10. Léon and Marie Arsenault

Aunt Emily Blacquire also loved to hear her mother tell all those folktales. She can still see her mother sitting close to the stove busily making button-holes, and at the same time, unfolding her stories. In 1975, Aunt Emily was also able to tell us one of her mother's tales, the one entitled “La Marléche’”. (Mother Blackbird). It is an old animal tale evidently brought over from France by the early Acadians. This recording was also deposited in the folklore archives of the Acadian Study Centre.

Mother Blackbird

Once upon a time there was this Mother Blackbird who lived alone. She was a widow. One beautiful morning she said:

“Gosh! what a beautiful day to go out and visit my neighbour.”

So she got dressed and soon was on her way.

There was a dog called Roubi who saw her leave He said to himself:

“Gosh, Mother Blackbird is gone visiting, I'll go and check, she must have some eggs

hidden.”

He went in the house, looked around and found a basket full of eggs. Was he ever happy! He took a frying pan, lit the fire and started frying himself a feast of eggs. And then he ate, and he ate and he ate until he was so full that he fell to the floor and fell asleep. And he slept and he snored all day.

All of a sudden he woke up. It was almost dark. He thought:

“T must hurry and rush back to the woods because if Mother Blackbird finds me here she will kill me!”

And so he left.

Mother Blackbird soon arrived home. She looked on the stove and, gosh, the frying pan was there. And it was dirty, it looked like someone had cooked eggs in it. She said:

“T don't remember leaving my frying pan on the stove. I must go and check my eggs.” She went to look for her eggs, and they were all gone! She started crying:

” !

“Chirlip, chirlap, chirlip, chirlap

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