234 GUERNSEY PROVERBS. 



II a fait coumm' Jean Letocq. 

 He has done like John Letocq. 



Said of persons who get up earlier than usual. 



The origin of this saying is that one morning in the spring of 

 1372, one Jean Letocq got up earlier than usual to look after his 

 sheep ; when he got near Yazon Bay he saw that a number of French- 

 men or Sarragousais had landed to invade the island, and he at once 

 gave the alarm to his fellow-countrymen. 



La ribotterie d'Pierre Couzin, 

 Qui n'avait ni but ni fin. 

 Peter Couzin's churning, to which there was no ending. 



This is said when the churning is unusually protracted, often 

 caused by the cream not being set to the right temperature. " Coumm' 

 les ribottresses d'Pierre Couzin " is also said of persons who attempt to 

 do what they know nothing about. The origin of these sayings is 

 explained as follows : — Pierre Couzin was a farmer living at the Vale, 

 whose customers constantly complained of the high price of his butter. 

 Weary of these grumblings, Pierre at last hit on a plan to silence 

 them. He invited his lady friends to come from Town and see for 

 themselves what immense labour was needed in the butter-making. 

 So they duly arrived at his dairy on the next churning-day, and 

 Pierre was determined that he would not let them off too easily. 

 Like Jean Letocq, he had taken the precaution to get up that morn- 

 ing extra early, and had churned the milk and made the butter and 

 removed all traces of the work before the visitors arrived. Then he 

 got the buttermilk, which had already yielded up its produce, in 

 readiness for the town ladies, and they unsuspectingly took the handle 

 of the churn. They set to work, and they churned and they churned, 

 and they churned, as the weary hours went on ; all day by turns they 

 toiled and waited, but there was never a sign of the butter coming. 

 Discouraged at last, they gave it up and returned home, if not wiser 

 women, at least sadder ones, while the artful Pierre laughed in his 

 sleeve. Next day, as usual, he appeared in the market with his 

 butter, and explained that he had kept on churning until at last the 

 butter was made. From that day Pierre Couzin had no more com- 

 plaints of the price of his butter, seeing that its manufacture was 

 evidently so difficult. 



I se r'souvint a Robin d'sa flute. 

 Robin bethought himself of his flute. 



Although this quotation is found in Littre's well-known French 

 dictionary, there is an amusing local tradition in the Vale parish as to 

 its origin. The legendary Hobin used to go and play his flute at merry- 

 makings. During the time of a serious visitation of the plague, 

 Robin one night had been to one of these festive gatherings, and had 

 indulged far too freely in mulled wine. On his way home the fumes 



