Long ago in a small village there lived a blacksmith. Now although blacksmiths were poor, they were, nevertheless, held in respect because they were the strongest men in the village.

People used to go to the blacksmith for advice and help. This particular balcksmithhad one son, and the blacksmith wanted his son to be a blacksmith also. But the son was lazy and did not like to work. One day he told his father: "father, I have a very brilliant idea. I'm going to learn your trade in an easy way. Here's my plan: Put me in a large basket above yuor workshop and I will watch everything you do. And by watching you constantly, I will earn your trade."

So the son was put in the basket and watched his father fort several months. Then the son said to his father: "Father, I think I'm ready." And so the father gave the son tools, and a large piece of iron, and said to his son: "now son, what are you going to make?"

"Father," the son said, "I think I'll make a hammer."

"Son," the father said, "If you can make a hammer, you will be a better blacksmith than I, because it took me five years to learn how to make a hammer." And the son worked feverishly for several days but to no avail. So the son went to his father and said: "Father, I think I'll make a horseshoe instead."

The father said; "Son, if you can make a horseshoe, you will be a better blacksmith than I, because it took me three years to learn how to make a horseshoe." The son again went out, pounding and forming, but to no avail. He said to the fahter: "Father, I think I will make a nail instead of a horseshoe."

The fahter said: "Son, if you can make a nail, you will be a better blacksmith than I, because it took me two years to learn how to make a nail." The son worked for several hours, but to no avail. He said to his father: "Father, I will make something you never made. I will make a needle."

"Son," said the father, "if you make a needle, you will be a better blacksmith than I, for no smith has made a needle. " And so, the son worked and worked until finally there was nothing left. but he did not give up. He said: "Father, I will make something with no iron at all."

"Son, if you can make something without iron, it will indeed make you a great blacksmith," the father replied.

The son said: "Come watch, Father." He took a pair of tongs and heated them red hot, and suddenly plunged them into a barrel of water, and said: "Father, I did it. I made a pss."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs Number [ B665] crossed out and B646 is written next to it.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ALLEN PARK

Keyword(s): Blacksmith ; FAMILY ; Father ; Hammer ; HORSESHOE ; HUMOR ; IRON ; Learn ; Lesson ; Needle ; Outsmart ; Skill ; Son ; TRADE ; Wise ; Wisecrack

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Romantic Realistic

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Play on Words

Did you hear about the nearsighted optician who fell into a lens-grinding machine and made a spectacle of himself?

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs Numbers [W400, B667] crossed out and B660 Substituted.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Anecdote ; HUMOR ; IRONY ; Jest ; Optician ; PUN ; Silly

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Translations, plays on words, symbol writing

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Superstition

Superstition:

That warts come from handling frogs

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880.440] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURE ; Fallacy ; FROG ; HEALTH ; ILLNESS ; MEDICINE ; SUPERSTITION ; Touching tabu ; Warts

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

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Entry filtered.

Joke: Off-Color

How did Helen Keller burn her fingers?

She was reading a waffle iron

Data entry tech comment:

Helen Keller was an American author, political activist and lecturer who lived from 1880-1968. She was deaf and blind.

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans

Keyword(s): BLIND ; BLINDNESS ; BRAILLE ; DEAF ; Distasteful ; IRON ; JOKE

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Cats:

Cats shouldn't be allowed in the same room as a sleeping baby because the smell of milk on a baby's breath will cause the cat to suffocate the baby when the cat attempts to suck the milk out of the baby through the baby's mouth.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P400] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; DEATH ; FEAR ; Feline ; FOOD ; Kill ; Milk ; Newborn ; Offspring ; Suffocate ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

A snake having been killed will not die until sundown

Submitter comment:

Informant was skeptical as to this belief

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: NEW YORK ; POUGHKEEPSIE

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; Kill ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUPERSTITION ; Time of day

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Animal

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Superstition: Animals

If you kill a black snake and throw him in a tree, it will rain until you take him down.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P435, P447] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classification.

Where learned: ALABAMA

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; Kill ; Rain ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION ; Tree ; WEATHER

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Animal
BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew

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Belief: Animal

Snake Legend:

If you kill a snake you have to do it late in the day, because otherwise the snake would suffer until sunset.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B440] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classification.

Where learned: HOME ; MINNESOTA ; SAINT PAUL

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Kill ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUNSET ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Animal

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Superstition: Animals

Hunting Superstition:

When a hunter shoots his game and he is sure it is dead he should never for any reason shoot it again as this will disturb its spirit and it will haunt him.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: NORTHERN MICHIGAN

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; DEATH ; GAME ; Hunter ; HUNTING ; Kill ; Shoot ; SPIRIT

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Animal

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