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Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER May Swenson
Aninmss 21 1/2 Morton St. New York
DATE
November 7, 1938
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
SUBJECT THREE HUNGARIAN STORIES #THE'SEVEN-PLUM.TREE# NOBLEMEN°
1. Date and time of interYiew November 3, 1938
2. Place of interview 509 E. 79th S.
3. Name and address or informant Mica Vrbooska
509 E. 79th St. N. Y.C.
4. Name and addres3 of person, if any, wao put you in
touch with informant.
(See previous interviews)
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
STATE Now York
NAME OF MIYI(ER
FORM C
Text of Interview Unedi.te-1)
May Swenson
FOLKLORE
N214: YORK
ADDRESS 21 1/2 Morton St.
DATE November 7, 1938
SUBJECT THREE HUNGARIAN STORIES *THE'SEVEN.PLUM.TREE* NOBLEMAN"
7110 Woad you like to hear about *Thursday*? This
happened during the reign of good Queen Maria Felioia, who was
rulor of Hungary when Slovakia was part of Hungary, about the
year 1760. The peasants of a certain village, who were at that
time servants and compelled to do a good deal of labor without
money for the petty village nobility and the priests, and oon.
sequently had not enough tine to till their own soil, decided
to send a delegation up to the court of the Queen herself, whose
benevolence was lily spread and believed in among the peasants
of Slovakia. So they send up this delegation to ask the good
Queen to grant them every Thursday a release from all labor for
these petty magnates and the priests.
But after the hard journey, which took days and days, and
after coming to the beautiful big city of Vienna, and finally being
admitted for the presence of her majesty, the Queen herself, the
simple peasants became slightly confused, so that the stuttering
spokesman who was supposed to present their case, managed only
to say these words8
*Your Highness* we are from the Village N. We work
very hard for the magnates and the priests. Will Your Highness
grant us every Thursday in the week?* And Her Highness said*
Yes* they will have a Thursaly every week. But they had to
continue working just the same for their Lords. Because they
didn't ask for a release from work* but asked only for every
Thursday:
So when they wanted to tease the Slovak peasants* they
would says *Well* you asked for Thursday every week* and you
got it.*
You see the spokesman he was stuttering and he didn't
know what to say to this gracious Queen with all her beautiful
robes sitting so elegantly on her throne.
But the way I explained it to myself* these village
peasants went to Vienna* and when they got to Vienna* they saw
there was no chance to see their Queen* and they came back to
their village and told this story that the Queen granted them
a Thursday every week. I suppose they became muddled* and timid*
and dedided to toll the villagers this story about their audience
with the Queen* so as not to appear to have entirely failed.
But anyway there is a sequence to the story. After the
Queen supposedly got word about this confused petition* she
granted the children of the villagers every week etre* Thursday
L.
from school. In fact I never went to *taloa on Thursday. And
this custom was preserved until 1918* and no children had to
go to school on Thursdays.
411.5011.
„ler; Well, this is really based on partial truth.
mean all the Hungarian legends are. But I tell you about this
one... This one has been printed. Anyone can use it, but no
one can claim the authorship, for it grow up from the people.
It has been printed in childrenal school books, and I remember
hearing the teacher read it to us in school, the lower grade
school.
It dates back to prior to 1848* and there was then still
serfdom in Hungary.
In a certain village, there lived a petty gentryman, a
sort of squire. He was a very goodophearted, generous fellow,
but be loved his wine, and he really could afford to drink for
he had vineyards and they grew very famous grapes. One lust
could not blame him that every once in a while he would drink
a few glassess to much and that would prevent him from going
to church and listening to the minister's sermon.
The minister* on the other hand, was a very sober follow
who really had it in for* what shall I say, men who really
preferred their wine to Ood's word. At first in private
conversations he used to represent the** petty magnate for his,
what shall I say, his un-Christian habit. But when he realised
that his words, although they were listened to, were unheeded,
he decided to bring the matter before the public.
And so, one day, when the squire wasn't drunk and went to
church, what did the sober*minded minister do? He delivered the
sermon directed against drunkards, and especially against drunkards
who get drunk on Sunday and miss their church services.
And he said very tactfullyt "I don't want to point my
finger at the person who does that in this village, but all of you
know who it may be."
Of course there was a general chuckling. Now our squire
was a very proud person. He left the church in a state of indignation,
and he called in his coachman, and he said to him,
"Listen, Johnl Here before you, I make a solemn vow never
to enter that church again, nor ever to listen to that minister preach.
ing until we get a new clergyman for our village. But if ever you
should find me listening to that minister, I order you to put me on the
a... you know, what do you call that...therela a very good Hungarian
word for its Deres...it sort of looks like a bench which they use for
flogging of servants who are disobedient to their masters...yea, a
"pillory", or whipping bench. And so here the so*. was ordering
his servant to put him on the whipping bench and give him 25 lashes,
if he was ever caught listening to that minister again.
Well, after a few months elapsed, a very dear friend of our
squire in another village, happened to die. The squire went off to
witness the funeral services. So there he was and listened to the
sermon of one minister, and then another minister delivered also a
very sad speech which made him begin to weep. He was so much overcome
by grief that he didn't even recognize that the speech, that made him
weep was really delivered by the minister of his own village.
As they were riding home, he asked the coachman: "Tell me,
John, who is that minister who delivered that sad and beautiful oration?"
And John say* "Oh, it was our own dear Minister X."
"Come on*" said the squire. "Get a rod..." (I mean, when
you cut off from a tree a stick and it bends...yes* a switch..."and
give me those 25 lashes."
That is the end of the story. It was printed for children
for that reason that hare was a nobleman who, if even he was accidently
guilty* he kept his promise. He had the coachman give him 25 lashes.
See, he was a man of his word. And the story meant to teach children
the value of a word of honour* I suppose.
111. There was a nobleman in Hungary, who was so much
in love with his cook* that he would never never eat anywhere else
except at home. But as much as he was pleased with her cooking,
he was just as much displeased with her temper. Because she really
had a viscious temper.
Every once in a while* at the slightest provocation* or no
provocation, she would just start banging around the pots and pans
and the lids and simply declared that that day she's not going to
cook "and you can go out and eat in the restaurant and catch an
indigestion!"
Moreover, she would even threaten to leave him, leave
him for good. So the poor nobleman, being so much in love with her
cooking, lived in a constant fear of losing her, and with that the
delicious meals she used to prepare for him.
Well, this life went on for years, and it wore him out
quite a bit, so one day he simply decided that he was going to make
ar, end to her constant threats andt ricks, and tie her down so she
-6
simply won't be able to get away from him* and will be forced to
cook for him.
Of course, he could do this only in one way: by marrying
her. And after that* of course* she won't be able to say to him*
*Well, I'm not going to cook today*" or "'m going to leave you."
The loyal wife will be forced to obey him and cook his
meals and that's all there's to it'
So to the great amazement of his other wealthy colleagues
(many of them were members in the Hungarian parliament) he married
her, willing to face even social ostracism for the sake of a -good
meall
Well, after the wedding day, as usual, he went out to
perform his duties, and noontime, was rushing back, thinking, "Ah, now
at least he will find a peaceful home and good food on the table."
And those good meals will go on forever and forever.
He came home* and behold* the stove was unlit, no food
on the table. So he goes to his wife and says, "Well," says, "what
about the food? Didn't you cook today?"
And what did she say? *Would you* the son of a noble family*
permit your own wife to do the cooking? From now on I'm through with
cooking for good, and if you want to eat, you better get for us a cook:"
FO IV 0
EY. t CcLjc tit
FOLKLORE
NEW 1'01.1K
STATE New York
N:OT OF 'YORKER May Swenson
MIDIWTSS 21 1/2 Morten St. New York
PATE November 7$ 1938
SUBJECT THREE HUNGARIAN STORIES "THESEVEN-PLUM -TREE NOBLEMEN"
Upon being asked if there was any intrinsic difference
between Slovak Lan and Hungarian foik.tales, in her opinion, Informant
replied:
"Yes, there is definitely a difference in this ways that
the heroes of Hungarian folk tales very often are noblemen, while the
heroes of Slovakian folktales are usually poor artisans or peasants.
And even if the hero of the xiungarian tale happens to be a peasant,
he usually would seek, what shall I say, the favour of his superiors,
and try to become sort of their equal, that is regard them always as
benevolent masters.
On the other hand, the Slovak heron of folklore would regard
their masters as their oppressors, and try to outwit or ridicule them
..you see?"
Asked the reason for this difference, Miss Vrbowska replied:
"Very simply this: that the Hungarians were the Pulling
nation of Hungary and most of the noblemen were Hungarian, whereas the
Slovaks were, as a whole, a peasant nation without nobility...I mesa,
they were the subjects...."