The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

MILITARY REFUGEES

ONE NIGHT THERE WERE THREE SOLDIERS DRIVING ALONG A
DESERTED COUNTRY ROAD WHEN THEIR CAR SUDDENLY BROKE
DOWN. THEY LOOKED AT IT, BUT WERE UNABLE TO FIX IT,
SINCE IT WAS GETTING DARK, AND SO THEY DECIDED THEY WOULD
WAIT UNTIL MORNING. ONE OF THEM REMEMBERED PASSING A
FARMHOUSE A WHILE BACK, AND SO THEY ALL DECIDED TO SEE
IF THEY COULDN'T STAY THERE FOR THE NIGHT. AND SO THEY
BEGAN TO WALK.
THEY REACHED THE FARMHOUSE AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. WHEN
THE FARMER ANSWERED THEY TOLD HIM OF THEIR PREDICAMENT
AND HE SAID HE WOULD BE GLAD TO PUT UP THREE SOLDIERS
FOR THE NIGHT, BUT HE ONLY HAD ONE EXTRA BEDROOM, AND
THEY WOULD ALL HAVE TO SHARE IT. THEY AGREED, AND HE
SHOWED THEM UPSTAIRS.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER, ALONG THE SAME ROAD, THREE SAILORS
WERE DRIVING WHEN THEIR CAR BROKE DOWN. THEY TOO WERE
UNABLE TO FIX THEIR CAR AND, SINCE IT WAS GETTING DARK,
THEY DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING. ONE OF THEM HAD
REMEMBERED PASSING A FARMHOUSE, AND SO THEY ALL DECIDED
TO SEE IF THEY COULDN'T STAY THERE FOR THE NIGHT. AND
SO THEY BEGAN TO WALK.
THEY REACHED THE FARMHOUSE AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. WHEN
THE FARMER ANSWERED, THEY TOLD HIM OF THEIR PREDICAMENT
AND HE SAID HE WOULD BE GLAD TO PUT UP THREE SAILORS FOR
THE NIGHT, BUT HE ONLY HAD ONE EXTRA BEDROOM AND THERE
WERE ALREADY THREE SOLDIERS IN IT. IF THEY WOULDN'T MIND
SHARING IT, HE WOULD BE GLAD TO HAVE THEM. THEY AGREED,
AND HE SHOWED THEM UPSTAIRS.
SOON AFTERWARDS, THREE MARINES WERE DRIVING DOWN THE SAME
DESERTED ROAD WHEN THEIR CAR BROKE DOWN. THEY TOO WERE
UNABLE TO FIX THEIR CAR AND, SINCE IT WAS GETTING DARK,
THEY DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING. ONE OF THEM HAD
REMEMBERED PASSING A FARMHOUSE, AND SO THEY ALL DECIDED
TO SEE IF THEY COULDN'T STAY THERE FOR THE NIGHT.
THEY BEGAN TO WALK.
THEY REACHED THE FARMHOUSE AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR.
WHEN THE FARMER ANSWERED THEY TOLD HIM OF THEIR PREDICA-
MENT AND HE SAID HE WOULD BE GLAD TO PUT UP THREE MARINES
FOR THE NIGHT, BUT HE ONLY HAD ONE EXTRA BEDROOM AND
THERE WERE ALREADY THREE SOLDIERS AND THREE SAILORS IN
IT. IF THEY WOULDN'T MIND SHARING IT, HE WOULD BE GLAD
TO HAVE THEM. THEY AGREED, AND HE SHOWED THEM UPSTAIRS.
ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, A WAC WAS DRIVING DOWN THE SAME
DESERTED ROAD WHEN HER CAR BROKE DOWN. KNOWING NOTHING
ABOUT CARS, AND BEING QUITE AFRAID OF THE DARK, SHE DE-
CIDED TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING TO SEE IF SHE MIGHT GET SOME
HELP. REMEMBERING THAT SHE HAD JUST PASSED A FARMHOUSE
DOWN THE ROAD, SHE DECIDED TO WALK DOWN THERE AND SEE
IF SHE COULDN'T STAY THERE FOR THE NIGHT. SO SHE BEGAN
TO WALK.
SHE REACHED THE FARMHOUSE AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. WHEN
THE FARMER ANSWERED SHE TOLD HIM OF HER PREDICAMENT AND
SHE ASKED IF SHE MIGHT STAY THE NIGHT. HE SAID HE WOULD
BE GLAD TO PUT UP A WAC FOR THE NIGHT, BUT HE ONLY HAD ONE
EXTRA BEDROOM AND THERE WERE ALREADY THREE SOLDIERS, THREE
SAILORS, AND THREE MARINES IN IT. IF SHE WOULDN'T MIND
SHARING IT, HE WOULD BE GLAD TO HAVE HER. THE WAC WAS
VERY TIRED, AND SO SHE AGREED, AND THE FARMER SHOWED HER
UPSTAIRS.
THE NEXT MORNING, BRIGHT AND EARLY, THE SOLDIERS CAME
DOWNSTAIRS. THEY ALL LOOKED VERY HAPPY AND SATISFIED
WITH THEIR LODGINGS, WHEN THE FARMER MET THEM AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS. "DID YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT?"
ASKED THE FARMER. "WE SURE DID!" THEY ANSWERED. WHEN
ASKED WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR BREAKFAST, THE THREE
SOLDIERS TOLD THE FARMER THAT THEY WOULD JUST LIKE
COFFEE, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ON THEIR WAY.
SOON THE THREE SAILORS CAME DOWNSTAIRS. THEY TOO LOOKED
VERY HAPPY AND SATISFIED WITH THEIR LODGINGS, WHEN THE
FARMER MET THEM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS. "DID YOU
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT?" ASKED THE FARMER. "WE SURE DID!"
THEY ANSWERED. WHEN ASKED WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR
BREAKFAST, THE THREE SAILORS TOLD THE FARMER THAT THEY
WOULD JUST LIKE COFFEE, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ON
THEIR WAY.
THEN THE THREE MARINES CAME DOWNSTAIRS. THEY TOO LOOKED
VERY HAPPY AND SATISFIED WITH THEIR LODGINGS, WHEN THE
FARMER MET THEM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS. "DID YOU
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT?" ASKED THE FARMER. "WE SURE DID!"
THEY ANSWERED. WHEN ASKED WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR BREAK-
FAST, THE THREE MARINES TOLD THE FARMER THAT THEY WOULD
JUST LIKE COFFEE, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ON THEIR WAY.
IN A LITTLE WHILE, THE WAC CAME DOWNSTAIRS. SHE LOOKED
A LITTLE TIRED BUT HAPPY WHEN THE FARMER MET HER AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS. "DID YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT?"
ASKED THE FARMER. "I CERTAINLY DID!" SHE ANSWERED. WHEN
ASKED WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE FOR BREAKFAST, THE WAC TOLD THE
FARMER THAT SHE WOULD JUST LIKE SOME TEA, AND THEN SHE
WOULD BE ON HER WAY.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS STORY PROVES? THAT NINE OUT OF
TEN PEOPLE PREFER COFFEE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: NOT GIVEN