English Fairy Tales

XXVII. LAZY JACK.
Source.—Halliwell, 157.
Parallels.—The same story occurs in Lowland Scotch as “Jock
and his Mother,” Chambers, l.c., 101; in Ireland, as “I’ll be
wiser next time,” Kennedy, l.c., 39-42. Abroad it is Grimm’s
Hans im Glück (No. 83). The “cure by laughing” incident is
“common form” in folk-tales (cf. Köhler on Gonzenbach,
Sizil. Märchen, ii. 210, 224; Jones and Kropf, Magyar Tales,
312).

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162
English Fairy Tales
XXVIII. JOHNNY-CAKE.
Source.—American Journal of Folk-Lore, ii. 60.
Parallels.—Another variant is given in the same Journal, p.
277, where reference is also made to a version “The Ginger-
bread Boy,” in St. Nicholas, May 1875. Chambers gives two
versions of the same story, under the title “The Wee
Bunnock,” the first of which is one of the most dramatic
and humorous of folk-tales. Unfortunately, the Scotticisms
are so frequent as to render the droll practically untranslat-
able. “The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow” in Uncle Remus is simi-
lar to that of Johnny-Cake.
XXIX. EARL MAR’S DAUGHTER.
Source.—From the ballad of the same name as given in Mr.
Allingham’s Ballad Book: it is clearly a fairy tale and not a
ballad proper.
Parallels.—The lover visiting his spouse in guise of a bird, is
a frequent motif in folk-tales.
XXX. MR. MIACCA.
Source.—From memory of Mrs. B. Abrahams, who heard it
from her mother some x years ago (more than 40). I have
transposed the two incidents, as in her version Tommy Grimes
was a clever carver and carried about with him a carven leg.
This seemed to me to exceed the limits of vraisemblance even
for a folk-tale.
Parallels.—Getting out of an ogre’s clutches by playing on
the simplicity of his wife, occurs in “Molly Whuppie” (No.
xxii.), and its similars. In the Grimms’ “Hansel and Grethel,”
Hansel pokes out a stick instead of his finger that the witch
may not think him fat enough for the table.
Remarks.—Mr. Miacca seems to have played the double rôle

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Joseph Jacobs
of a domestic Providence. He not alone punished bad boys,
as here, but also rewarded the good, by leaving them gifts on
appropriate occasions like Santa Claus or Father Christmas,
who, as is well known, only leave things for good children.
Mrs. Abrahams remembers one occasion well when she nearly
caught sight of Mr. Miacca, just after he had left her a gift;
she saw his shadow in the shape of a bright light passing
down the garden.