Folk Tales
Back to Folk Tales HomepageThree Brothers Make Their Fortunes
Lewis T Evans (1882-1975)
There was a man and he had three sons. He lived in Tan y Bwlch and he made a will. He had a cockerel and a cat and a ladder. And he gave the cat to one of them - John, and the cockerel to William, and the ladder to Robert. That's it.
Then John set out with the cat on his back to a country where there were no cats. And when he arrived he found a place to lodge. And they were asking before going to their beds:
'Who will stay up to watch the mice tonight?'
'Oh!' said John, 'there's no need for anyone to stay up to watch the mice. I have a little thing in this sack that will catch every mouse.'
Oh! they went to their beds all comfortable! By the time they came downstairs from their beds, mice had been killed everywhere all over the floor.
'Dear God!' they said, 'how much will you take for it?'
'Well, they're a hundred pounds in my own country', he said.
Well, they were quite pleased; he had a hundred pounds. Then he went home.
When he arrived home William took the cockerel to a country where there were no cockerels. He found a place to lodge. And before going to their beds, they asked:
'Who will stay up to watch the dawn today?'
'Oh', he said, 'there's no need for anyone to watch the dawn today, I have a little thing in this sack that will crow when day breaks.'
Well, they were very pleased. They had started fighting amongst each other over who would be staying up to watch the dawn. And they all went to their beds. And in the morning, when dawn broke, the cock crowed, and they all woke up. How they marvelled!
'How much will you take for it?' they asked.
'Well, they're a hundred pounds in my own country', he said.
They were well pleased; he had a hundred pounds. Then he came home.
Well! the other then set out to a country where there were no ladders. He set it against the wall of this mansion, climbed it, and listened to the people talking in one of the rooms.
'We don't know what on earth we shall do.'
The gentleman's wife was dreadfully ill and they were expecting a specialist. And he knocked on the door and said he was a specialist. He went to look at the woman and examined her a little.
'Oh, she's all right, she'll be alright in such-and-such a time.'
'And what's the cost?' said the gentleman.
'A hundred pounds, if you please', said he.
They were quite satisfied; they paid him one hundred pounds. And that's that story.
Recording
Three Brothers Make Their Fortunes
More information
Tape
MWL 1736. Recorded 11.xi.1967.Notes
According to Lewis T Evans this is a localised international tale. He surmised that it was probably one of Grimm's fairy tales and that his blind uncle, Lewis Evans, who told the story to him at Hafod Llan Isa, 1891-2, had by whim associated it with Tan y Bwlch, a farm to the north of Cefn Brith. He conjectured that his uncle, in turn, could have heard the story from Hugh Jones, y Bŵt, Pentrellyncymer.
For English versions, see Briggs, vol. B2, pp. 139-45; Baughman, pp. 42-3; and W A Clouston, Popular Tales and Fictions: Their Migrations and Transformations, London, 1887, vol. 2, p. 65. In the English versions the tale is associated with Dick [Richard] Whittington who was 'probably the son of Sir William Whittington of Pauntley, near Newent, and Joan Mansell, daughter of the Sheriff of Gloucestershire. In 1379 he was already a substantial citizen of London and he married the daughter of Sir Ovo Fizwaryn of Dorset, but died without issue in 1423.' (Briggs, vol. B2, p. 145)
Types
AT 1650 | The Three Lucky Brothers. Their inheritances: a cock, a scythe, a cat. The fortunate sales. i. The Inheritances. (a) The eldest brother inherits a cock, the second a scythe, the youngest a cat. ii. Luck. (a) They reach countries where these objects or animals are unknown, and sell them for a fortune. |
AT 1651 | Whittington's Cat. In a land where cats are unknown, he sells it for a fortune. i. He gets the cat. The hero is left the cat as his only inheritance... ii. Sale of the cat. He takes his cat to a mouse-infested land where cats are unknown and sells it for a fortune. |
Motifs
AT 1651 | Whittington's Cat. In a land where cats are unknown, he sells it for a fortune. i. He gets the cat. The hero is left the cat as his only inheritance... ii. Sale of the cat. He takes his cat to a mouse-infested land where cats are unknown and sells it for a fortune. |