prepared, began to coax the "child" to eat a little bit and get strong. The giant amazed, asked, could that child eat such hard bread? And Oonagh persuaded him to put his finger into the child's mouth, "just to feel his teeth;" and as soon as Fuenvicouil got the giant's finger in his mouth, he bit it off. This was more than the giant could stand; and seeing that a child in the cradle was so strong, he was convinced that the sooner he decamped before Fuenvicouil's return the better; so he hastened from the house, while Oonagh in vain pressed him to remain; and never stopped till he returned to his own place, very happy at having escaped a meeting with Fuenvicouil. FRANCES ROBERT DAVIES. * * * * * {617} FOLK LORE MISCELLANIES. _Yorkshire Tradition._--The following tradition of Osmotherly, in Yorkshire, was related to me as being current in that county. Can you inform me if it is authentic? Some years ago there lived in a secluded part of Yorkshire a lady who had an only son named Os or Oscar. Strolling one day with her child they met a party of gipsies, who were anxious to tell her the child's fortune. After being much importuned she assented to their request. To the mother's astonishment and grief they prognosticated that the child would be drowned. In order to avert so dreadful a calamity, the infatuated mother purchased some land and built a house on the summit of a high hill, where she lived with her son a long time in peace and seclusion. Happening one fine summer's day in the course of a perambulation to have fatigued themselves, they sat down on the grass to rest and soon fell asleep. While enjoying this repose, a spring rose up from the ground, which caused such an inundation as to overwhelm them, and side by side they found a watery grave. After this had occurred, the people residing in the neighbourhood named it Os-by-his-mother-lay, which has since been corrupted into Osmotherly. R. W. CARTER. _Custom on St. Thomas's Day_ (_Dec. 21_).--At Harvington, in Worcestershire, it is the custom on St. Thomas's Day for persons (chiefly children) to go round the village begging for apples, and singing the following rhymes: "Wissal, wassail through the town, If you've got any apples, throw them down. Up with the stocking, and down with the shoe, If you've got no apples, money will do. The jug is white, and the ale is brown, This is the best house in the town." CUTHBERT BEDE, B.A. _Custom on Innocents' Day_ (_Dec. 28_).--At Norton (near Evesham) it is the custom on Dec. 28 to ring, first a muffled peal for the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, and then an unmuffled peal of joy for the deliverance of the Infant Christ. CUTHBERT BEDE, B.A.