edited by
D. L. Ashliman
© 2000
folktales of Aarne-Thompson type 1655
edited by
D. L. Ashliman
© 2000
Return to D. L. Ashliman's folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore, fairy tales, and mythology.
There was once a man who was the laziest man in all the world. He wouldn't take off his clothes when he went to bed because he didn't want to have to put them on again. He wouldn't raise his cup to his lips but went down and sucked up his tea without carrying the cup. He wouldn't play any sports because he said they made him sweat. And he wouldn't work with his hands for the same reason.
But at last he found that he couldn't get anything to eat unless he did some work for it. So he hired himself out to a farmer for the season. But all through the harvest he ate as much and worked as little as he could. And when the fall came and he went to get his wages from his master all he got was a single pea.
"What do you mean by giving me this?" he said to his master.
"Why, that is all that your labor is worth," was the reply. "You have eaten as much as you have earned."
"None of your lip," said the man. "Give me my pea. At any rate I have earned that."
So when he got it he went to an inn by the roadside and said to the landlady, "Can you give me lodging for the night, me and my pea?"
"Well, no," said the landlady, "I haven't got a bed free, but I can take care of your pea for you."
No sooner said than done. The pea was lodged with the landlady, and the laziest man went and lay in a barn nearby.
The landlady put the pea upon a dresser and left it there, and a chicken wandering by saw it and jumped up on the dresser and ate it. So when the laziest man called the next day and asked for his pea the landlady couldn't find it. She said, "The chicken must have swallowed it."
"Well, I want my pea," said the man. "You had better give me the chicken."
"Why, what, when, how?" stammered the landlady. "The chicken is worth thousands of your pea."
"I don't care for that. It has got my pea inside it, and the only way I can get my pea is to have that which holds the pea."
"What, give you my chicken for a single pea? Nonsense!"
"Well, if you don't, I'll summon you before the justice."
"Ah, well, take the chicken and my bad wishes with it."
So off went the man and sauntered along all day, till that night he came to another inn, and asked the landlord if he and his chicken could stop there.
He said, "No, no, we have no room for you, but we can put your chicken in the stable if you like."
So the man said yes and went off for the night. But there was a savage sow in the stable, and during the night she ate up the poor chicken. And when the man came the next morning he said to the landlord, "Please give me my chicken."
"I am awfully sorry, sir," said he, "but my sow has eaten it up."
The laziest man said, "Then give me your sow."
"What, a sow for your chicken? Nonsense! Go away, my man."
"Then if you don't do that, I'll have you before the justice."
"Ah, well, take the sow and my curses with it," said the landlord.
And the man took the sow and followed it along the road till he came to another inn, and said to the landlady, "Have you room for me and my sow?"
"I have not," said the landlady, "but I can put your sow up."
So the sow was put in the stable, and the man off to lie in the barn for the night. Now the sow went roaming about the stable, and coming too near the hoofs of the mare, was hit in the forehead and killed by the mare's hoofs.
So when the man came in the morning and asked for his sow the landlady said, "I'm very sorry, sir, but an accident has occurred. My mare has hit your sow in the skull, and she is dead."
"What, the mare?"
"No, your sow."
"Then give me the mare."
"What, my mare for your sow? Nonsense!"
"Well, if you don't I'll take you before the justice. You'll see if it's nonsense."
So after some time the landlady agreed to give the man her mare in exchange for the dead sow.
Then the man followed on in the steps of the mare till he came to another inn, and asked the landlord if he could put him up for the night, him and his mare.
The landlord said, "All our beds are full, but you can put the mare up in the stable if you will."
"Very well," said the man, and tied the halter of the mare into the ring of the stable.
Next morning early the landlord's daughter said to her father, "That poor mare has had nothing to drink. I'll go and lead it to the river."
"That is none of your business," said the landlord. "Let the man do it himself."
"Ah, but the poor thing has had nothing to drink. I'll bring it back soon."
So the girl took the mare to the river brink and let it drink the water. But, by chance, the mare slipped into the stream, which was so strong that it carried the mare away. And the young girl ran back to her mother and said, "Oh mother, the mare fell into the stream and it was carried quite away What shall we do? What shall we do?"
When the man came round that morning he said, "Please give me my mare."
"I'm very sorry indeed, sir, but my daughter -- that one there -- wanted to give the poor thing a drink and took it down to the river and it fell in and was carried away by the stream. I'm very sorry indeed."
"Your sorrow won't pay my loss," said the man. "The least you can do is to give me your daughter."
"What, my daughter to you because of the mare!"
"Well, if you don't, I will take you before the justice."
Now the landlord didn't like going before the justice. So after much haggling he agreed to let his daughter go with the man. And they went along, and they went along, and they went along, till at last they came to another inn, which was kept by the girl's aunt, though the man didn't know it. So he went in and said, "Can you give me beds for me and my girl here?"
So the landlady looked at the girl, who said nothing, and said, "Well, I haven't got a bed for you but I have a bed for her. But perhaps she'll run away."
"Oh, I will manage that," said the man. And he went a got a sack and put the girl in it and tied her up. And then he went off.
As soon as he was gone the girl's aunt opened the bag and said, "What has happened, my dear?" And she told the whole story.
So the aunt took a big dog and put it in the sack. And when the man came the next morning, he said, "Where's my girl?"
"There she is, so far as I know."
So he took the sack and put it on his shoulder and went on his was for a time. Then as the sun grew high he sat down under the shade of a tree and thought he would speak to the girl. And when he opened the sack, the big dog flew out at him, and he fell back, and that's the last I heard of him.
A sexton, one day in sweeping the church, found a piece of money (it was a fifth of a cent) and deliberated with himself as to what he would buy with it. If he bought nuts or almonds, he was afraid of the mice; so at last he bought some roasted peas, and ate all but the last pea.
This he took to a bakery nearby, and asked the mistress to keep it for him. She told him to leave it on a bench, and she would take care of it. When she went to get it, she found that the cock had eaten it. The next day the sexton came for the roast pea, and when he heard what had become of it, he said they must either return the roast pea or give him the cock.
This they did, and the sexton, not having anyplace to keep it, took it to a miller's wife, who promised to keep it for him. Now she had a pig, which managed to kill the cock. The next day the sexton came for the cock, and on finding it dead, demanded the pig, and the woman had to give it to him.
The pig he left with a friend of his, a pastry cook, whose daughter was to be married the next day. The woman was mean and sly, and killed the pig for her daughter's wedding, meaning to tell the sexton that the pig had run away. The sexton, however, when he heard it, made a great fuss, and declared that she must give him back his pig or her daughter. At last she had to give him her daughter, whom he put in a bag and carried away.
He took the bag to a woman who kept a shop, and asked her to keep for him this bag, which he said contained bran. The woman by chance kept chickens, and she thought she would take some of the sexton's bran and feed them. When she opened the bag she found the young girl, who told her how she came there. The woman took her out of the sack, and put in her stead a dog.
The next day the sexton came for his bag, and putting it on his shoulder, started for the seashore, intending to throw the young girl in the sea. When he reached the shore, he opened the bag, and the furious dog flew out and bit his nose.
The sexton was in great agony, and cried out, while the blood ran down his face in torrents, "Dog, dog, give me a hair to put in my nose, and heal the bite."
The dog answered, "Do you want a hair? Give me some bread."
The sexton ran to a bakery, and said to the baker, "Baker, give me some bread to give the dog. The dog will give a hair. The hair I will put in my nose, and cure the bite."
The baker said, "Do you want bread? Give me some wood."
The sexton ran to the woodman. "Woodman, give me wood to give the baker. The baker will give me bread. The bread I will give to the dog. The dog will give me a hair. The hair I will put in my nose, and heal the bite."
The woodman said, "Do you want wood? Give me a mattock."
The sexton ran to a smith. "Smith, give me a mattock to give the woodman. The woodman will give me wood. I will carry the wood to the baker. The baker will give me bread. I will give the bread to the dog. The dog will give me a hair. The hair I will put in my nose, and heal the bite."
The smith said, "Do you want a mattock? Give me some coals."
The sexton ran to the collier. "Collier, give me some coals to give the smith. The smith will give me a mattock. The mattock I will give the woodman. The woodman will give me some wood. The wood I will give the baker. The baker will give me bread. The bread I will give the dog. The dog will give me a hair. The hair I will put in my nose, and heal the bite."
"Do you want coals? Give me a cart."
The sexton ran to the wagon maker. "Wagon maker, give me a cart to give the collier. The collier will give me some coals. The coals I will carry to the smith. The smith will give me a mattock. The mattock I will give the woodman. The woodman will give me some wood. The wood I will give the baker. The baker will give me bread. The bread I will give to the dog. The dog will give me a hair. The hair I will put in my nose, and heal the bite."
The wagon maker, seeing the sexton's great lamentation, is moved to compassion, and gives him the cart. The sexton, well pleased, takes the cart and goes away to the collier. The collier gives him the coals. The coals he takes to the smith. The smith gives him the mattock. The mattock he takes to the woodman. The woodman gives him wood. The wood he carries to the baker. The baker gives him bread. The bread he carries to the dog. The dog gives him a hair. The hair he puts in his nose, and heals the bite.
One time there was a boy named Tinktum Tidy, and this boy was mighty smart. He was like a slick three-cent piece: little but old. I don't know what they called him in those times, but in these days we'd call him a runt, and laugh at him. Well, this boy had a head on him. He looked like he was all dried up, but never mind that. Those who got ahead of him had to get up long before day, and if they didn't take care, they'd find him up before them.
One season, when the blackberries were ripe, he went around and told the folks that if they'd take their baskets and their buckets and go out and get the blackberries, he'd give them half of what they picked.
It was so seldom that the folks got a chance to make any extra money that they were mighty glad to have the chance to pick blackberries. So they all went out and picked and picked until they picked two wagonloads of them. Well, this shrunk-up boy, who looked like he scarcely had any sense, he divided fair, there are no two ways about that. He took half and gave them their half back.
There was no disputing about it. But then when the folks got their half, they asked themselves what they were going to do with them. They wanted to sell them to Tinktum Tidy, but he said that he had more blackberries than he knew what to do with. After a while the folks said that if they couldn't sell their share of the blackberries, they might just as well put them in Tinktum Tidy's pile, and that is what they did. And then he took the two wagonloads to town and sold them for cash money.
By and by some of the longer-headed folks sat down and got to studying about it, and they asked themselves how come they got to go out and pick blackberries for that little bit of a shrunk-up chap. They studied and studied, but the more they studied, the more foolish they felt.
Well, the tale got out, and it traveled around and around until the king got wind of it, and he took and sent for Tinktum Tidy. This made the folks that picked the blackberries mighty glad, because they got the idea that the king was going to put the little shrunk-up chap in the calaboose for fooling them. But Tinktum Tidy wasn't scared. He wrapped up a change of clothes in his handkerchief, and put out to where the king stayed. Some of the folks went along to see what was going to come of the little shrunk-up chap that had fooled them.
By and by they got to where the king lived, and Tinktum Tidy just marched right in and told them that the king had sent for him. They took him into a big room where there was a whole passel of other folks, and told him to wait there until the king came. Everybody looked at him hard, he was so shrunk-up and puny, and he looked right back at them, just like he was someone of quality. After a while, here came the king. By the time he got settled on the platform, his eye dropped on Tinktum Tidy, and he asked what that runt was doing there.
They up and told the king that that was the chap who was making folks pick so many blackberries. When the king heard this, he lay back and laughed fit to kill himself. He called Tinktum Tidy up and asked him all about how he was doing, and then he said, the king did, that Tinktum Tidy must be mighty smart. But Tinktum tidy said that he wasn't the one who was smart. It was the folks who picked the blackberries, because folks than can pick so many in so little time must be smart.
Then king put his hand into his pocket and pulled out eleven grains of corn. He said, "Take this corn and do what you please with it, but what I want from it are eleven strong men to put in my army."
Tinktum Tidy took the corn and tied it up in one corner of his handkerchief. He said, "Not counting hurricanes and high water, I'll be back in a fortnight. If eleven strong men were as easy to pick as blackberries, I'd send some other folks, but I'll have to go after these men myself."
With that he made his bow, he did, and took his foot in his hand and put out. He traveled all that day, and about night he come to a tavern, and there he stopped. The man asked him where he came from, what his name was, and where he was going. He said he came from Chuckerluckertown, and he name was Tinktum Tidy, and he was going on a long journey.
When bedtime came, he called the man into the room and showed him the corn. He said, "Here are the eleven grains of corn the that king gave me. I'll lay it on the table. I'm afraid the big gander is going to eat it."
The man said he would shut the door so the big gander couldn't get it. Then they all went to bed. Tinktum Tidy waited until everybody was still, and then he got up and dropped the corn through a crack in the floor. Then he went to sleep.
The next morning he woke up early and alarmed the neighborhood. He hollered out, "I told you so! I told you so! The big gander ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me! The big gander ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me!"
Tinktum Tidy hollered so loud and so long that he scared the man. Then the man's old woman stuck her head out of the window and set up a squall. She said, "Take the big gander and go away from here! Take him and go!"
Tinktum Tidy took the big gander under his arm and went poling down the big road. He traveled all that day until night, and he came to another town, and he went and put up at the tavern.
When bedtime came, he tied the gander by the leg to the bedstead, and then he called the man. "Here is the big gander that ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me. I'll tie him here, because I'm afraid the bah-bah black sheep will kill him."
The man said, "The black sheep can't get him here."
In the middle of the night Tinktum Tidy got up and broke the big gander's neck and flung him out into the barnyard.
The next morning he got up early and began to holler. He said, "I told you so! I told you so! Bah-bah black sheep has killed the big gander that ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me!"
When the man heard him talk of the king, he got scared. It made him shake in his shoes. He said, "Take bah-bah black sheep and go along! You have fetched me bad luck!"
Then Tinktum Tidy fastened bah-bah black sheep with a rope and led him off down the big road. By and by he came to where there was another town, and he went and put up at the tavern.
When bedtime came, he called the man. He said, "Here is the bah-bah black sheep that killed the big gander that ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me. I'll tie him here to the bedstead because I'm afraid the brindle cow will hook him."
The man said, "The brindle cow can't get him in here."
Between midnight and day, Tinktum Tidy got up and killed the black sheep and put him in the lot with the brindle cow.
Then he got up early in the morning and began to holler. He said, "I told you so! I told you so! The brindle cow has killed the bah-bah black sheep that killed the big gander that ate the eleven grains of corn the king gave me!"
This made the man feel scared. He said, "Take the brindle cow and go!"
Tinktum Tidy led the brindle cow off down the road and made his way to the next town. He got there by the time night came, and put up at the tavern.
When bedtime came he took and called the man. He said, "Here is the brindle cow that killed the bah-bah black sheep that killed the big gander that ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me. I'll tie her here by the chimney where the roan horse can't get her."
The man said, "I know mighty well the roan horse can't get her here."
Just before day Tinktum Tidy took the brindle cow into the stable and made away with her.
Then when daylight came he began to holler. He said, "I told you so! I told you so! The roan horse has killed the brindle cow that killed the bah-bah black sheep that killed the big gander that ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me."
The man got scared when he heard the name of the king, and he said, "Take the roan horse and go on where you are going!"
Tinktum Tidy got on the roan horse and went trotting down the big road. He went on and went on, he did, until he came a place where he had to cross a creek. Close by the road he saw an old man sitting. He looked at the old man, and the old man looked an him.
By and by the old man said, "Howdy, son!"
Tinktum Tidy said, "Howdy, grandsir!"
The man said, "Son, come wipe my eyes!"
Tinktum Tidy said, "I'll wife them, grandsir, if it will do you any good." Then he got down off the roan horse and wiped the old man's eyes.
The old man said, "Thank you, son! Thank you!"
Tinktum Tidy said, "You are more than welcome, grandsir!" Then he got on the roan hors and was about to ride off.
The old man said, "Son, come scratch my head!"
Tinktum Tidy said, "I'll scratch your head, grandsir, if it will do you any good." Then he got down off the roan horse and scratched the old man's head.
The old man said, "Thank you, son! Thank you!"
Tinktum Tidy said, "You are more than welcome, grandsir!"
Then he started to ride off again, but the old man said, "Son, come help me up!"
Tinktum Tidy said, "I'll help you up, Grandsir, if it will do you any good!"
So he went and helped him up, and it seemed like that when the old man got on his feet he strength came back. He straightened up, he did, and looked lots younger than what he had.
He said, "Son I have been sitting here going on ten years, and you the only one that ever did what I asked him. Some laughed at me and some cussed at me, but all went on their way, and everyone that passed fell in with the eleven robbers that live down the road a piece, and got robbed. Now beings you did what I asked you, I'm more than willing to do what you ask of me."
With that Tinktum Tidy up and told the old man how come he was going along there, and about how the kind wanted him to fetch back eleven strong men to go into the army.
The man said, "Son, they are waiting for you right down the road. Keep right on until you come to where there's a big white house. Ride around that house seven times one way and seven time the other way, and say the words that come into your head. Don't get scared, because I won't be so might far off."
Tinktum Tidy road off down the road, he did, and went on until he came to the big white house. Then he rode around it seven times one way and seven times the other way.
He said, "This is the roan horse that killed the brindle cow that killed the bah-bah black sheep that killed the big gander that ate the eleven grains of corn that the king gave me. I want eleven strong men for the king's army."
And the door of the big white house flew open, and eleven strong men came marching out. By that time the old man had come up, and they asked him what they were to do.
He said, "Mount your horses, sons, and go join the king's army!"
So they went, and the king was mighty proud. He looked around at everybody and said, "I told you so! and He fixed it up so that Tinktum Tidy had just as much as he could eat and mighty little work to do all the rest of his days.
Hlakanyana met a boy tending some goats. The boy had a digging-stick with him. Hlakanyana proposed that they should pursue after birds, and the boy agreed. They pursued birds the whole day.
In the evening, when the sun set, Hlakanyana said, "It is time now to roast our birds."
The place was on the bank of a river.
Hlakanyana said, "We must go under the water and see who will come out last."
They went under the water, and Hlakanyana came out last.
The cunning fellow said, "Let us try again."
They boy agreed to that. They went under the water. Hlakanyana came out quickly and ate all the birds. He left the heads only. Then he went under the water again. The boy came out while he was still under the water.
When Hlakanyana came out he said, "Let us go now and eat our birds."
They found all the birds eaten.
Hlakanyana said, "You have eaten them, because you came out of the water first, and you have left me the heads only."
The boy denied having done so, but Hlakanyana said, "You must pay for my birds with that digging-stick."
The boy gave the digging-stick, and Hlakanyana went on his way.
He saw some people making pots of clay. He said to them, "Why do you not ask me to lend you this digging-stick, instead of digging with your hands?"
They said, "Lend it to us."
Hlakanyana lent them the digging-stick. Just the first time they stuck it in the clay it broke.
He said, "You have broken my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads."
They gave him a pot.
Hlakanyana carried the pot till he came to some boys who were herding goats. He said to them, "You foolish boys, you only suck the goats. You don't milk them in any vessel. Why don't you ask me to lend you this pot?"
The boys said, "Lend it to us."
Hlakanyana lent them the pot. While the boys were milking, the pot broke. Hlakanyana said, "You have broken my pot, the pot that I received from the people who make pots, the people who broke my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads."
The boys gave him a goat.
Hlakanyana came to the keepers of calves said, "Allow us to suck this goat."
Hlakanyana gave the goat into their hands. While they were sucking, the goat died.
Hlakanyana said, "You have killed my goat, the goat that I received from the boys that were tending goats, the boys that broke my pot, the pot that I received from the people who make pots, the people who broke my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads."
They gave him a calf.
Hlakanyana came to the keepers of cows.
He said to them, "You only suck the cows without letting the calf suck first. Why don't you ask me to lend you this calf, what the cows may be induced to give their milk freely?"
They said, "Lend us the calf."
Hlakanyana permitted them to take the calf. While the calf was in their hands it died.
Hlakanyana said, "You have killed my calf, the calf that I received from the keepers of calves, the keepers of calves that killed my goat, the goat that I received from the boys that were tending goats, the boys that broke my pot, the pot that I received from the people who make pots, the people who broke my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads."
They gave him a cow.
Hlakanyana continued on his journey.
Revised November 27, 2000.