NOTES. 191 



A Wiltshire friend says that he has heard in his hoy- 

 hood 'a different version from this, of which he remem- 

 bers but the following lines : 



"Mine's a bad bargain," quoth Grumble, 



As the day did pass away ; 

 " I hav'n't a made my butter and cheese, 



Nar gied the pegs their whey !" 



Page 163. 



The Elder Tree. " This tree was held in great 

 veneration by our forefathers," says Grimm ; " when 

 they had occasion to lop it they repeated this prayer : 

 1 Frau Ellhorn gib mir was von deinem holz, dan will 

 ieh dir von meinem auch was geben wann es wachst im 

 walde.' Lady Elder, give me some of thy wood, then 

 will I also give thee some of mine, when it grows in the 

 forest. This was generally repeated with head unco- 

 vered, and with folded hands." " In Hildesheim, when 

 any one dies, the gravedigger goes in silence to an 

 elder-tree, and cuts a wand to measure the corpse by ; 

 the man who takes it to the grave does the like, and 

 holds this wand instead of the usual whip." " Elder 

 planted before the stall-door preserves the cattle from 

 magic." Grimm, Deut. Myth. p. 375, and Anhang, 

 p. ciii. See the Glossary to the Ancient Laws and In- 

 stitutes of England, edited by Benjamin Thorpe, voce 

 Eller. London. 1840. 



