Collectanea. 5 1 7
got into a hogshead, and put the end back, and his gun through the small hole. And waited till he came, and shot him, but did not kill him outright. And the serpent put his venom into the hogshead, and killed the man. This happened about 150 years ago.-*
The Mouse and the Basin. — There was an old man breaking stone, and a gentleman did come by, and the man told him he was bound to work, as he had ten children to keep, and the gentleman asked him, — " How did 'er find a living for them all ? " " By making much of the youngest always." " That is too hard a work for you. I will keep you." Well ! then he said he should come away to his seat, and then he would send money for his wife and children. And, when the poor man came to the seat, the gentleman did charge him he was not to touch that basin. And the poor man did rise it to see what was under him, and off goes the live mouse, and the gentleman couldn't trust him, and then him had to go back to his stone again. ^
Miscellaneous.
Ladybird. — Anne Thomas used to count the spots on a lady- bird's back, to see how many years she should be married. William Thomas used to call it " Little Red Cow.'"' As a boy he used to put one on his hand, and say, — "Are you going to f]y, or are you going to fall?" If it flew away, it was going to be fine; if it fell, it was going to rain.
Marriage. — Young men wanting to find out the savingest wife did go and see all the kneading-troughs, and that one as he could find no waste on it, that was the savingest one.
Handsel. — In selling a pig or something, say, — " Please to give me a Honsal for luck. You must gie me a Honsal." Old Duffee used to say, — " If I'd give him a halfpenny, he'd be lucky all day, her'd sell." " I shall go well all day," her'd say.
■•Cf. Mrs. E. M. Leather, The Folk- Lore of Herefordshire, p. 24. ^Cf. J. Jacobs, More English Fairy Tales, p. 109.
