ved
in stone, was to be seen till the year 1780 over the archway of the old
prison of Newgate that stood across Newgate Street.

160

The next story came from Suffolk, England, and
the original is in the pronounced dialect of
that county. Mr. Jacobs thinks it one of the
best folk tales ever collected. The version
given follows Jacobs in reducing the dialect.
There is enough left, however, to raise the
question of the use of dialect in stories for
children. Some modern versions eliminate the
dialect altogether. It is certain that the
retention of some of the qualities of the
folk-telling makes it more dramatically
effective and appropriate. The original form of
the story may be seen in Hartland's _English
Fairy and Folk Tales_. Teachers should feel
free to use their judgment as to the best form
in which to tell a story to children.
Name-guessing stories are very common, and may
be "a 'survival' of the superstition that to
know a man's name gives you power over him, for
which reason savages object to tell their
names." The Grimm story of "Rumpelstiltskin" is
the best known of many variants (No. 178). "Tom
Tit Tot" has a rude vigor and dramatic force
not in the continental versions, and it will be
interesting to compare it with the Grimm tale.
Jacobs suggests that "it may be necessary to
explain to the little ones that Tom Tit can be
referred to only as 'that,' because his name is
not known until the end."

TOM TIT TOT

Once upon a time there was a woman, and she baked five pies. And when
they came out of the oven, they were that over-baked the crusts were too
hard to eat. So she says to her daughter: "Darter," says she, "put you
them there pies on the shelf, and leave 'em there a little, and they'll
come again."--She meant, you know, the crust would get soft.

But the girl, she says to herself, "Well, if they'll come again, I'll
eat 'em now." And she set to work and ate 'em all, first and last.

Well, come supper-time the woman said, "Go you and get one o' them there
pies. I dare say they've come again now."

The girl went and she looked, and there was nothing but the dishes. So
back she came and says she, "Noo, they ain't come again."

"Not one of 'em?" says the mother.