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Oregon, United States
loves: you win if you guessed "pets" and "museums". Also books, art history, travel, British punk, Korean kimchi, bindis, martinis, and other things TBD. I will always make it very clear if a post is sponsored in any way. Drop me a line at thepetmuseum AT gmail.com !

Friday, January 18, 2013

a folktale: judy and the cats, part 1

From a University of California publication on superstitions, 1907:

According to Lady Wilde, a story is current among the Irish "that one night an old woman was sitting up very late spinning, when a knocking came to the door. 'Who is there?' she asked. No answer: but still the knocking went on. 'Who is there?' she asked a second time. No answer: and the knocking continued. 'Who is there?' she asked the third time in a very angry passion. Then came a small voice: 'Ah, Judy, agrah ('oh love' in Gaelic - curator), let me in, for I am cold and hungry; open the door, Judy, agrah, and let me sit by the fire, for the night is cold out here. Judy, agrah, let me in, let me in!'
The heart of Judy was touched, for she thought it was some small child that had lost its way, and she rose up from her spinning, and went and opened the door—when in walked a large black cat with a white breast, and two white kittens after her. They all made over to the fire and began to warm and dry themselves, purring all the time very loudly; but Judy never said a word, only went on spinning. 
Then the black cat spoke at last:
 --- Visit tomorrow to hear what she had to say!

--Fletcher Bascom Dresslar, Superstition and Education (University of California Publications vol. 5 no. 1, 1907)  p. 155-6.

1 comment:

parlance said...

Okay...You've got me. I'll be back to find out.