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Folk-tale Section.
"Nicht, Nocht, Nothing"[1]; (2) from Ireland, "The Story ot Grey Norris from Warland"[2]; (3) "The Three Tasks," also from Ireland, but a literary recension-[3]; (4) from Jamaica, a
- ↑ Revue Celtique, iii, 1878, 374, communicated by Andrew Lang; reprinted in Folk-Lore, i, 1890, 192. Incidents: I Introduction.—A king, rescued in a wilderness by a giant, gives promise of Nothing, which turns out to mean a newly born son. Next day the giant carries off the boy, after an unsuccessful attempt is made to substitute the hen-wife's son, etc.; the child is reared in the giant's house, and becomes fond of the giant's daughter. II. Tasks and Flight.—The giant sets the hero certain tasks, on penalty of being eaten in case of failure, these are: to clean a stable, drain a lake, steal eggs from a nest; they are accomplished by the girl. In the last task she gives the youth her fingers and toes, in order to make steps; one is broken, and she advises flight. The giant is drowned in pursuit. III. Forgetfulness of the Bride (this section is abbreviated and confused).—Incident of the well, as in "Lady Featherflight"; the gardener's daughter and wife refuse to draw water, and the gardener carries the girl to his house. At the proposed wedding of the hero she tries to waken him, and calls him by name; this leads to recognition on the part of his parents, and to a happy ending.
Mr. Lang has discussed the märchen in his Custom and Myth, London, 1885, "A Far-travelled Tale," in which he makes the remark above cited. - ↑ Folk-lore Journal,, 1883. 316. I Introduction.—This is complicated; the king's son loses in a game of ball, and is charged by "Old Grey Norris" to discover, by the end of the year, the place where he lives. The prince is directed by a cook, sister of a giant, to inquire of her brother; he gets a magic reel, a cake, and breast-milk. The giant, when found, sends the hero to a second giant, and the latter to a third, wlio calls an eagle, by which the youth is conveyed to the dominions of Old Grey Norris; he is, however, obliged to feed the bird with his own flesh, II. Bird-maiden.—The eagle points out a lake, where he bids the hero seize the robes of a swan-maiden, and keep these until she promises to do him a good turn. III. Tasks and Flight.—Old Grey Norris receives the youth coldly, and imposes upon him certain tasks (to find needle in dirty stable, build a bridge of feathers, chop down a forest, fetch a bull from a field). These are accomplished by the swan-maiden, daughter of Grey Norris. Use of cow-dung to answer for the absent girl; throwing of magic objects to impede pursuit (pups to stop the giant's bitch, drops of water turning to sea, needle to forest of iron). IV. Bride-forgetting.—The hero, violating the heroine's injunction, having gone in advance, kisses his dog, and is caused to forget. Incident of the well; the girl, at the wedding of the prince, appears as a juggler, bringing a cock and a hen, which perform a drama representing the history, by which the memory of the youth is refreshed.
- ↑ W. Carleton, Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, 5th ed., London. 1864. I. Introduction.—Jack loses at play with a Black Man, whom he engages to serve after a year and a day. At the end of this time he proceeds to the Black Man's castle, where he sees a beautiful lady. II. Tasks and Flight.—On pain of death, the hero is required to clean a stable, catch a filly, and rob a crane's nest: these ate accomplished by the magic of the girl. In the last task he loses one or
