Peg Bearskin

Well, there was one time

in olden times

’twas in farmers’ times

’twasn’t in your time

or in my time

but in times ago

there was a man and a woman got married.

They were married for several years, but they had no children.

And every day, this man, before he’d go out fishin’ in the morning

he’d beat his wife.

Always he was hard to his wife, used to beat her

and he’d go out fishin’

and he’d be cryin’

and she’d be cryin’

and he’d be out, mad out fishin’.

Well . . . one morning he give his wife an awful beatin’

and after this she was cryin’ and lamentin’

and there was an old man come along

and he asked her

what was the tr—what ailed her.

She said her husband was after beating her.

Well, he said

he can’t be a husband at all to beat his wife.

Yes, she said

he—he was alright, only he used to beat her.

And he said, what was the—what why was it he used to beat her.

And she said she didn’t know.

She said, I s’pose, she said

because, she said

we have no childer (children).

Well, he said

that’s easy handled, he said

for the childer . . . part of it.

You go in the garden.

You go in, he said

to your parlor. You walk your parlor, he said

three times! Look out through the end windey (window) in your parlor, he said

and you’ll see a tree

and on that tree, he said

there’ll be three berries. Go out, he said

and take two. Eat two, but, he said

don’t eat the third one.

[cough] So that was alright.

She done what he told her

and when she looked out through the windey, the tree is there.

She goes out. The three berries is on the tree.

So . . . she picked two of ’em.

First one she picked was a very nice berry

and the next one she picked, was that much nicer.

And that made her that she had to pick the third one.

So she picked the third one (unintelligible).

But that was a shockin’ bad sour berry when she ate it.

But she went in and bothered no more than that over it.

When it was an aigle (eagle) flew over the old m—fellow as he was out fishin’

and he told him to go home, his wife was sick.

She was givin’ birth to three babies.

Well he come in as quick as he could

and when he come in, the childer was born.

There was no two ways about it.

There was two of ’em, the fairest ever the water wet or the sun shined on.

But the other one was big, ugly, and hairy.

So . . . they called her Peg. Peg Bearskin, she used to go by the name of.

So when the daughters grew up there was nobody there, around

but . . . they got—couldn’t stay there any longer.

They had to go seek their fortune.

And sure, Peg wanted to go, too.

But sure, they wouldn’t take Peg because she was too disgraceful to them.

They were so beautiful

and Peg was so ugly, that there was nothing they could do.

She wasn’t fit to be among ’em, that’s what they thought.

But their mother and father was just as good to Peg as they were to the rest of ’em

as far as that goes.

So when they were going, Peg said, I’m going with ye.

They said, no, you’re not!

So they left to go seek their fortune.

They traveled on

and by ’m’ by (by and by) they looked behind

and when they looked behind, sure Peg was comin’ behind ’em.

But they pelted rocks at Peg and drove her back.

That’s all.

They went on.

But at nightfall, they come into a forest.

Oh, that forest was . . . very dark and dismal.

There was owls bawl—bawlin’.

There was everything.

There was coyotes [teller yawns] and everything makin’ a noise.

And they were gettin’ very frightened.

So the last goin’-off, the two of ’em got so much frightened, they sot down on a rock

and begin to cry, in the forest.

And they wished to theirselves that they—they said to one another

If we only had to let Peg come

Peg might know something to do, or she might—

Anyway she’d be there for, for company.

Well, they were talkin’ about Peg, sure, Peg come up to ’em.

Now, she said

where are ye to?

You’re here now, she said

you’re frightened to death.

Get up out of this now, because, she said

ye could be devoured, in any minute, she said.

There’s lions, wolves, and tigers here in this forest.

And ye could be devoured any minute.

Come on with me.

So they went on with Peg.

By ’m’ by they see a light.

They goes up to the hut

and when they goes up to the hut, Peg said to the—knocked on the door

and out come this old woman.

Oh, she said

good night, Peg. Where did ya come from?

Peg said, where I come from is no odds

but, she said

I come seekin’ lodgin’s, she said

and I don’t care, she said

about meself, so I get lodgin’s, she said

for me two sisters.

And, she said

on the flag rocks, she said

’d do me.

So . . . they got in.

The old witch had two daughters and . . . her servant girl, Betsy.

But Betsy . . . what did she do only put Peg’s two sisters

and her own two daughters in the one bed.

Because she’s goin’ to kill her two daughters—she’s goin’ to kill Peg’s sisters.

So . . . when she put ’em to bed, she put nightcaps on their heads

red nightcaps on Peg’s sisters

and black ones on her own daughters.

So she’s not goin’ to make any mistake.

Well, Peg was aware of her trick.

When the old woman . . . dozed off to sleep

Peg slips up, puts the caps on the old woman’s two daughters

and puts the black caps on her own two sisters.

And by ’m’ by the old witch woke up

and when she woke up, she goes over to the room

chops the heads off of her own two daughters.

And when—when she went back

and went to sleep for the night, Peg routed up her two sisters

and got on about her business.

So . . . very good.

She went, had a . . . pretty good time

and—she said—

They traveled to the kingdom.

And when the King see those two ladies, sure, ’twas alright.

And Peg said to ’im

she said to the King, she said

I’ll bring you, she said

a lantern can show twelve square mile o’ light

if you’re satisfied for your eldest son and my eldest sister to be married.

Yah. Her request was granted.

But, Peg said

there’s one thing . . . I wants, she said.

And the King said, what’s that?

I wants a handful of salt.

Now Peg had a very big hand.

Her hand used to hold a hogshead of salt.

She had a pretty good hand, you know.

So Peg got the handful of salt

and away to go

and she went back to the old witch’s

and she got in.

No one didn’t know she was there.

She upsot (upset) all the water . . .

And . . . she went up to the um—chimbley (chimney)

and fired down the salt down into the boiler

where the old woman was cookin’ her two daughters.

An’ by ’m’ by . . . she waited till the old woman—the old witch went over and tasted the soup.

And she said

the old woman, my, Betsy, she said

the soup is . . . horrible salty, she said.

Put some water in it.

So her servant girl Betsy

she goes to—out, goes out to get the water

and when she went out, begod, the buckets is empty.

Now Betsy have to go to the river to get water.

And she said to Betsy, she said

the night is dark, she said

and for ’fraid Peg, she said

might be around, hang the lantern on the corner, she said

that shows twelve miles square of light, she said

and you’ll see if Peg is come.

But sure Peg was down by the river. Hid.

And when Betsy goes down to get the water, Peg pushed Betsy out in the river.

She went back

and grabbed the lantern

and away to go.

Back to the kingdom!

And when the King got the lantern, he tried it out

so it was correct.

Peg’s sister and one of the Princes was married immejintly (immediately).

They had the great time!

Well, the next day, Peg goes to the King again

And . . . she said to the—she said to the King, she said

if you’re satisfied for my second-eldest sister

and your second-eldest son to be married

I’d bring you a ’canter (decanter) could never be empted (emptied).

Very good, said the King.

But, she said

and, she said

all I wants for it, she said

is a handful of pepper.

So . . . very good.

Peg took the handful of pepper

and away with her to the old witch’s.

And the ’canter was on the table

and when she opened the door

the old witch said

aha! she said

Peg! I got you at last.

Yes, Peg said

you have me, but ’tis not for long

and with that Peg slapped the handful of pepper in the old witch’s face

took the ’canter

and away to go.

’Fore the old witch got herself cleared out, the—Peg was gone, herself and the ’canter.

Brought back the ’canter to the old King

sure and it couldn’t be empted

’twas—that was what he wanted.

So . . . nice bit after, she went up to the King

and she said to him, she told him, she said

I can get you a horse, she said

can go faster than the wind, that a cannonball can’t catch him

and the wind behind and before him whistles.

Well, that was a wonderful horse for the King to have!

Yes? he said.

If you’re satisfied, she said

for my—your youngest son and me to be married.

Well now. Peg was big, ugly, and hairy

and for to marry a prince, ’twas a hard thing. ’Twas hard on him.

But if this have to be

well, it was his father’s wish

and—if the horse was got.

So Peg asked him for a knife and a needle is all she wanted.

She—

when she goes

when she goes back

when she opened the door

the old witch said

well, Peg, she said

you’re come at last. You were the cause of me killin’ my own two daughters.

You done away with my servant girl Betsy, and you hove pepper in my face.

Now, she said

if I done that with you

what would you do to me?

Well, Peg said

ma’am, I tell you what I’d do—

and a saw, that was another thing she had—

I’ll tell you what I’d do, ma’am, she said

I’d go in . . . the . . . woods

and I’d cut . . . two hazel rods

and I’d put you in a bag

and I’d beat you till you’d bark like a dog

you’d mew like a cat

and your bones’d rattle like crockery ware.

Yes, Peg, she said

and that’s what I’ll do with you.

Puts Peg into the bag, hangs bag up, bag up to the tree.

And she goes in the woods to get the hazel

and she takes her horse with her.

But . . . Peg have the bridge, they have to cross the river

and Peg have the bridge sawed.

When she’d cross over

or the old witch would go across

sure she was goin’ to let go the bridge

and the old witch was gone.

That’s what Peg—that was her plan.

But the old witch went in the woods

and when she was gone

Peg cut out of the bag

got the old woman’s cat

all her crockery ware

she got the old woman’s dog

and put all into the bag

and sewed it up.

And when the old witch came back, she was right in elements

and Peg was hid, watchin’ her.

Now Peg, she said

I’m goin’ to see if your words will come out true.

And the first smack she made, she struck the dog.

Sure the dog began to yowl and bark.

Ah, Peg, she said

your words is comin’ out true.

And the next smack she made, she struck the cat

got the cat mad. The cat began to meow.

Ah, Peg, she said

your words is comin’ out true.

And the next thing, she smacked it into the crockery ware

and that began to rattle and break up, the cups and saucers.

And Peg looked out.

You damn old fool, she said

you’re beating up all your crockery ware.

Ah, Peg, she said

this time I’ll catch you, you won’t get clear.

But sure, Peg leapt on the horse

and away to go.

And the old woman

when the old woman took after her

when she come to the bridge

Preg—Peg sawed off the bridge.

Away goes the old witch, out the river.

Now this is over.

Peg goes home and brings the horse to the King.

He (the horse) was tried out.

And ’twas the King’s wish

so they had to—Peg and the King’s youngest son was married.

But now, he didn’t enjoy himself very much.

He stayed there with Peg, though.

He didn’t—But they were always goin’ out to parties, his two brothers

with Peg’s two sisters, ’cause they were so beautiful.

They were—

Well, one evening, Peg said to him, she said

you can—how’s it you don’t go out to the parties?

He said no

he wouldn’t go out to the parties, he said.

No, she said.

You wouldn’t take me out with you.

No, he said

that wasn’t it.

And, he said

he was married. I’m married to you, he said

and I’m goin’ to stay with you.

Very well, says Peg

but that’s not—you’re still in trouble over that, she said.

I’m—I’ll manage that with you. Only you do what I tell you.

He said, what is that?

You make in a—Go out, she said

and get a good fire of birch

and make a fire

and when . . . all is done, I’ll tell you the rest.

So he went out

and he got the birch

and he made the great big jeezly, great big fire, like you’d make under a tan pot (iron cauldron containing an infusion of conifer bark and buds used for preserving fishing nets and lines).

All is roarin’

and the birch is goin’ good

and Peg reached

and took off her weddin’ ring off of her finger, she reached (gave) it to him.

Now, she said, you heave me into the fire!

He said no, I won’t!

Oh, yes, she said

you have to.

He said no, I won’t!

So . . . she took the ring

and broke it fair in two pieces.

Here, she said

you keep this piece now, she said

and I’m keepin’ the other piece

and you heave me in the fire

and if you ever meets one, she said

to be your wife, she said

that r—that p—them two piece—she’ll have that piece of a ring.

So she teased chummy (the guy) so much

he got so mad and tormented with her

because he wasn’t too interested in her

he slapped her into the fire.

She went up the chimbley in a flame.

Now he sot down.

God.

He thought bad of doin’ away with her, ’cause she was nice

and everything like that

and she was good to him.

He begin lamentin’ how—what a fool he was to let—to take her advice, and all this kind of stuff.

Well, that’s alright.

He was there lamentin’.

By ’m’ by there was a knock come on the door.

When the knock come on the door

he didn’t know whether—whether he’d best get up and open the door

or what to do

’cause he thought, there’s someone comin’ to see

or her sisters comin’ to see where she was to

or something like that

and he’d be—and he was into the devil’s tangle.

Well, after a spell, he—he opened the door.

When he opened the door

the fairest lady that ever water wet or the sun shined on was standin’ in the door.

She said, good evening.

He said, good evening.

She stood there in the door a spell.

She said, are you goin’ to invite me in?

He said, yes, come in.

So she come in and sot down

and she—he was there with his—she said

what happened? What ails you?

So he said

not much.

So then she—he told her what happened, the last going-off.

He had to tell her.

He said—told her about his wife

and she was big, ugly, and hairy

and she persuaded him to burn her.

Which, he said

I shouldn’t to ha’ done.

And she said

did she leave you any token?

He said, yes.

She left me half a wedding ring.

I wonder, she said

would that fit?

And when she—she took out—the two pieces went together

just the same as they, they were before they were broken.

Now, she said

I’m Peg.

Back.

I was enchanted, she said

by that witch, she said

and, she said

the witch is gone

the enchantment is broke

and now I’m your wife.

And buddy

then every party after that for a whole winter they went to it.

And I was there one evenin’

that was in April, I think.

They were sot down to a tin table eatin’

and I sot down with ’em.

And the tin table bended, my story’s ended.

The table had to be stronger, my story’d be longer.

And they had cocoa and coffee for tea.

When I come away I had the cocoa, ’cause I didn’t like coffee.

And I had the cocoa

and they had the coffee

and if they didn’t live happy

I hope we may.

Now!

[Jack Ward: We know ’tis now you’re tellin’ lies!]