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INTERESTING FACTS
· The simple obelisk built in honor of G.Washington is often called the Pencil.
· The «Potomac» means «the river of the meeting of the tribes».
· The statue crowning the majestic dome of the Capitol is called «Freedom».
· 365 steps lead upward to the dome of the Capitol.
· The White House belongs to the American people and not to the President.
· There are five universities in Washington, D.C.
· Wall Street is the financial district of New York.
· The most densely populated section of Manhattan is Harlem, the houses of which are in worse condition than anywhere else..
TOPIC 6: AMERICAN FOLKLORE
American folklore combines the folk traditions of the Native Americans, of the white settlers from Europe, and of the Black people from Africa. American folklore includes nursery rhymes for children, songs, proverbs and tongue-twisters, jokes, legends, popular beliefs, fairy tales, stories, and tall tales.
Native American cultures are rich in myths and legends that explain natural phenomena and the relationship between humans and the spirit world. Many different tribes had different tales. Examples are The Cherokee Bear Legend and The Pleiades.
The Europeans brought to the New World their folklore traditions. The British brought Mother Goose Rhymes and such fairy tales as Jack and the Beanstalk. The Dutch and the Germans – the tales of Tyl Eulenspiegel. A mythical hero of superhuman size and strength Paul Bunyan was born in Russia.
Slavery was a very bad thing in America but the appearance of Black African people brought new ideas and folklore characters to the USA. The Tales of Brer Rabbit are among the most popular in the country.
Many people from all over the world have mixed their traditions. The New World is a melting pot of cultures. New American tales and legends have appeared following the history of the country. Tall tales like Pecos Bill Rides a Tornado are very popular. They are based on reality but are exaggerated. Some of the best originated on the southern and western frontiers.
Funny Tongue Twister Phrases
* He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
* Rubber baby buggy bumpers
* Fish fried fresh, fresh fried fish
* Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
* I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit.
* A big black bug bit a big black bear. A big black bear bit a big black bug.
* Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
* Excited executioner exercising his excising powers excessively.
* Nick knits Nixon's knickers.
Some American Proverbs
a) Better a dollar earned than ten inherited.
b) Idle hands are the devils workshop.
c) Pull yourself up by the bootstraps.
d) If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
e) Life is what you make it.
f) Every problem has a solution.
g) Time and tide wait for no man.
h) Time is money.
i) It’s every man for himself.
j) It’s a dog-eat-dog world.
k) The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
l) Behind every successful man, there is a woman.
AMERICAN FOLKLORE HEROES
Legends constitute popular history, although they usually contain more fiction than fact. The most popular American legends are associated with the “lost Colony”, the Alamo, Custer’s Last Stand, the Oklahoma land rush in 1889, the Chicago fire, the San Francisco earthquake, the California Gold Rush in 1849.
Folklore heroes may be classified as patriotic figures, frontiersmen, badmen (desperadoes), supermen, occupational heroes and local characters.
Much of the work of building the nation has been done by anonymous laborers who have slightingly or humorously been represented by such typical figures as the Irish Paddy, Ching-Ching Chinaman, John Henry, Casey Jones, the forty-niners and the Okie. The frontier was difficult to explore, so many folklore characters come from it to show strength, will power and bravery. Some frontiersmen are Johnny Appleseed, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett.
Crime has always attracted attention. On the frontier it was sometimes difficult to differentiate between outlaws and sheriffs; both had to be trigger-men. Stories of famous shootings occupy a prominent place in the American hero tradition. The famous outlaws were Billy the Kid and Jesse James
Representative figures from different regions serve as magnets for stories that show folk admiration or disapproval, e.g. the Yankee, the New England Puritan, the Pilgrim Father, the Connecticut Peddler, the Pike, the Hoosier, the Cracker, the Okies, the Arkies, the hillbillies, Father Knickerbocker, the Philadelphia Quaker are examples of symbolic characters used, like Uncle Sam, by cartoonists and editorial writers.
Many well-known, popular folk-like figures of today are to be found in newspaper comic strips, radio and TV programs, motion pictures. The motion picture cowboy, cattle rustler, sheriff and badman are examples.
Cultural Background
Johnny Appleseed – the popular name of John Chapman (1774-1845), an American pioneer, who walked around the eastern US planting apple trees, encouraging other people to plant them and spreading a type of evangelism. He is the subject of many legends and is celebrated in literature. In his journeys he carried in his bosom a few tattered books to stave off harm to him. Walking barefoot through forests abounding in venomous reptiles did not frighten him because of the holy books.
Billy the Kid – nickname of William H. Bonney (1859-1881), an American criminal who was pursued and finally shot. A desperado and symbol of the lawless West, Billy the Kid was one of the most notorious of the American Southwest. It was said that at the age of 12 he stabbed a man to death. By the time he was 18 he had a record of 12 supposed killings. Engaged extensively in cattle stealing, he was shot to death in New Mexico. Billy the Kid is the subject of many stories and films.
Daniel Boone (1735-1820) – an American pioneer who explored and settled Kentucky. He is usually pictured with a hat made of raccoon skin and is a popular hero.
Bill Buffalo – a nickname of William F. Cody (1846-1917), an American adventurer, hunter, scout, soldier and showman of the late 19th and early 20th century. He was involved in several military actions against Native Americans and later turned to entertainment, founding a celebrated “Wild West Show”, which was a major influence on the popular image of the romantic and exciting Old West. William Cody earned the name “Buffalo Bill” by supplying buffalo meat to the men building the Kansas-Pacific railway in 1867.
Paul Bunyan – according to old stories, a giant lumberjack from the north woods of the US and Canada who traveled with a blue ox named Babe. In American folklore, a mythical hero of superhuman size and strength. By dragging his pick he scooped out the Grand Canyon. Bunyan had a hot-cake griddle (flat pan) greased by servants who skated upon it with sides of bacon attached to their feet.
David (Davy) Crockett (1786-1836) – an American frontiersman and politician. In the popular imagination Davy Crockett wears a leather shirt and trousers and a hat made from animal skins, and carries a long gun for hunting in the forests. A well-known popular song describes him as “king of the wild frontier”.
Mike Fink (1770-1823) – a popular and admired man in the US who was famous for taking boats up and down the Mississippi River, for being a good shot and for his drinking and bragging. As a historical person, little is known of him; in the field of American legendry, he is the hero of many tall tales.
Wild Bill Hickok – a frontiersman and folk hero James Hickok (1837-1876) served as marshal in Abilene, Kansas, killing many desperatoes. In 1876, while he was engaged in a poker game, he was killed by a shot in the back. According to the reports, the hand he held when he was shot was two pairs, aces and eights. Since then this poker hand is known as “dead man’s hand”.
Jesse James (1847-1882), an outlaw. Jesse, his brother Frank and their gang committed daring robberies of banks and trains, especially in the 1880s. After a reward had been offered for James’s capture, one of his own gang shot him in the back and collected the money. Jesse James is the subject of many folk legends and songs. He became famous even in Britain, as an exciting character who is still written and sung about.
The Lone Ranger – a folklore hero and movie character always depicted riding on horseback and armed with a saddle gun and wearing a mask. Originally the word ranger was derived from the word range, which means “a wide open area over which cattle, sheep, etc. roam and graze.” In the period before the Civil War the Texas government established a semi-military organization of picked men who were used against Indians in the 1830s and against Mexicans in the 1840s. They were without uniform but always carried a six-shooter and a saddle gun. The rangers since then have gained popularity in Texas mostly through westerns. In World War II “ranger” meant a US soldier specially trained for making surprise raids and attacks in small groups. Also, people who work in US national park service are called “forest rangers”.
Bill Pecos – a hero of the cowboys, particularly those of the American Southwest. The legend is that he fell out of the wagon when his parents were moving west and was brought up by coyotes; but he discovered he was human because he had no tail, so he became a cow hand. Bill taught the broncos (small wild horses of the West) how to buck and the cowboys how to ride the broncos. He himself could ride anything (and did), from mountain lions to cyclones. According to the legend, Bill Pecos staked out New Mexico, dug the Rio Grande, invented the lasso, the six-shooter and skinned his buffaloes alive so that they could grow new hides.
Betsy Ross (1752-1836) – an American patriot, a seamstress who made flags in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. A widely accepted, but undocumented, story holds that she sewed the first American flag in the form of Stars and Stripes.
John Smith (1580-1631) – an English adventurer, one of the first English colonists in North America. As a promoter of the Virginia Company in London, he was among the first colonists to settle Jamestown (1607). Taken prisoner by the Indians he was condemned to death, but escaped and told the story of his rescue by the Indian princess, Pocahontas, daughter of the local chieftain.
NURSERY RHYMES
Old McDonald Had a Farm
Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,
And on this farm he had some chicks, E-I-E-I-O.
With a chick, chick here and a chick, chick there,
Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick.
Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,
And on this farm he had some dogs, E-I-E-I-O.
With a bow-wow here and a bow-wow there,
Here a bow, there a wow, everywhere a bow-wow;
Chick, chick here and a chick, chick there,
Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick.
Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
And on this farm he had some cows, E-I-E-I-O.
With a moo, moo here and a moo, moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo, moo;
Bow-wow here and a bow-wow there;
Here a bow, there a wow, everywhere a bow-wow;
Chick, chick here and a chick, chick there,
Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick.
Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
There's a Hole in my Bucket
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.
Well, then, fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Well, then, fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.
With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, with what?
With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, with a straw.
But the straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,
But the straw is too long, dear Liza, too long.
Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it.
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?
With a knife, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a knife, dear Henry, dear Henry, a knife.
But the knife is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,
But the knife is too dull, dear Liza, too dull.
Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then sharpen it, dear Henry, sharpen it.
With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, with what?
With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, a stone.
But the stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza,
But the stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.
Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it.
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what?
With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, water.
But there's a hole in my bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry,
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole!
Hush, Little Baby
Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mokingbird.
If that mockingbird don't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
If that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
If that looking glass should crack,
Papa's gonna buy you a jumping jack.
If that jumping jack won't hop,
Papa's gonna buy you a lollipop.
If that lollupop is gone,
Papa's goona buy you a real pup.
If that real pup won't bark,
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and a cart.
If that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest baby in town.
She'll Be Coming
She'll be coming around the mountains
When she comes.
She'll be driving six white horses
When she comes.
Oh, we'll all go out to meet her
When she comes.
Then we'll all have chicken and dumplings
When she comes.
The Farmer in the Dell
The farmer in the dell. The farmer in the dell,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the farmer in the dell.
the farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the farmer takes a wife.
The wife takes a child, the wife takes a child,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the wife takes a child.
The child takes a nurse, the child takes a nurse,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the child takes a nurse.
The nurse takes a dog, the nurse takes a dog,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the nurse takes a dog.
The dog takes a cat, the dog takes a cat,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the dog takes a cat.
The cat takes a rat, the cat takes a rat,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the cat takes a rat.
The rat takes the cheese, the rat takes the cheese,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the rat takes the cheese.
The cheese stands alone, the cheese stands alone,
Heigh-ho the derry O, the cheese stands alone.
Green Grass
There was a tree (2) in the middle of the woods (2),
The prettiest tree (2) that you ever did see (2),
And the green grass grew all round and round,
And the green grass grew all round.
And on this tree (2), there was a branch (2),
The prettiest branch (2) that you ever did see (2).
Well, the branch on the tree, and the tree in the woods,
And the green grass grew all round and round,
And the green grass grew all round.
And on this branch (2), there was a twig (2),
The prettiest twig (2) that you ever did see (2).
Well, the twig on the branch, and the branch on the tree,
And the tree in the woods,
And the green grass grew all round and round,
And the green grass grew all round.
And on this twig (2), there was a nest (2),
The prettiest nest (2) that you ever did see (2).
Well, the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch,
And the branch on the tree, and the tree in the woods,
And the green grass grew all round and round,
And the green grass grew all round.
And in this nest (2), there was an egg (2),
The prettiest egg (2) that you ever did see (2).
Well, the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig,
And the twig on the branch, and the branch on the tree,
And the tree in the woods,
And the green grass grew all round and round,
And the green grass grew all round.
And in this egg (2), there was a bird (2),
The prettiest bird (2) that you ever did see (2).
Well, the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest,
And the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch,
And the branch on the tree, and the tree in the woods,
And the green grass grew all round and round,
And the green grass grew all round.
And on this bird (2), there was a wing (2),
The prettiest wing (2) that you ever did see (2).
Well, the wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg,
And the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig,
And the twig on the branch, and the branch on the tree,
And the tree in the woods,
And the green grass grew all round and round,
And the green grass grew all round.
Little Red Caboose
Little red caboose (2), little red caboose behind the train,
Smokestack on its back, coming down the track,
Little red caboose behind the train.
Little red caboose (2), little red caboose behind the train,
Coming round the bend, hanging on the end,
Little red caboose behind the train.
There Was an Old Lady
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly,
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
Who wiggled and wiggled and jiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird,
How absurd to swallow a bird!
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
Who wiggled and wiggled and jiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat,
Imagine that, she swallowed a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
Who wiggled and wiggled and jiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a dog,
What a hog, to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
Who wiggled and wiggled and jiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow,
I don’t know why she swallowed a cow.
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
Who wiggled and wiggled and jiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she’ll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse,
She’s dead, of course!
Jennie Jenkins
Will you wear white, oh, my dear, oh, my dear?
Will you wear white, Jennie Jenkins?
No, I won't wear white for the color's too bright,
I'll buy me a fol-de-roy-dy, til-de-tol-dy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a, roll-a-find-me, roll, Jennie Jenkins, roll.
Will you wear blue, oh, my dear, oh, my dear?
Will you wear blue, Jennie Jenkins?
No, I won't wear blue, 'cause blue won't do,
I'll buy me a fol-de-roy-dy, til-de-tol-dy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a, roll-a-find-me, roll, Jennie Jenkins, roll.
Will you wear red, oh, my dear, oh, my dear?
Will you wear red, Jennie Jenkins?
No, I won't wear red, it's a color of my head,
I'll buy me a fol-de-roy-dy, til-de-tol-dy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a, roll-a-find-me, roll, Jennie Jenkins, roll.
Will you wear pink, oh, my dear, oh, my dear?
Will you wear pink, Jennie Jenkins?
No, I won't wear pink, I'd rather drink ink,
I'll buy me a fol-de-roy-dy, til-de-tol-dy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a, roll-a-find-me, roll, Jennie Jenkins, roll.
Billy Boy
- Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been, charming Billy?
- I have been to see my wife, she's a joy of my life!
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.
- Did she ask you to come in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you to come in, charming Billy?
- Yes, she asked me to come in, there’s a dimple in her chin!
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.
- Can she make a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy?
- She can make a cherry pie quick, as a cat can wink an eye!
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.
- Can she make a feather bed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a feather bed, charming Billy?
- She can make a feather bed quick, as you can nod a head!
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.
- How old is she, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? How old is she, charming Billy?
- Three times six and four times seven, twenty-eight and eleven -
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother!
She Waded in the Water
She waded in the water and she got her feet all wet (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
Chorus: Glory, glory, Hullelujah (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
She waded in the water and she got her ankles wet (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
Chorus: Glory, glory, Hullelujah (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
She waded in the water and she got her knees all wet (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
Chorus: Glory, glory, Hullelujah (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
She waded in the water and she got her thighs all wet (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
Chorus: Glory, glory, Hullelujah (3 times),
But she didn’t get her wet yet.
She waded in the water and finally got it wet (3 times),
She finally got her bathing suit wet!
Clementine
In the cavern, in a canyon,
Excavating for a mine,
Dwelt a miner, forty-niner,
And his daughter Clementine.
Chorus: Oh, my darling, oh, my darling,
Oh, my darling Clementine,
You are lost and gone forever,
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.
Light she was, and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine,
Herring boxes without topses
Sandals were for Clementine.
Chorus.
Drove she ducklings to the water
Every morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine.
Chorus.
Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So, I lost my Clementine.
Chorus.
How I missed her! How I missed her!
How I missed my Clementine!
Then I kissed her little sister,
And forgot my Clementine.
Chorus.
COUNTING RHYMES
My Mother and Your Mother
My mother and your mother live across the way,
Two-fourteen East Broadway.
Every night they have a fight
And this is what they say:
Acka backa soda cracka,
Acka backa boo.
If your father chews tobacka,
OUT goes Y-O-U!
A Swarm of Bees
A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay.
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver moon.
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly.
LEGENDS
Cherokee Bear Legend
In the long ago time, there was a Cherokee Clan called the Ani-Tsa-gu-hi (Ahnee-Jah-goo-hee), and in one family of this clan was a boy who used to leave home and be gone all day in the mountains. After a while he went oftener and stayed longer, until at last he would not eat in the house at all, but started off at daybreak and did not come back until night. His parents scolded, but that did no good, and the boy still went every day until they noticed that long brown hair was beginning to grow out all over his body. Then they wondered and asked him why it was that he wanted to be so much in the woods that he would not even eat at home. Said the boy, "I find plenty to eat there, and it is better than the corn and beans we have in the settlements, and pretty soon I am going into the woods to say all the time." His parents were worried and begged him not leave them, but he said, "It is better there than here, and you see I am beginning to be different already, so that I can not live here any longer. If you will come with me, there is plenty for all of us and you will never have to work for it; but if you want to come, you must first fast seven days." The father and mother talked it over and then told the headmen of the clan. They held a council about the matter and after everything had been said they decided: "Here we must work hard and have not always enough. There he says is always plenty without work. We will go with him." So they fasted seven days, and on the seventh morning al the Ani-Tsa-gu-hi left the settlement and started for the mountains as the boy led the way.
When the people of the other towns heard of it they were very sorry and sent their headmen to persuade the Ani Tsaguhi to stay at home and not go into the woods to live. The messengers found them already on the way, and were surprised to notice that their bodies were beginning to be covered with hair like that of animals, because for seven days they had not taken human food and their nature was changing. The Ani Tsaguhi would not come back, but said, "We are going where there is always plenty to eat. Hereafter we shall be called Yonv(a) (bears), and when you yourselves are hungry come into the woods and call us and we shall shall come to give you our own flesh. You need not be afraid to kill us, for we shall live always." Then they taught the messengers the songs with which to call them and bear hunters have these songs still. When they had finished the songs, the Ani Tsaguhi started on again and the messengers turned back to the settlements, but after going a little way they looked back and saw a drove of bears going into the woods.
Aho! We are all Related!
The Pleiades
A long time ago a party of Indians went through the woods toward a good hunting-ground, which they had long known. They traveled several days through a very wild country, going on leisurely and camping by the way.
At last they reached Kan-ya-ti-yo, "the beautiful lake," where the gray rocks were crowned with great forest trees. Fish swarmed in the waters, and at every jutting point the deer came down from the hills around to bathe or drink of the lake. On the hills and in the valleys were huge beech and chestnut trees, where squirrels chattered, and bears came to take their morning and evening meals.
The chief of the band was Hah-yah-no, "Tracks in the water," and he halted his party on the lake shore that he might return thanks to the Great Spirit for their safe arrival at this good hunting-ground. "Here will we build our lodges for the winter, and may the Great Spirit, who has prospered us on our way, send us plenty of game, and health and peace." The Indian is always thankful.
The pleasant autumn days passed on. The lodges had been built, and hunting had prospered, when the children took a fancy to dance for their own amusement. They were getting lonesome, having little to do, and so they met daily in a quiet spot by the lake to have what they called their jolly dance. They had done this a long time, when one day a very old man came to them. They had seen no one like him before. He was dressed in white feathers, and his white hair shone like silver. If his appearance was strange, his words were unpleasant as well. He told them they must stop their dancing, or evil would happen to them. Little did the children heed, for they were intent on their sport, and again and again the old man appeared, repeating his warning.
The mere dances did not afford all the enjoyment the children wished, and a little boy, who liked a good dinner, suggested a feast the next time they met. The food must come from their parents, and all these were asked when they returned home. "You will waste and spoil good victuals," said one. "You can eat at home as you should," said another, and so they got nothing at all. Sorry as they were for this, they met and danced as before. A little to eat after each dance would have made them happy indeed. Empty stomachs cause no joy.
One day, as they danced, they found themselves rising little by little into the air, their heads being light through hunger. How this happened they did not know, but one said, "Do not look back, for something strange is taking place." A woman, too, saw them rise, and called them back, but with no effect, for they still rose slowly above the earth. She ran to the camp, and all rushed out with food of every kind, but the children would not return, though their parents called piteously after them. But one would even look back, and he became a falling star. The others reached the sky, and are now what we call the Pleiades, and the Onondagas Oot-kwa-tah. Every falling or shooting star recalls the story, but the seven stars shine on continuously, a pretty band of dancing children.
TALL TALES
Johnny Appleseed
An Ohio Legend
Johnny Appleseed was a hermit and a wanderer who was welcomed wherever he went in the Ohio territory. Everyone loved him, in spite of his unkempt appearance. He always carried a sack full of apple seeds to plant, and walked barefoot all year round. He knew the frontier woods better than anyone. Even the Indians respected Johnny Appleseed for his courage.
When the War of 1812 began, many Indians allied themselves with the British, seeking to revenge injustices done to their people by the settlers. They attacked up and down the Ohio territory, but they left Johnny Appleseed alone. Taking advantage of his position, Johnny Appleseed became the Paul Revere of the Ohio territory, warning settlers of danger.
On one occasion, Johnny Appleseed learned that a band of Indians had laid siege on the town of Mansfield, Ohio. Johnny Appleseed ran twenty-six miles through the forest to Mt. Vernon to obtain help for the settlers. As he ran, he tried to warn other settlers along the path of the danger by blowing on an old powder horn. Aid reached the town within a day, and the settlers were spared, thanks to the bravery of Johnny Appleseed.
Pecos Bill Rides a Tornado
A Kansas Tall Tale
Now everyone in the West knows that Pecos Bill could ride anything. No bronco could throw him, no sir! Fact is, I only heard of Bill getting' throwed once in his whole career as a cowboy. Yep, it was that time he was up Kansas way and decided to ride him a tornado.
Now Bill wasn't gonna ride jest any tornado, no ma'am. He waited for the biggest gol-durned tornado you ever saw. It was turning the sky black and green, and roaring so loud it woke up the farmers away over in China. Well, Bill jest grabbed that there tornado, pushed it to the ground and jumped on its back. The tornado whipped and whirled and sidewinded and generally cussed its bad luck all the way down to Texas. Tied the rivers into knots, flattened all the forests so bad they had to rename one place the Staked Plains. But Bill jest rode along all calm-like, give it an occasional jab with his spurs.
Finally, that tornado decided it wasn't getting this cowboy off its back no-how. So it headed west to California and jest rained itself out. Made so much water it washed out the Grand Canyon. That tornado was down to practically nothing when Bill finally fell off. He hit the ground so hard it sank below sea level. Folks call the spot Death Valley.
Anyway, that's how rodeo got started. Though most cowboys stick to broncos these days.
Daniel Boone's Dear
A North Carolina Legend
Late one night, Daniel Boone and a friend went out fire hunting. Fire hunting involves the shining of the light from a fire pan (a pan full of blazing pine knots) into the woods. The light reflects in the eyes of the deer, which is too dazzled to run and the hunters can shoot it.
This night, as they neared a creek bed, Daniel Boone caught a glimpse of blue eyes shining in the darkness. He dismounted from his horse and aimed his rifle, but found himself unable to shoot. He had never seen a blue eyed deer. A rustle told him his prey had fled, and he followed it over a fence and into a meadow. The moonlight told him his "deer" had really been a young woman, and fate had kept him from shooting her. He followed her to the house, where he was met by her father, a close neighbor.
The father welcomed him in, and while they were still greeting one another, a young boy and girl burst into the room, babbling excitedly about their older sister's adventures. She appeared in the doorway, still flushed from her flight, the light shining on her gold hair. Daniel Boone was smitten. Her father introduced her as Rebecca. Being a determined sort of fellow, Daniel proceeded to woo Rebecca as doggedly as he once chased her across the fields, and did not give up until he had won the heart of the maid.
Paul Bunyan's Kitchen
Oregon Tall Tale
One winter, Paul Bunyan came to log along the Little Gimlet in Oregon. Ask any old timer who was logging that winter, and they'll tell you I ain't lying when I say his kitchen covered about ten miles of territory.
That stove, now, she were a grand one. An acre long, taller than a scrub pine, and when she was warm, she melted the snow for about twenty miles around. The men logging in the vicinity never had to put on their jackets 'til about noon on a day when Paul Bunyan wanted flapjacks.
It was quite a site to see, that cook of Paul Bunyan's making flapjacks. Cookie would send four of the boys up with a side of hog tied to each of their snowshoes, and they'd skate around up there keeping the griddle greased while Cookie and seven other men flipped flapjacks for Paul Bunyan. Took them about an hour to make enough flapjacks to fill him up. The rest of us had to wait our turn.
The table we had set up for the camp was about ten miles long. We rigged elevators to the table to bring the vittles to each end, and some of the younger lads in the camp rode bicycles down the path at the center, carrying cakes and such wherever they were called for.
We had one mishap that winter. Babe the Blue Ox accidentally knocked a bag of dried peas off the countertop when he swished his tail. Well, them peas flew so far and so fast out of the kitchen that they knocked over a dozen loggers coming home for lunch, clipped the tops off of several pine trees, and landed in the hot spring. We had pea soup to eat for the rest of the season, which was okay by me, but them boys whose Mama's insisted they bath more than once a year were pretty sore at losing their swimming hole.
Дата: 2019-03-05, просмотров: 245.