XLV. HEREAFTERTHIS
Source.—Sent me anonymously soon after the appearance of English Fairy Tales. From a gloss in the MS. "vitty" = Devonian for "decent," I conclude the tale is current in Devon. I should be obliged if the sender would communicate with me.
Parallels.—The latter part has a certain similarity with "Jack Hannaford" (No. viii.). Halliwell's story of the miser who kept his money "for luck" (p. 153) is of the same type. Halliwell remarks that the tale throws light on a passage in Ben Jonson:
Say we are robbed,
If any come to borrow a spoon or so
I will not have Good Fortune or God's Blessing
Let in, while I am busy.
The earlier part of the tale has resemblance with "Lazy Jack" (No. xxvii), the European variants of which are given by M. Cosquin, Contes de Lorraine, i., 241. Jan's satisfaction with his wife's blunders is also European (Cosquin, l.c., i., 157). On minding the door and dispersing robbers by its aid see "Mr. Vinegar" (No. vi.).
Remarks.—"Hereafterthis" is thus a mélange of droll incidents, yet has characteristic folkish touches ("can you milk-y, bake-y," "when I lived home") which give it much vivacity.
XLVI. THE GOLDEN BALL