22 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



That cruel piece of folk-lore which leads to bor- 

 ing a hole in an ash-tree, and placing a poor little 

 shrewmouse in it alive, and then plugging the 

 hole up, so as to convert the tree into what they 

 call a shrew-ash, supposed to be useful for curing 

 certain diseases in cattle, is no longer practised in 

 the southern woodlands, although until very re- 

 cently the custom obtained in the New Forest. 

 Cast horse - shoes and sprigs of the mountain- 

 ash can still be seen fixed to stable-doors almost 

 everywhere. 



The carters, the older men, on some of the old 

 manor farms, have told me strange tales of spells 

 being thrown over their horses. Fortunately, I 

 can keep my features at times fairly under con- 

 trol, and I have never offended, so far as I know, 

 one single member of this class of people. I do 

 not wish to do so if I can help it, for I respect 

 them. Some have, however, paid dearly for their 

 ridicule, which is bad coin to try to pass in the 

 woodlands. " Up - end yerself!" (Stand up!) 

 the insulted one will cry, and the thing is done; 

 and, as a rule, a good job is made of it. Men 

 and women who have left the country when they 



