“Why, you can see that in the Scriptures!”

To which I answered, “But the Gipsies have Scripture stories different from those of the Gorgios, and different ideas about religion.  Go on with your story.  Why do you burn ash-wood?”

“The ivy, and holly, and pine trees, never told a word where our Saviour was hiding himself, and so they keep alive all the winter, and look green all the year.  But the ash, like the oak (lit. strong tree), told of him (lit. across, against him), where he was hiding, so they have to remain dead through the winter.  And so we Gipsies always burn an ash-fire every Great Day.  For the Saviour was born in the open field like a Gipsy, and rode on an ass like one, and went round the land a begging his bread like a Rom.  And he was always a poor wretched man like us, till he was destroyed by the Gentiles.

“And He rode on an ass?  Yes.  Once he asked the mule if he might ride her, but she told him no.  So because the mule would not carry him, she was cursed never to be a mother or have children.  So she never had any, nor any cross either.

“Then he asked the ass to carry him, and she said ‘Yes;’ so he put a cross upon her back.  And to this day the ass has a cross and bears young, but the mule has none.  So the asses belong to (are peculiar to) the Gipsies.”

There was a pause, when I remarked—­

“That is a fino gudlo—­a fine story; and all of it about an ash tree.  Can you tell me anything about the surrelo rukk—­the strong tree—­the oak?”

“Only what I’ve often heard our people say about its life.”

“And what is that?”

“Dui hundred besh a hatchin, dui hundred besh nasherin his chuckko, dui hundred besh ’pre he mullers, and then he nashers sar his ratt and he’s kekoomi kushto.” {30}

“That is good, too.  There are a great many men who would like to live as long.”

“Tacho, true.  But an old coat can hold out better than a man.  If a man gets a hole in him he dies, but his chukko (coat) can be toofered and sivved apre (mended and sewed up) for ever.  So, unless a man could get a new life every year, as they say the hepputs, the little lizards do, he needn’t hope to live like an oak.”

“Do the lizards get a new life every year?”

“Avali.  A hepput only lives one year, and then he begins life over again.”

“Do snails live as long as lizards?”

“Not when I find ’em rya—­if I am hungry.  Snails are good eating. {32} You can find plenty on the hedges.  When they’re going about in the fields or (are found) under wood, they are not good eating.  The best are those which are kept, or live through (literally sleep) the winter.  Take ’em and wash ’em and throw ’em into the kettle, with water and a little salt.  The broth’s good for the yellow jaundice.”

“So you call a snail”—­