Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that islandMacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
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Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that island
MacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
Folklore -- Guernsey
Wondering what could be the meaning of this, he made the best of his
way home, and, on his arrival, sent for Le Petit Colin, to whom he
communicated what had befallen him. The boy replied, “What! Is Le
Grand Colin dead? Then I must leave you,” and immediately turned round
to depart.
“Stop,” said Mess Dumaresq, “I must pay you your wages.”
“Wages!” said Colin, with a laugh, “I am far richer now than you.
Goodbye.”
Saying this he left the room and was never afterwards seen or heard of.
This story is still related by Dumaresq’s descendants.[106]
[105] “Mess” is the Guernsey colloquial for “Monsieur,” as applied to
one of the farmer class.
[106] From Miss Lane and John de Garis, Esq.
Mr. Métivier also gives a version of this in an article in one of the
French papers, and some notes as to the origin of the legend.
Ce fut à son retour de St. Pierre-Port, où il avait un tant soit peu
trop levé le coude, un Samedi, qu’au moment où il passait “La Roche au
Coq,” vers minuit, un de nos terriens entendit ces paroles:
“Jean Dumaresq! Va dire au P’tit Colin que l’Grànd Colin est mort!”
Or ce Colin, en haut-tudesque _Cole-wire_, est un _troll_ ou _guenon_,
un gobelin, qui, sous la forme de singe, ou de chat, était persécuté
par un maître rébarbatif. Dans la légende norse, le fermier se nomme
Platt; et lorsqu’il revient chez lui, ayant pris, sinon du vin, de la
cervoise, il dit à sa ménagère: “Écoute ce qui m’est arrivé ce soir!
Comme je passais Brand Hoy, la Hougue-aux-Balais, la voix d’un troll
m’a crié ces mots:
“Écoute, Platt!
Dis à ton chat
‘Que le vieux Sure-Mûre,
(Rouâne et grond),
Est mort!’”
Aussitôt, notre chat fait une cabriole, et se dressant sur ses pieds de
derrière, crie à son tour: “En ce cas-là, il faut que je décampe.””
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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