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TWO TALES AND AN ANECDOTE
Mrs Mary Berner
by William Wood
FORM C
Tc'7,:t. of I'iterview
STATE New York
NAVE OF wO. KEP William Wood
Amuss 7018,087th Place, Glendale, L. I.
DATE Sept. 8, 1938
SUBJECT TWO TALES AND AN ANECDOTE i MPS. MARY BERNER
FOLKLOBE
NZ": YORK
First, I must tell you coupla stories what happened in
Oarmany yet, before I came to this country out, when I was a young
woman. We lived near a little farm village, and I worked all day
in the fields, from morning to night. In the village there was an
old miners (miser) What lived all alone by himself in a big house.
Ha was so stingy he wouldn't let no one in to clean for him, and
no one to 000k for him; and he didn't want no one to coma near the
place, and the people all said he was counting his money all the
time, over and over again.
The miners (miser) had a brothtx what was a very poor
man with a lot of children, and he had a little farm what was so
poor he didn't hardly could make a living* One year his crops
was so poor his family was going to starve, so he gain' to his
brother and he say, "Aft', oleasik help me out for my kids, Seasel
Soon is the winter coming and not enough food to eat. PUMA John,
you must help me outl" So John, he thinks for a minute and he says,
"No, Karl," he says, "I don't can help you nothing this year; but
maybe," he says, "you kommen here amt. ma. again, and I help you
out*"
So Karl didn't get nothing from the old mineral, but be
live lust the same, and the neighbors help him so his wife and his
kids don't starve. And his wife get another baby and makes yet
bigger family, and be very poor all next year. And when winter
kommen on litain be says to his wife, be says, "I vim' to see in
brother again, and he gain' to help us." And his wife says, "don't
you go to that old ainersh"she says, "He sint give you nothing."
Rut Karl says, "I min" lust the same; be promised be gain' to help
me this year," be says.
Well, Karl goes to the house, and he find the door' open
and be went inside and caned out: "John!" and he couldn't bear
John: and he oouldn't see him nowhere. And he called out again,
yet, and no answer. And Karl shout, and stamp foot on floor and
mak* all kinds noise and John didn't cone. So be thinks maybe his
brother is sick, and he looks all over the house and be didn't
could find him. And then be goes down in the cellar but be can't
find his brother. And he sees a big, heavy iron door built in the
wall, with a funny looking lock on the door; and be never see before
in his life such a funny lock. And he looks high up and be sees a
very *mall place in the wall like a peep.hole. And be climbs up
on old box and looks through the bole, and can see his brother
sitting at a table.deadt And there is big pile money on table,
ehere his brother been counting bis money.
So they sends a long way off to another village, and it era
lives a locksmith; and oomes the locksmith to make open the door.
And he says: "This is the look I made," be says, 'I made it about
teL leers ago; and you can't open the door from the inside when it
springs shut." And be says the old miners wanted him to make the
.3m
look so if a robber came, and found where he hid his money, be
would look the door on hiseelf and oouldn't eome out: And the
locksmith says the old minors must forgot to put up catch on
lock when he went the door in; and then door locked shut fast
and he can't get out and he dies there.
There was nice farm close byultwilat was owned by a
father and son, and they kept a working men there to work far thous
and his name was Heinridh. He wee a very big strong fellow; and be
worked hard and he know everything about a farm: horses end cows
and pigs and chickens and everything. So one tine they all spread=
lug manure on the ground, and Heinrich says too worm the weather is,
and he gain' to do his 'pork at night time. And the farmer says,
"hat's the matter mit you? Are you crazy you want to go to work
in the night?" And the son of the farmer says to Heinrich: "Neinrich,"
be says, "the ghosts will come by yru in the night time; better
you work by me in the daylirtht, no." And Heinrich says he ain't
scared of ghosts and even he ain't scared of the Devil yet; and he
min' to do more work in night time. So the farmer Joey, to go
ahead, and the son of the farmer says to watch out the ghosts
don't get your.
So the next night when the other people min' to bed,
about eight o'clock when it' ettin dark, Heinrich gets manure=
wagon out, and gets the horses the stable out; and he zeta the fork
and commence to spread manure on the fields. And he makes good
work, and it's nice and cool, and the moon Shininj doom; and he's
.4.
glad the boas let hlm work in the night. And after when the moon
goes in it gets more darker; but Heinrich* he can see good yet.
And he gets hungry after while* and he says soon he goint feed
those horses and then he's goinl by the kitchen and oat some
bread and sausage after he's made empty the load what's on his
wagon.
Well* Heinrich looks up and than two horses is shaking
all over* and he says: *What's the matter now*" he says. And
quick he looks by some bi$ *roles* by the woods where the corner
of the field is, and "Heiliger Ootti" he says* and he make* the
sign of the (moss. He can see a big white thing the trees between*
and waving the arms up and down. And them horses is so scared
they goinl to run away elbow he holds than by the head and he speaks
to them. And he looks the trees between again* and he didn't Gould
see no ghost no more. So he goes to work yet and he makes empty
the wagon and he takes his horses to the barn and gives them
water and feeds them; and then he goes by the kltohen and eats
his bread and sausage. And after when the horses is through
eating* he puts them back again in the wagon* and he goes to work
again till daylight comes; and the farmer and the son of the farmer
GOMOS out.
So the son of the farmer says* "Heinrich*" he says* "did
the ghosts been soaring you?" And he says: *Now* he says* "I
didn't could be soared by much humbugs." And the eon of the farmer
says: *What you could do when a ghost come and catch you yet?"
And he says "I fix that ghost; and when it in the Devil what *owes
by me* I fix him too." And in the breakfast ti e the Parer and the
wife and the eon of the farmer makes foolishness by Heinrich; and
41015110
the son says. "he's very brave fellow and the Devil couldn't make
him seared."
Well, when night time come again, Heinrich went with
horses out, same like before; and he spreads tgain the manure,
maybe two three loads, end just when the moon goes in his is
close near the corner of the field where is the woods. And them
horses start shaking again; and Heinrich jumps quick out of that
wagon to talk to them horses; and he has in his hand that manure.
fork. And quick he looks the trees between; and comes out now
the ghost, same like lest night, waving mit the arms. So first
he makes the sign of the cross and then runs fast by that gloat
and he hits him so hard he could on the head with heavy, iron-
manure.fork; and that ghost falls down and don't make no noise:
Now, them horses so soared is, they start to run away
with wagon, nnd Heinrich he's running after them; but they don't
stop no more till they come by the house. And Heinrich is holler
out for horses to stop, and make so muoh racket his boas and the
wife comes quick out to see what loose is. And Heinrich says
"Kommen quick," he says, "I °etched sin ghost." And they all
run fast by the corner where those trees is, and they see white
ghost on ground, mit horns sticking from his head out. And then
they look very close, and the wife of the farmer picks up those
horns in the hand. And she picks up a bed sheet; and down on the
ground is the son of the farmer; and the son of the farmer is deadi
This part of Long Island was nostril' all farms when I
came from Germany; and 1w as a young woman and I worked on a
farm here; and after, I went to work by a hotel. It was on
Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village near' the Lutheran Cemetery,
and Old Man Wanamacher was the keeper. And I went to work in the
kitchen and mein husband got a job digging graves. The Manhattan
people used to come salt funerals herei and after the funerals was
over they came by us to oat lunch. And they drank schnapps and
beer. And sometines when they see my wedding ring, they ask
me, "where your husband is?" And all times I tell them, "he is
over in the cemetery." So they think all time mein husband is
a dead one.
Old Man Wanamacher one time was a great hunters; but
When I worked there he was too old to go hunting anymore; and
he was alI time saying be wish he was young again so he oan only
go and shoot birds the trees off yet. I didn't could talk muah
English but I can understand little bit; and after while I plaited
up more and learned to talk little better. You must come when
you are it child or else you don't can learn good. Nearly all round
hare was lemon people, anyway, and everyone speaks German in them
days.
In them days they had coaches and horses for all the
funerals. No automobiles. The drivers wore big top:hats, and
they was dressed all in black. /nd some of them had on suits at
was too big for them, and some was too small. Many t tries they
looking like scareorows, when they come to bury poor people, And
when the head ones was buried, and the families came to eat in
hotel dining room those drivers hang around drinking by the bar.
And some of those driers say bad words and swearing.
We had a lA of chickens, and some of those hens are
laying eggs every day. And after a funeral party each lunch, we
don't can find many eg,a around. And I says, "I think it's them
.7.
drivers," I says, "what's stealing our eggs." And every tie
one bi fellow comes a funeral mit, I don't can find no eggs at
all yet after he's gone away. So I says, "wait, once; I fix that
guy!" Well, one of our hens quit sitting on some eggs she was
hatcbing; and she won't sit on them eggs no more. And I says,
"them eggs is very rotten." I says, "and I'm goin' to save them
eggs for when comes that big fellow."
Well, about a week after that, I can hear the horses
driving in, and the people just had a funeral; and the big guy
comes in by the bar mit the other drivers, and buys beer. And
run quick out and pick up all fresh eggs by the barn, and I puts
down the rotten ones. After while that rig fellow, he says, "1
think I go look bit my horses," and he goes out and makes the door
shut. And he is holding his top -hat by the hand, upside down.
So I c7oes quick in the kitchen and I look the window out; and I
can see hi n go in by the barn. And pretty soon comes out again
and holding top hat under arm, upside down. And I'm watching him
go fast to his coach and takes eggs from the hat, and puts them
eg7s nice under the seat. And after when he comes in by the bar
he says, "them horses is all right; guess takes another beer
yet, and then maybe the family is done eatint and we go home."
So after when he goes away I tell the Old Man Wanamacher
and the missus and the bartender. And next time that big guy's
come with a funeral, the boss says to him, he says: "John, we
got some plenty nice fresh eggs to -day; maybe you like to buy
some yet." And tht fellow says "no", he sfyw "my folks don't
each much eggs in my house." And Mr. Wanamacher says, "all right,
olden.timer," he says.
FOL-. V 0
,E; r7k t.Cc LAO f' t C
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER William Wood
MUMESS 7012.07th ammo alendule, L.
DATE
September 8$ 1930
SUBJECT HE INVOidiANT..11;Zo WRY D4IiNZEI.
44 Airman Ave*
Middle Villa L. I.
FOLKLORE
NEW
The interview fromwhioh this material was gathered was
made possible through the oourtesy of a friend, Mr. Anthony F.
Driscoll, of Middle Village, I deem it advisable to keep the
informant, Mrs. Mary Berner, incognito; lest her family, highly
intelligent people, might regard as caricaturisation my portrayal
of her vernacular* ?or this reason I have assigned the pseudonym
Mrs. Mary Schmidt a very common German name,
While the narratives are not recorded verbatim indeed,
this would be physically impossil,le without a stenographer I
have endeavored to preserve as much of her quaint phraseology as
my longhand notes and the general circumstances of the interview
permitted*