In Parsons, Andros Island, 129–132, a tree sings of a murder. See Grimm 47, The Juniper Tree, and Bolte u. Polívka 1: 412–423 on Grimm 28, The Singing Bones.
74. Two Sisters. [[Story]]
Jamaica versions of this popular story appear in Milne-Home, 70–72; Jekyll, 14–16; Trowbridge, JAFL 9: 283–284. Parsons Andros Island, 150–152, has equivalent versions.
The False Bride motive is very common in African story. Compare Callaway, 105–130; 303–316; Theal, 56–66; 144–147; 151–154; Jacottet, 90–99; Torrend, 66–68; Dayrell, 126.
In number [101], the true bride comes at night and sings and is detected through the words of her song. In this story, she comes at night to suckle her child; see the Child ballad version noted [[267]]by Parsons, and Bolte u. Polívka 1: 76–96, on Grimm 11, Brother and Sister. In Theal, 55–66, the drowned woman comes at night to suckle her child, is watched, and a net set to catch her. In Theal, 144–147, the snare and the milk are set for the false instead of for the true bride as a test of her witch nature because no witch’s tail can escape the attraction of milk. This is like the old fable of the cat who became a lady, but betrayed her origin when a mouse ran across the floor.
75. Assonah. [[Story]]
This story has some elements in common with number 90. It falls into two parts. (1) A huge beast comes daily to the house and is finally shot. (2) A boy who must discover the name of the beast learns it by chance from an old woman and wins the reward.
(1) Compare Backus, JAFL 13: 27, where the animal is a bear.