The guests were getting impatient and Jack’s mother wondered what could be done to keep everyone happy. She went to those working in the kitchen and the ragged girl spoke up.
‘I can do a trick with my wooden cockerel and my wooden hen, they can peck and talk and that might amuse everyone until the preacher arrives.’
So Jack’s mother took her to the guests, all dressed in their fine clothes, and the ragged girl set the wooden cockerel and hen on the floor and scattered some corn. Jack came out to watch while they pecked and picked up the corn. Then everyone was amazed when the hen spoke to the cockerel. ‘Do you remember me, Jack?’ she said.
The cockerel looked at the hen and replied, ‘Remember you? No I can’t say that I do,’ and he went on picking up the corn.
The hen asked, ‘Do you remember the Green Man of Knowledge?’
‘The Green Man of Knowledge? No I don’t remember him,’ said the cockerel.
‘Do you remember me, Jack, the woman you love?’ she asked.
‘Ah … no, sorry, I don’t remember you.’
‘Well, Jack, do you remember the little donkey that saved your life and destroyed the Green Man of Knowledge?’ said the wooden hen.
The cockerel stopped pecking at the corn and looked at the hen, ‘Yes I do remember.’
Jack looked at the wooden hen and then he looked at the ragged girl and thought of the wee donkey, ‘I do remember! I remember you!’ he shouted out.
He hugged and kissed the lassie and told the surprised guests the whole story I have told you, and that took a long time didn’t it!
By the end of the story the preacher had arrived, the miller’s daughter became a bridesmaid and Jack married the girl he still called White Swan.
Glossary
a’ all
ae one
bannock a round flat cake, often made with oats and baked over the fire
birled whirled around
braw fine
brig bridge
byres cow sheds, barns
burn a stream
cappy cup, used to rhyme with happy. If your cup is never dry you are well off
clotis clots
corbie raven
dirk a short dagger, part of Highland dress
drap drop
each uisge Gaelic, meaning water horse
faem foam
fra from
gae go
garris from gar, meaning to make
glen a narrow valley
gloaming twilight
gowd gold
guidman a polite way to address a man – the head of a household
guidwife a polite way to address a woman – mistress of a house
haif have
hame home
hinnie honey
ill ‘ill woman’; troublesome; ill pretts – mischievous pranks
ken know
kirk church
kist a large storage box
lang long
laird lord of an estate
lassie an unmarried girl
nightis nights
orra unskilled or casual worker
peat rotting material dug from moorland to be dried for use as fuel for fires
piece food, usually a snack or sandwich
plaid a length of woollen cloth worn as clothing
pretts pranks or tricks
quern a hand mill made of stone
quhare where
quhat what
sault salt
scantlie from scant, meaning a small amount; Scantlie Mab – Little Mab
shape cut a pattern or material for clothes
shew sew
smiddy blacksmith or blacksmith’s workshop
spaeman wise man
stoor worm a wild or ferocious dragon
sweit sweat
thrapple windpipe
trews trousers
womyne woman
wynd a narrow street
yer your
Notes
The Witch of Fife
In 1819 James Hogg published The Queen’s Wake: A Legendary Poem, a collection of ballads that includes The Witch of Fife. James Hogg, known as the Etterick Shepherd, wrote in both English and Scots.
Old Croovie
For all of the wonderful stories told by Stanley Robertson he is remembered most for this story. Jack is the hero of the Travellers and if you retell this story it is important not to change it, and don’t forget the ball of wool was blue!
The Midwife’s Tale
Stories like this can be found across Europe. In Scotland there is a similar story called Nurse Kind and Ne’er Want from Nithsdale but for years I have shaped and told my version set in the Old Town of Edinburgh.
Thomas the Rhymer
Thomas lived approximately between 1210 and 1290 and Ercildoune is today known as Earlston, near Melrose. One of his predictions foretold the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 when Robert the Bruce defeated the English:
The Burn of Breid The Burn of Bread … (Bannockburn)
Shall rin fou reid Shall run full red … (with blood)
Why the Sea is Salty
Usually regarded as a Scottish story this is actually a story from Iceland and found in Snorri Sturluson’s book The Prose Edda.
The Green Man of Knowledge
In 1954 Geordie Stewart recorded this story for Hamish Henderson who was collecting stories from the Travellers. Geordie Stewart was a young man at the time and he had learned it from his grandfather. It can be regarded as a Stewart family story.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre is delighted to be associated with the Folk Tales series developed by The History Press. Its talented storytellers continue the Scottish tradition, revealing the regional riches of Scotland in these volumes. These include the different environments, languages and cultures encompassed in our big wee country. The Scottish Storytelling Centre provides a base and communications point for the national storytelling network, along with national networks for Traditional Music and Song and Traditions of Dance, all under the umbrella of TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland). See www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk for further information. The Traditional Arts community of Scotland is also delighted to be working with all the nations and regions of Great Britain and Ireland through the Folk Tales series.
Donald Smith
Director, Tracs
Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland