belief: “He who ties up a black cat with ninety nine knots, and sells it for a hare at the church door to the Evil One, will receive a large sum of money for it. But he had better get well away before the cat is let out of the bag. Also that throwing a cat overboard at sea is held by sailors to provoke a storm.”
We find witches and cats constantly together in the Folk-Lore of the northern countries of Europe. Thus in Eiderstedt, in North Germany, there was a miller who was unfortunate enough to have his mill burned down every Christmas Eve. At last a courageous servant undertook to keep watch in the mill on the fatal night. The fellow kindled a fire and made himself a good kettleful of porridge, which he stirred with a large ladle, while an old sabre lay beside him. Ere long a troop of cats entered the mill, and he heard one say in alow tone to another, “Mousekin! go and sit by Hanskin!” on which a beautiful milk-white cat came creeping softly to him, and placed herself by his side. In a moment, taking a ladleful of the scalding porridge, he dashed it in her face, then seizing the sabre cut off one of her paws. On this the cats all disappeared, and instead of the paw appeared a delicate woman’s hand, with a gold ring on one of the fingers bearing his master’s cypher. Next morning the miller’s wife lay in bed and would not rise. “Give me thy hand, wife,” quoth the miller. She refused, but she could not long conceal the mutilated arm, and at last was burnt for a witch.[1]
There is a Norwegian tradition to the same effect, in which a courageous tailor discovers the witchery. Again, in the Netherlands, one bold Jan undertakes to lodge for a night in the haunted castle of Erendegen, provided only he is supplied with every requisite for frying pancakes. He makes a fire and begins his work, when a black cat walks in, sits down before the fire, and asks Jan what he is about. “I am making pancakes, my little friend,” answered the hero. Seven more cats entered, put the same question, and are answered as before. Then, taking each other’s paw, they danced round and round, on which Jan
- ↑ Thorpe’s Mythology, vol. iii. p. 26.
