bee

One time there was a man and a woman. They had a daughter and a son. One day the parents and their son went to town. Mary stayed at home, she was big enough. Moreover, she was courting a young fellow all the time. He used to come down and see her every night. Anyhow, her parents and her brother never came back from town. She had been waiting for them many a night and they never came back. « That's funny something happened to them ! » she said to herself. One night her boyfriend came and stayed with her until nine o'clock. At nine o'clock he said, «Well ! I go home now, you should come tomorrow to see my castle ! » « No ! not tomorrow ! » she said, «I have too much work, but the day after tomorrow will be all right. I'll come and see you then. That's a promise ! » The next day came and she had changed her mind. Now she wanted to go to his castle. « I told him I wasn't going ; now I am going. I am going to go ! » she said to herself. She got dressed and started for the castle. When she got there, oh, it was a big castle ! She opened the door, there was nobody in there. She went upstairs, she opened another door. and there she was, in a room full of clothes, even her mother's clothes, her father's clothes, and her brother's clothes. She was frightened. She went to the window and she looked. There was nobody coming. So she walked into another room, oh. my god ! Bodies lying all over the place ; some were complaining yet. Gosh, she was scared to death, she went to the window to look, he was not coming yet. So she went to another door, he was coming, holding a girl by the hair ! Now she was caught upstairs. She went to hide under the stairs. She stayed there and she could see everything. The little girl was screeching for her life, she knew she was going to be killed. She caught all the stuff she could grab. He took his axe and cut up her hand. It fell down on Mary's lap. She took it and hid it in her bosom. She was trembling like a leaf. There was a ring on the hand : it was her cousin Helen's hand ! She took off for home and on her way going, she stopped at the king's, and she said to the king.« Not tonight, but tomorrow night make a time to your place! » And she hoped to tell everything there. Anyway, that night, Mary's boyfriend came to see her. She was frightened to death ; she had a pain on her head; she had a headache ; she had it all day. Well; at nine o'clock he said, « I have to go home now ! But you will come and see me at my castle tomorrow ! » « Look ! » she said « Tomorrow night, the king is having a big time there. Why don't you come and find me ? We'll go down there ! » « Yes, all right! » he said, and he went home. After he was gone, she locked her door and everything.

The next day, she had done all her work, and in the evening he was coming down to take her out, and they went to the king's. She brought the hand with her ! So they arrived there, had dinner, the whole bunch was there. At nine o'clock, the doors were locked. There were mounties both sides of them, and everybody had to tell a yarn, a story, a dream or anything. So they all told a story, and he told one, too, a story that he helped the poor and how good and generous he was. Then the king said to Mary, « Now ! you've got to tell your own, too ! » « My gosh ! » she said «I've got nothing to say, I've only got a dream. God you don't believe a dream ! » « We know that we don't believe a dream but still it's a yarn, just the same ! » said the king. So she started, « One night my father, my mother and my brother went to town and it seemed to me they never came back. I dreamt there was a man who came home and asked me to go to his castle the next day, but I told him that I could not go the next day and that I would go the day after, and he gave me his key to his place... » she said, « King, can I go out ? » said the man. He knew he was caught. « No ! » said the king, « not before the story is told. » And Mary went on with her dream. «... Anyway, the day after, I wasn't going up, I went the next day, when I arrived at the castle, I opened the door, I went upstairs and I looked in the room. Ah my god! It seemed to me there were clothes all over the floor. It was cruel. I thought I'd seen my father's clothes, my mother's clothes and my brother's clothers. I was frightened... » She said, « King, I don't want you to believe it, it's only a dream. » « Oh, well, tell it, it's a yarn! » the kind said. «... Anyway, I opened the other room door and oh my gosh, bodies ! There were bodies all over the floor, some were still complaining, one of them was crawling. It was pitiful. I went to the window to see if there was nobody coming... » she said. « King that's only a dream, » she said. « 0. K. ! » he said, « Go on ! » She still had the hand in her bosom «... I opened the other room door and I saw an axe, a chopping block and a tub, half full of blood. Well, I was frightened. I went to the window and I saw a man coming, holding a girl by the hair. She was screeching for her life, she grabbed all the stairs. So he took his axe and cut up her hand. It seemed to me that the hand fell on my lap ! » she said, « my cousin Helen's hand, and he is the man who killed her. He killed my father, he killed my mother, he killed my brother, he killed my cousin Helen and he wants to kill me now ! You think I haven't got the hand! Well, here it is ! » She showed the hand with the ring on, and she pointed at the man, « and here is the man who killed everybody. He didn't ask them, you know ! »

So the mounties came and went with her to his castle. She walked ahead and them behind. « That's his castle ! » she said. They put him in, they tied him up with a rope and they set the fire to the castle. « Now ! » she said, « On the other side there, he's got another brother ! » His brother was a giant. They got to his place, took him, tied him up with a rope and set his castle on fire. So if they're no dead, they're living yet!

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