Norfolk Folk Tales for Children E-Book

Dave Tonge

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 118

Beschreibung

From dark dangerous dogs and wily wicked wyrms, to poor penniless pedlars and lanky, long-limbed lads, Norfolk is steeped in stories. Some had their beginnings here, growing in the telling until they were as big as Norfolk's skies. Others were brought here by travellers from far away — even Viking raiders long ago. Stories that in time would change to suit our Norfolk ways, for as everyone knows — we do different! This is a collection of tales reworked and rewritten by Dave Tonge so that children might learn something of this most special county: its places and people, its strange and wondrous dialect. In this collection of stories, each introduced with snippets of local history, we journey to a place where fact, fiction, truth and lies become as one.

Leseprobe

For my own children, Joe & Sam.Now full grown to manhood, butstill young’uns to me.

First published 2018

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

© Dave Tonge, 2018

Illustrations © Jim Kavanagh 2018

The right of Dave Tonge to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7509 8962 6

Typesetting and origination by The History Press

Printed and bound in Great Bristain by TJ International Ltd

eBook converted by Geethik Technologies

Contents

About the Author and Illustrator

Introduction

Thank Yous

Chapter 1 – Slow yew down an’ hold yew hard

Of the Lazy Lad and his Furious Fenland Fight

Of the Boys with Bare Backsides

Of the Poor Pedlar and his Wondrous Walk to Wealth

Of the Soldier, Sovereign and Saint

Chapter 2 – H’yer fa got a dickey bor?

Of the Petty Pilgrims and the Measly Meat Pie

Of the Foolish Friars and the Brawl that Brought them Low

Of the Merry Master and his Wayward Wicked Tongue

Chapter 3 – That craze me suffun savidge

Of the Two Hearts Hardened by Hate

Of the Boastful Big-Head and the Devilish Difficult Deed

Of the Wicked Wyrm and the Burly, Bold Blacksmith

Chapter 4 – Tha’s a rare ol’ rummun hin’tut

Of the Hellish Hound – Friend or Foe?

Of the Petrifying and Perilous Pits

Of the Two Babes Wandering in the Wailing Woods

Chapter 5 – Knock a blairze on mawther

Of the Flinger of Flames

Of the Giver of Gifts

Of the Collector of Coins

Glossary

Bibliography

About the Author and Illustrator

Dave was born and bred in Norfolk and goes by the name of the Yarnsmith of Norwich – although as a professional storyteller he travels all over England telling at museums, libraries, heritage sites, schools, festivals and fairs. He also loves history and thinks himself very lucky that he can dress up like a Saxon, Medieval or Tudor storyteller and tell tales in ancient castles and very old houses. From Hampton Court, one of Henry VIII’s royal palaces, to William Shakespeare’s boyhood home in Stratford-upon-Avon, all the way up to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, the Yarnsmith wanders the roads bringing wonder wherever he goes.

Jim is an illustrator, storyteller and educator. He has illustrated numerous children’s books, written plays, visited schools as an art, science and historical educator, worn all sorts of daft costumes and once painted an almost life-size pirate galleon on a playground. He has loved making the images for this book.

Introduction

Welcome young people (from now on known as young’uns) to my collection of Norfolk folk tales. Some of the stories take place only in Norfolk, home of the Broads, where wherries and other boats have sailed for many centuries, while others cross the county borders into Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. For along with Norfolk, they were part of the ancient Saxon Kingdom of the East Angles long ago.

Some stories cover the three counties, while others came from other countries long before they travelled to Norfolk in times past. Many people have settled in this place now called Norfolk: from the Beaker People of more than 4,500 years ago to the Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans. Then came Dutch and Flemish weavers in Tudor times, Italians after the Second World War and Congolese refugees from Africa today. Some of my own family came to Norfolk more than 100 years ago in search of work and decided to stay. Many people have settled in Norfolk over time – not just to take, but also to give. They have brought their ideas and beliefs, their customs, traditions and their stories, all of which have mixed and blended with what was here already, to make the folklore and folk tales of the county. They have become Norfolk tales, just by being told here over many generations.

The stories have also grown in the telling, although that does mean that some of them are a bit gruesome in places. But just remember that a story is just a story and cannot hurt you. And if you are still unsure, just imagine me or another storyteller telling the story to you and all should be well.

You should also know that when I tell stories I use a lot of old-fashioned words and I’ve included some of them in this book. But fear not, for I’ve also added a glossary, meaning a list of some of the stranger words. So if you don’t know them already, you can find out what the words mean. Think of it as a quest, seeking out new words as well as stories!

You can also learn something about the history of Norfolk from this book, because each story is introduced with a fact about the county and its people. They are included here because these local events have helped change the stories from other lands into the Norfolk folk tales told today. I’ve also sorted my stories into five chapters, each one titled using dialect, meaning the words and sayings used by Norfolk people for hundreds of years. Some of those words, like some of the stories in my book, originally came from other lands, while others developed right here in Norfolk and might even go back to Saxon times! So young’uns, ‘dew yew keep a troshin’ – a Norfolk saying that has two meanings: Firstly, carry on with your good work, which in this case means reading my book. And secondly, look after yourselves.

Dave Tonge, 2018

Thank Yous

Thanks to Helen James, Kimmy Voisey and Poppy Fee for proofreading my work. Also the young’un, Tal Fee, for his expert opinion on children’s stories! Thanks also to Jim Kavanagh for his grand illustrations, and to Stewart Alexander, for what I borrowed from his version of the Pedlar of Swaffham. I’d also like to thank my mum for encouraging my imagination – she wrote about her childhood long ago and I’ve included my version of one of her stories here.

1Slow yew down an’hold yew hard

‘Slow yew down an’ hold yew hard’ is Norfolk dialect for ‘slow down and wait a while’. I’ve used it as the title for this chapter about hale and hearty heroes because that’s exactly what they didn’t do! They all acted quickly when there was need. All except for Tom Hickathrift and John Chapman, who both needed a bit of a push.

Of the Lazy Lad and his Furious Fenland Fight

Many famous and heroic people have been born in Norfolk, including Horatio Nelson. He was a vice admiral in the Royal Navy and won many a victory during the Napoleonic wars, including the Battle of Trafalgar where he was killed in 1805. But there are other less well-known heroes from Norfolk, who never won great battles but showed strength and courage nonetheless. There was William Cullum, who grew up poor in Norwich more than 100 years ago. He called himself Billy Bluelight and was famous for racing the riverboats between Norwich and Yarmouth. There was also Robert Hales, the giant of Norfolk, who stood 7ft 8in tall and toured America.

But from a real Norfolk giant and real heroes like Nelson, to a fictional giant in the story of the hero Tom Hickathrift. Some think Tom’s tale dates back more than 1,000 years and that it was inspired by the Viking god Thor, who did battle with many a giant. Tom’s story is also like those of Jack the Giant Killer, whose own tales are similar to others from France and Norway. Tales that travelled here long ago – although not as fast as Billy Bluelight …

There was a time, young’uns, long ago, when men wore bright yellow caps upon their heads and hung great knives called seaxs from their belts. They were the Anglo-Saxons, who once called this land their home. And at that time there lived an old widow woman with her one and only son. His name was Tom Hickathrift, but everyone called him Idle Tom, for he was a lazy, lethargic lad who lay all day by the fire while eating his poor mother out of house and home. He feasted by the flames upon bread and pottage, while his poor old mother went without. And so it was that Tom grew big upon all his mother’s hard work and home-cooked food. His shoulders were broad, so too his chest, while his arms were as thick as you young’uns’ bodies and his hands were like two great spades used for digging the earth.

Tom grew so big that his poor mother could no longer afford to keep him and the old woman had to beg for all she needed. And one day she went to a nearby farm and asked the farmer if she might have some straw for her cow to rest upon. The farmer was not a kind man, yet still he said yes.

‘But,’ said the farmer, ‘but,’ said he, ‘you can only take as much straw as your son Tom can carry.’ For the farmer felt sure that Idle Tom would carry very little. The old woman begged Tom to collect the straw and after much nagging the lazy lad agreed. But only after he stopped on the way to pick up a long length of rope.

‘Take as much as you can carry, Idle Tom’, said the farmer as he laughed long, loud and lustily, for he felt sure that the lazy lad would carry very little. Tom took no notice. Instead he rolled out the rope and lay sheaf after sheaf of straw along it, until the great bundle of straw must have weighed a ton – and know, you young’uns, that a ton is very heavy indeed. ‘Fool!’ cried the farmer, ‘Fool!’ cried he. ‘You will break your back with such a heavy load.’ But by way of answer Tom swung the huge bundle onto his shoulder as if it were no more than a bagful of goose feathers, or perhaps a sackful of rags. And turning his back upon the farmer, Tom Hickathrift strode home.

News of Tom’s strength travelled the land; he became famous throughout Norfolk, and even strange lands like Cambridgeshire and beyond. From that day on, all Tom’s neighbours asked for the lusty lad’s help with heavy work.

Once there was a forester, a man of the woods, who begged Tom’s aid in moving a fallen tree. When Tom arrived, there were already twelve strong men struggling with rope and pulley, but so heavy was the tree that they could not move it, not even one inch – and that’s about the thickness of my thumb. But then Tom took hold, grasping one end of the thick trunk with his thick arms and great hands. He lifted it into the air and lowered it gently onto a waiting cart. The forester was much pleased and offered Tom two shiny coins for his work, but the lusty lad would not take them. All that Tom wanted that day was some firewood for his mother’s fire.

‘Grant me,’ said Tom to the forester, ‘grant me,’ said he, ‘just a few twigs to keep my poor old mother warm at night.’ And the grateful forester happily replied, ‘Why yes, Tom, take all that you can carry.’

Well young’uns, you know what’s coming next. Tom saw two more fallen trees even bigger than the one that lay upon the cart. He lifted one up upon his left shoulder and the other up upon his right, as if they were no more than a bagful of goose feathers, or perhaps a sackful of rags. And then turning his back upon the forester, Tom Hickathrift strode home.

News of Tom’s strength spread even further across the land. Just as Shuck, whose story also appears in this book, travelled the highways and byways of East Anglia, so too Tom’s fame roamed far and wide. He delighted in displaying his burly brawniness and fantastic feats for all to see – especially to girls, who all marvelled at his massive muscles and went ‘oooh’ and ‘ahhh’ and ‘wow’ every time Tom strode past! And so it was that Tom Hickathrift had many adventures – but none so fantastic as when he went to work for a beer brewer in King’s Lynn.

The beer brewer wanted a strong man like Tom to carry his beer across the marshes to Wisbech, and he promised shiny coins to fill Tom’s purse and food to fill his belly. He even promised the lusty lad a new suit of clothes, complete with hood, cloak and boots; and it cost the brewer dearly, for Tom was much bigger than all of you and even bigger than me, and I’m all grown up!

But the brewer did not care, for on the marshes around Wisbech there lived a great giant, who had killed and eaten all of the brewer’s other servants. He had crunched their bones, sucked out all their marrow and washed down their lumpy bits with a barrel of the brewer’s own beer. You think that’s gruesome, young’uns, then perhaps you shouldn’t read on. For the giant even hung their heads upon nearby branches, so that it looked like Wisbech marshes were covered in cruel Christmas trees! All were terrified of the monstrous, massive man and no one dared to travel the marsh path to Wisbech. Instead they rode their carts the long way, along the road that went around the marsh, but that added many miles to the journey and cost the beer brewer dear. So, that new suit of clothes was a small price to pay for Tom’s help.