of course no value for the historian, who studies folk-lore for the sake of the light it throws on what I may call pre-historic history; on the other hand, they have a value for the philosopher, who studies folklore because it reveals to him the workings of the untaught human mind. But whether they are valuable or not valuable, surely they are, in the strictest sense of the word, folk-lore.
SOME FOLK-TALES AND WORD-JINGLES FROM ABERDEEN AND BANFF SHIRES.
The Lion, the Leper, and the Tod.
THERE wiz ance a man traivllin in a hill, an he gede will (lost his way), an he gede an he gede (went) till he saw a bonnie clear lichtie, an he gede till he cam till't. Fin (when) he cam up till't, it wiz in a hoosie, an he gede in. It wiz clean swypit, an there wiz a green bink, an there wiz a steel (stool), an there wiz a cheer (chair) in't, an there wiz a bonnie clear burnin firie. He took a seat, an sat doon at the firie t' keep himsel warm. Bit he hidna sitten lang fin he hears a whiskan, whiskan like about the door, an he grew fleyt (afraid), an ran, an haid himsel. In comes the tod (fox) whiskin, whiskin, an he sits doon o' the green bink. In comes the lion niest, an he sits doon o' the steel, an in comes the leper (leopard) niest, and sits doon o' the cheer, an they fell t' newsan (conversation) amo' themsels, an they set t' brack —'s faul (fold), an tack oot a sheep. Sae the man slippit oot, an he wiz awa afore them, an taul the fouck (folk) faht he hid hard (had heard), an the fouck wiz afore them at the faul, an they war forct t' come hame. The man cam hame afore them. They sat doon in their seats again, the tod on's green bink, the lion on's steel, an the leper on's
