WELL, THE LORD HAD JUST FINISHED MAKING THE WORLD AND HE SAT BACK
IN HIS BIG OL' ROCKER TO LOOK IT OVER. "NOT A BAD JOB, IF I SAY SO
MYSELF." HE LIT UP A BIG, FINE CIGAR AND WAS FEELING PRETTY GOOD
ABOUT IT UNTIL HE NOTICED THAT THE WORLD LOOKED KIND OF BARE. THE
FACT OF THE MATTER WAS THERE WASN'T A THING TO THE WORLD EXCEPT LAND,
TREES AND A LOTS OF WATER. THERE WAS EVEN MORE WATER THAN LAND.
"WONDER HOW I DID THAT," THE LORD SAID. "SEEMS TO ME I'D PLANNED FOR
THERE TO BE MORE LANDTHAN WATER." WELL, HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AND
TURNED HIS MIND TO MAKE THE WORLD LOOK A BIT PRETTIER. "GIMME MY
PRUNING SHEARS," HE CALLED OUT AND ONE OF THE CUTE, LITTLE ANGELS RAN
AND GOT THEM. THEN THE GREAT LORD ALMIGHTY LEANED OUT OF HIS ROCKING
CHAIR, TRIMMED THE TREES, AND THREW THE TRIMMINGS ALL OVER THE EMPTY
GROUND. THAT'S WHAT MADE THE GRASS, BUSHES, AND ALL THE FLOWERS.
"NOW THAT DON'T LOOK TOO BAD," HE SAID AND LEANED BACK. "YESSIRY
I'VE DONE MADE A AWFUL PRETTY WORLD." AND SO SAYING, HE WENT TO BED
TO REST UP FROM ALL THAT WORK. THE NEXT MORNING THE LORD HADN'T EVEN
HAD ONE EYE OPEN YET, WHEN HE HEARD THE FLOWERS WHISPERING AMONG
THEMSELVES, "IT'S LONELY DOWN HERE"; THE OTHER FLOWER SAID, "WE
WERE PUT HERE TO KEEP THE GROUND COMPANY AND MAKE EVERYTHING LOOK
PRETTY, BUT IT SURE IS MIGHTY LONELY." THE LORD SHOOK HIS HEAD IN
DISGUST. "HAVE MERCY, FATHER. YOU GET THROUGH MAKING ONE THANG AND
AND THE NEXT THANG YOU KNOW YOU GOTTA MAKE SOMETHING TO GO WITH THE
FIRST. GIMME THEM LITTLE SHEARS, ONE OF YOU ANGELS, PLEASE." AN
ANGEL BROUGHT HIM THE TEENICHY PAIR OF SHEARS AND HE BENT OVER TO THE
EARTH AND STARTED SNIPPING LITTLE PIECES OFF OF EVERYTHING - THE SKY,
THE GROUND, THE TREES, THE ANIMALS, THE BUSHES, THE FLOWERS;
EVERYTHING HE PUT HIS SHEARS ON, GOT SNIPPED. "THE VERY IDEA OF
GETTING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WORLD AND IT AIN'T EVEN A DAY OLD.
THAT'S GRATITUDE." THE LORD HAD A FEELING HE WAS GOING TO BE GETTING
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WORLD FROM THEN ON. HE WAS SO MAD THAT HE DID
NOT CARE WHAT HE SNIPPED - SNIP, SNIP, ALL MORNING LONG. WELL, WHEN
THE FOLKS LOOKED UP AND SAW THE TINY CLIPPINGS FLUTTERING AROUND.
THEY CALLED THEM FLUTTER-BYS. THE BLUE FLUTTER-BYS HAD BEEN SNIPPED
FROM THE SKY; THE YELLOW FLUTTER-BYS HAD BEEN CLIPPINGS FROM THE SUN;
AND THERE WERE THE LORD'S WHITE FLUTTER-BYS THAT WERE CLIPPINGS FROM
THE STARS. EVERY COLOR FLUTTER-BY YOU COULD THINK OF WAS FLUTTERING
AROUND.

Submitter comment:

THIS IS ANOTHER LONG NARRATIVE WITH A STRONG BLACK IMAGE, AS REFERRED
TO IN MY COLLECTION'S SEQUENCE NUMBER 731772-1; I GET THE
IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS A BLACK GOD.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Butterfly ; CREATION ; ETYMOLOGY ; God ; NAME ; Origin ; PERSONIFICATION ; Tale

James Callow Keyword(s): PERSONIFICATION

Subject headings:

Favorites
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Creation and Order of Animal Life
SPEECH -- Proper Name

Date learned: 00-00-1954

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PATTY THE BAG

APPARENTLY, IN IRELAND PATTY THE BAG IS A WITCH CREATURE WITH
WHICH CHILDREN ARE THREATENED IF THEY MISBEHAVE,
E.G. IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT, PATTY THE BAG WILL TAKE YOU.

Submitter comment:

INFORMANT HAD KNOWN OF THE LEGEND SINCE HER CHILDHOOD IN IRELAND.
SHE WAS BORN C. 1870

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; IRELAND

James Callow Keyword(s): THREAT

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- P435,

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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BIRTH BELIEF

AFTER THE BABY IS BORN THE MOTHER IS TO HOLD THE BABY IN HER
ARM AND WALK OVER WHEAT THAT HAS BEEN STREWN ON THE FLOOR OR
GROUND TO INSURE THE CHILD OF A GOOD LIFE TO COME.

Submitter comment:

INFORMANT'S MOTHER DID THIS WITH EACH OF HER CHILDREN SOON AFTER
THEIR BIRTH. DONE IN EGYPT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; CHILD ; CUSTOM ; Good ; LUCK ; MOTHER ; Practice ; RITUAL ; Wheat

James Callow Keyword(s): HOMEOPATHIC

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

Date learned: 03-23-1971

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PLANT HUSBANDRY

IF A TREE DOESN'T BEAR FRUIT, FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE: GO OUT IN YOUR GARDEN ONE NIGHT (PREFERABLY WHEN THE FULL MOON IS OUT) AND CARRY A SHARP KNIFE. TAKE THE KNIFE AND STRIKE THE TREE THREE TIMES. AFTER EACH CHOP, REPEAT THE WORDS, "TREE BEAR FRUIT" WITH A STERN VOICE. THE NEXT YEAR ON THAT SAME DAY, THE TREE WILL BEGIN TO BEAR FRUIT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): THREAT?

Subject headings:

686 686.1
Food Drink -- Plant food Fruit
BELIEF -- Plant

Date learned: 09-20-1969

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VEGETABLES BELIEF

EAT VEGETABLES AND YOU WILL SLEEP LESS BUT WILL FEEL BETTER.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; E313

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Consume ; CUSTOM ; Eat ; Old Wives Tale ; SLEEP ; SUPERSTITION ; VEGETABLE

James Callow Keyword(s): PLANT

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Plant

Date learned: 11-02-1971

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