Cape Breton's Magazine

the old man, "Get up! Get up! our children have gone away." The Devil got up, he told her, "Get me my gold boots." She went to get them, they were gone. "Why didn't you look after these children? We have lost them now." The old lady and Devil ran out after them. The girl told Pilip, "They are chasing us, now, they are coming, I can see them, they are going to catch us." Now Pilip thought of his little box, in which was a little bird, sitting one side, another little bird on the other side. He said, "I want my wife to be standing as a little birch tree on one side of the pond, and myself on the other side of the pond as a little pine tree." There they stood, birch tree and pine tree. The Devil thought, "Now I will catch them." The tracks went up to the birch tree and to the pine tree. The old lady said, "Where did they go?"--"I cannot see their tracks at all."--"They are not here." So they went back crying, about five miles. The old lady turned around and could see them going again, their girl and Pilip. They went back after them. When they were five miles away, the girl said, "They are coming." Pilip opened his box again. "I want to be a big birch tree and I want my wife to be sitting up in the tree as a par? tridge." When the devils got there they saw only a big birch tree and a partridge. They lost the tracks. They went two miles around, searching for the tracks, but they could see nothing but the tree and the par? tridge. It was nearly four o'clock in the morning. They went back home again, crying. They looked back and saw them running a- gain towards Pilip's land. The Devil and the old lady went back after them, chasing them as hard as they could. They went fas? ter, this was the last trip. They went at full speed. Now they were coming to Pil? ip ' s boundary line. His wife dropped down. Pilip grabbed her and threw her over the line. The Devil could not go over that line. They went back, crying. Pilip said, "Now we're all right, we'll walk along. We're not very far from my house." They found the house, Pilip's peo? ple were good people. The old lady saw Pil? ip coming, with a woman, a good looking woman, "This is my wife," he said. The old lady said, "Don't you go away any more." They were happy there, they stayed there over a year. They had a nice little boy (the Devil's daughter had never been chris? tened). "What will be the baby's name?"-- "John." "All right, call him John." The day came for the baby to be christened. "Who is going to stand for the baby?" The old man and the old woman, Pilip and the baby's mother. The priest sprinkled holy water. The baby and the baby's mother went, "devil people. This story was told to Elsie Clews Parsons by Isa? bel Morris Googoo and published in the Journal of American Folklore in 1925. It is an example of ele? ments of European stories and religion that have been worked into Micmac tradition. Petroglyphs are taken from Rock Drawings of the Micmac Indians by Marion Robertson, Nova Scotia Museum, 1973. Ashby Medical Supply We Rent, Sell & Repair Hospital Equipment: wheelchairs, conmode chairs, walkers, beds, canes (WALTER'S RENTALS) 4 SHERIFF AVE.. SIDNEY (562-5766) Winter In the National STUBBERT'S Convenience Stores Videos * Fresh Baked Goods * Lottery Tickets Frozen Foods * Film * Magazines * Snacks OPEN DAILY: Florence and Bras d'Or 172 Main Street, Sydney Mines OPEN 24 HOURS: The Esplanade, and Cor. George & Glenwood, Sydney "We're there to serve you wherever you need us! Phone (902) 794-7251 Cable BRENNANS Telex 019-35149 Night & Holiday 736-8479 : 794-3178 (62) ''' Brennans ''??Si'j Travel Agency '

Cape Breton's Magazine