Lucy Stewart's fine versions of traditinal ballads and songs are rightly celebrated. But she as also a storyteller, and said proudly she had won prizes for her telling abilities. (I think this was when she was at school, for she was not known to have ever performed in public, but in her own kitchen.)
LUCY STEWART’S STORIES
A POOR WOODCUTTER WASTED THE THREE WISHES GIVEN HIM BY A FAIRY
A poor woodcutter wasted the three wishes given him by a fairy. While a poor woodcutter was resting from his work and eating a dry piece [of bread] a fairy appeared to him and gave him three wishes.
A POOR MAN RETURNED HOME AFTER SEVEN YEARS' WORK
A poor man returned home after seven years' work with only a loaf, but it had seven years' wages in it. A poor Irishman left his wife and son to travel in search of work and was given employment.
THE MINISTER AND HIS WEDDER
Told to repeat a song about his father stealing the minister's sheep, a boy sang about the minister's misdemeanours instead. At a time when sheep-stealers could be hanged, a poor man stole a sheep.
A BOATMAN FELL IN LOVE WITH A CHANGELING AND DIED
A boatman fell in love with a changeling and died of a broken heart when she disappeared into the sea. The wife of a crofter and fisherman on Skye left her fair-haired baby girl in a cave.
STEWART TRAVELLERS ARE DESCENDED FROM JACOBITE NOBILITY
Stewart Travellers are descended from Jacobite nobility who married Gypsies. The Stewarts have rebel blood. They came from the Highlands and fought at Culloden with Bonnie Prince Charlie.
A WOMAN DRIVEN OUT WITH A DOOR ON HER BACK
A woman driven out with a door on her back accidentally frightened away robbers and got their gold. The wife of a poor man wasted the meal and the money he told her to put aside.
A LAIRD'S CHILDREN WERE CURSED BY THE MOTHER
A laird's children were cursed by the mother of an executed boy, and died unnatural deaths. A laird had two sons and two daughters. The laird's younger daughter fell in love with a drummer boy.
A WOMAN PROMISED THE DEVIL HER SON
A woman promised the Devil her son, but the boy and a priest fought him off when the time came. A woman with an illegitimate baby was thrown out of her home. She was sitting weeping by the road.
PIPER LED AWAY CHILDREN BECAUSE MAYOR REFUSED TO PAY HIM
A piper led children away because the mayor refused to pay him for clearing the town of rats. There was a plague of rats in the town.
JACK GAINED A PALACE AND A WIFE BY OUTWITTING A MISERLY ROBBER
Jack gained a palace and a wife by outwitting a miserly robber. A robber bought a palace with the money he had stolen, and became a miser. He had a daughter whom he kept inside the palace.
JACK FOUND THE WATER OF LIFE WITH THE AID OF A RABBIT
Jack found the water of life with the aid of a rabbit to which he had been kind, saved his father, and gained a princess.
MAN WHO DRESSED UP AS A GHOST TO FRIGHTEN HIS DRUNK BROTHER
A man who dressed up as a ghost to frighten his drunk brother died on seeing a real ghost. A man who was a habitual drunkard passed a churchyard on his way home every night.
LUCY STEWART'S UNCLE SAW THE GHOST OF A MURDERED GIRL
A Traveller saw the ghost of a murdered girl. Lucy Stewart's uncle was addicted to drink. One night he had got drunk in Pitsligo and was coming home through a wood in the dark.
LUCY STEWART'S FATHER, WHEN A BOY, DREAMED WHERE THERE WAS MONEY
A boy dreamed that there was money under a stone in his landlady's yard. When Lucy Stewart's father was a boy, he boarded with a woman in Coupar Angus. He dreamed that there was money.
A TRAMP LODGING IN A BYRE SAW THE GHOST
A tramp lodging in a byre saw the ghost of a man who had committed suicide. A tramp asked for lodgings at a farm at Slains where a man had hanged himself some years before.
TWO TRAMPS HEARD CHAINS RATTLING IN A BARN
Two tramps heard chains rattling in a barn where a farmer had hanged himself. Two tramps, a man and wife, got lodgings for the night at a big farm near Ellon. They were trying to get to sleep.
A FARMER HAd TO BOW TO THE LAIRD WHO HAD BEEN HIS FARMHAND
A farmer had to bow to the laird who had been his farmhand. A wealthy farmer was distraught at his daughter falling in love with his farmhand. He tried to part them, telling her that she was taken.
AN AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE PROMISED TO MARRY THE GIRL
An American millionaire promised to marry the girl he would recognise by her wearing a rose. An American millionaire fell in love with a photograph of an English girl and wrote asking her to marry him.
A MAN CHOSE BETWEEN HIS TWO SWEETHEARTS
A man chose between his two sweethearts according to whether they could make porridge from shavings. A rich man had two sweethearts. To choose which one he would marry he set them a test.
HOW THE FIGURES OF A HORSE AND A DEER CAME TO BE ON MORMOND HILL
How the figures of a horse and a deer came to be on Mormond Hill. It is said that the reason there is a white horse and a deer on Mormond Hill is that a deer chased a white horse round the hill.
A CREWMAN WITH A STUTTER SANG TO THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN
A crewman with a stutter sang to the ship's captain that the cook had fallen overboard.
Two fools worked on a liner, one the cook, the other a crewman with a stutter. The cook fell overboard.
THE STORY OF JOHN LEE, THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG
The story of John Lee, the man they could not hang (because of his caul). John Lee was brought up by his grandmother when his mother remarried. He was born with a seelyhoo [caul].
A LAIRD VAUNTS HIS STRENGTH BUT MEETS HIS MATCH
A laird vaunts his strength but meets his match. There was a laird, who had no marra [match] for strength. He went to a poor smith who was new in the village to have his horse shod.
A TRAGIC STORY OF CANNIBALISM AT SEA
A tragic story of cannibalism at sea. A ship that had been at sea for a long time lost its course in bad weather, and they had no meat [food]. They drew lots to see who would be sacrificed.
A POOR SHOEMAKER IS HELPED BY A GOOD FAIRY
A poor shoemaker is helped by a good fairy. A poor shoemaker fell ill and lost his trade, and the landlord was demanding the rent. The shoemaker was crying in the shop at night.
KINDNESS REWARDED BY A BEGGAR'S MAGICAL BLESSING
Kindness rewarded by a beggar's magical blessing. There was a poor farmer and his wife, who had very little food, but they shared it with a beggar who came to their door.
ANECDOTE ABOUT THE SUPERSTITION THAT A MURDERER HAS TWO SHADOWS
Anecdote about the superstition that a murderer has two shadows. It is said that a person who commits murder has two shadows: his own and that of his victim.
WHY THE DOVE HAS NO GALL-BLADDER AND THE EEL HAS TWO
Why the dove has no gall-bladder and the eel has two. The dove is a blessed bird. It was the only bird to come back when God [sic] sent out several birds to bring back a green leaf after the Flood.
A BET WON ON THE BASIS OF FINDING LIFE IN SOMETHING INANIMATE
A bet won on the basis of finding life in something inanimate. Two lairds were both heavy gamblers. One gambled away his whole estate to the other and went up Mormond Hill to think what to do.
GOOD KING JAMES REVOKED A LAW HE HAD MADE AGAINST PEDLARS
Good King James revoked a law he had made against pedlars going about together after two pedlars saved his life. One day Good King James met a pedlar and got into a fight with him.
THE GHOST OF A WOMAN SEARCHES FOR THE BODY OF HER LOVER
The ghost of a woman searches for the body of her lover, killed in a battle. A man driving on a dark rainy night saw a woman dressed in white on the road in front of the car. He slowed down.
A HORSE REFUSED TO MOVE WHEN IT SAW GHOSTS
A horse refused to move when it saw ghosts. A farmservant who was fee'd [hired] seven or eight miles from home took the farmer's horse to go and see his father, who was dangerously ill
A CARRIER DIED OF SHOCK AFTER GIVING A LIFT IN HIS CART
A carrier died of shock after giving a lift in his cart to the Devil. A carrier who went every day from Kinmuck near Hatton of Fintray to Aberdeen was coming home late one night.
A LITTLE GIRL SHARED HER DINNER WITH A SNAKE
A little girl shared her dinner with a snake, and when her parents killed it she pined away and died. A little girl always took her dinner outside to eat it among the heather.
A FARMSERVANT WAS TORN TO PIECES BY THE GHOST OF A GIRL
A farmservant was torn to pieces by the ghost of a girl that haunted the chaumer. It was known that a certain farm in Aberdeenshire was haunted.
A MAN ON HIS WAY TO FETCH THE DOCTOR AT NIGHT SAW A PHANTOM
A man on his way to fetch the doctor at night saw a phantom funeral. A long time ago, a man went to fetch the doctor for his sick wife. He had to walk six or seven miles.
SAD STORY OF TWO LOVERS: THE MAN WAS BANISHED AND KILLED
Sad story of two lovers: the man was banished and killed in America, and the girl pined to death. Gregory, the son of a poor nobleman, was left in the care of a rich relation.
A BREWER GAVE THE DEVIL A LIFT IN HIS CART, AND TOOK ILL
A brewer gave the Devil a lift in his cart, and took ill with the shock of realising what had happened. A brewer going home in his cart late one night gave a lift to a man.
SIMPLE JOHN WAS REWARDED FOR HIS KINDNESS TO A STRANGER
Simple John was rewarded for his kindness to a stranger and rescued a princess and his brothers. A poor widow had three sons. The eldest asked her to make him a bannock and a collop.
JAMES V, DISGUISED AS A BEGGAR, HAS A TYRANNICAL LAIRD BEHEADE
James V, disguised as a beggar, has a tyrannical laird beheaded. James V set off disguised as a beggar to visit his subjects, whom he had heard were being ill-treated. He met a girl.
A DREAM PREMONITION ABOUT DEATH
A dream premonition about death. Lucy Stewart's father and brother lay down at night by the roadside. Her father dreamed he saw his own gravestone.
A MAN'S SPIRIT LEFT HIS BODY WHILE HE SLEPT, AND THEN CAME BACK
A man's spirit left his body while he slept, and then came back. Three friends went fishing on different parts of a river. One fell asleep on the bank after eating his lunch.