Page 10 - Old Tales of Sorcery Remembered

ISSUE : Issue 30

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1981/12/1

he needed some baskets, "But even if I knew that we need some, I wouldn't give you the order. It's Sunday' it's God's day. And we don't make any sale on Sunday." It was worse than now. People didn't want to work at all on Sunday. Less making or? ders. I said, "If you want to see if my husband wants something, you'll come dur? ing the week, he'll be home." But he didn't come. But me, I wasn't scared. I wasn't scared at all. One day he came here on a weekday. I was all alone--I was giving my oldest boy--he's 56 now--a bath in a little tub. He was a baby. And it was a northeast wind, not very windy. It was windy enough. He came here. And he always had his prayer beads--you know, making believe. He let the door go, and the door banged and all the cold got in the house. And the baby was in the little bathtub. I said to him, "Go shut your door. Don't you see the child is freezing there?" "Yes," he said, "yes, and yes, and yes"--and he went and shut the door. He said, "I'd like to have some bread." I said, "Just a minute, you see I'm bathing the boy. Now, I'm going to make you some tea, and I'm going to give you some bread and butter if you want some. And I'll give you some flour to make some." "Oh," he said, "flour--that's too dirty. I'd like a big bread." But I didn't have a big bread. I said, "I'll give you flour." "Aw, no." I said, "If you don't want it like that, then go home." So he didn't stay here. But they were saying that if you were talk? ing about them, if it was on a Friday-- they hear what you say about them. I was wishing he would come here. Maybe it was on a Friday. He was going next door here-- and he was making the woman give him all the fat pork, you know. (Just say, "Give me"?) "I'd like to have a piece of fat pork." Then she'd go in the barrel and she'd get the fat pork and she'd give it to him. (Why?) She was scared that he would do something. Me, I wasn't afraid,, not at all. So I said, I wish he'd come here and ask for fat pork. I wouldn't give him fat pork. I would give him. salt her? ring. He didn't like herring, he didn't want herring--he wanted fat pork. If he came here, I decided I'd tell him we have some nice herring--I believe that he heard me. I believe it. One day we were at the table here, having our dinner--and he knocked on that door. We said, "Come in." He came in. I still see him. He said, "Good day, madame. I suppose you wouldn't have some nice herring?" He had me fooled, huh? I said, "Yes, we have some nice fat herring." "Well," he said, "that would be nice." So my husband went and got him four big herring. "Thank you, thank you, mad- ame"--he didn't thank the others, because it was me that had said that. He didn't ask for fat pork. I guess he was just want? ing to make a mockery of me. He heard it and thought to himself that he would come and ask me for some herring instead of meat. He'd rather meat. Me, I wouldn't give him any meat. Funny, huh? (Well, it is' funny--but what does it mean?) I don't know. He always lived like that and he, never got any money for it. (Did he ever put a spell on anyone?) Not over here--but he was bothering the caAle. Like, the woman couldn't make the butter. He went in a place. He went to a woman. He. wanted something. I think it was a blanket. 2A-H0UR SERVICE Owned and Operated by Syl MaqDonald Baddeck Ambulance Ltd. 295-2200 Fully Trained, Experienced Personnel Hyland Restaurant Fully I fk J 1 I Fully Licensed CJI'fj | /|f'T''I Licensed We are open all year round, serving Cape Bretoners and their friends, offering good home cooking and seafood at its best. Inverness 258-3440 Energy Efficient Reeves Homes MODEL HOME K-MART -PLAZA WELTON ST. 539t3468 HEAD OFFICE AND PLANT POINT EDWARD 564-5573 Point Edward Industrial Park, Sydney, NS BIP 6K3 "COMPARE BEFORE YOU BUY" MODEL HOME RESERVE ST GLACE BAY 849-6524 P.O.Box 1414 We Specialize in Camping Equipment and Clothing of All Kinds as well as Hardware. Plumbing and Electrical Supplies Rajben McEvoys General Store Ltd. XNGONISH BEACH Open All Year at the entrance to the beautiful Cape Breton Highlands National Park oSrfie coopetBtot' f' Insurance Services For All Your Personal Coverage, Call: SYDNEY 539-6315 GLACE BAY 849-4547 NEW WATERFORD 862-3350 CHETICAMP 224-3204 YOU CAN TALK TO US NORTH SYDNEY 794-4788 MABOU 945-2514 LOUISDAIE 345-2199 PORT HAWKESBURY 625-0640 (10)

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