{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/efft/efft70.htm","path":"neu/eng/efft/efft70.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/efft/efft70.htm","text":"THERE was once a little boy, and his mother sent him to buy a sheep's head and pluck; afraid he should forget it, the lad kept saying all the way along:\n\"Sheep's head and pluck!\n Sheep's head and pluck!\"\nTrudging along, he came to a stile; but in getting over he fell and hurt himself, and, beginning to blubber, forgot what he was sent for. So he stood a little while to consider; at last he thought he recollected it, and began to repeat:\n\"Liver and lights and gall and all!\n Liver and lights and gall and all!\"\nAway he went again, and came to where a man was sick, bawling out:\nWhereon the man laid hold of him and beat him, bidding him say:\n\"Pray God send no more up!\n Pray God send no more up!\"\nThe youngster strode along, uttering these words, till he reached a field where a hind was sowing wheat:\nThis was all his cry. So the sower began to thrash him, and charged him to repeat:\n\"Pray God send plenty more!\n Pray God send plenty more!\nOff the child scampered with these words in his mouth till he reached a churchyard and met a funeral, but he went on with his:\n\"Pray God send plenty more!\n Pray God send plenty more!\"\nThe chief mourner seized and punished him, and bade him repeat:\n\"Pray God send the soul to heaven!\n Pray God send the soul to heaven!\"\nAway went the boy, and met a dog and a bitch going to be hung, but his cry rang out:\nThe good folk nearly were furious, seized and struck him, charging him to say:\n\"A dog and a bitch agoing to be hung!\n A dog and a bitch agoing to be hung!\"\nThis the poor fellow did, till he overtook a man and a woman going to be married. \"Oh! oh!\" he shouted:\nThe man was enraged, as we may well think, gave him many a thump, and ordered him to repeat:\n\"I wish you much joy!\n I wish you much joy!\"\nThis he did, jogging along, till he came to two labourers who had fallen into a ditch. The lad kept bawling out:\nThis vexed one of the folk so sorely that he used all his strength, scrambled out, beat the crier, and told him to say:\n\"The one is out, I wish the other was!\n The one is out, I wish the other was!\"\nOn went young 'un till he found a fellow with only one eye; but he kept up his song:\nThis was too much for Master One-eye, who grabbed him and chastised him, bidding him call:\n\"The one side gives good light, I wish the other did!\n The one side gives good light, I wish the other did!\"\nSo he did, to be sure, till he came to a house, one side of which was on fire. The people here thought it was he who had set the place a-blazing, and straightway put him in prison. The end was, the judge put on his black cap, and condemned him to die.\n1 Folk-Lore Record, vol. iii. p 153.","title":"English Fairy and Other Folk Tales: Drolls: Stupid's Mistaken Cries","type":"page"}