New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-12
THE THUNDER STONE
Superstitions About Meteorites
Among English Country Folk.


meteorite, is looked upon with such super
sutton by oldfashioned country folk?
Even one who has lived the whole OF his
life In close touch with the dalesfolk can
not hazard a guess. says THE London
GLOBE In the minds eye are three OF
these queer kidney shaped objects. of
VINO knows what terrestrial age THE
memory Of man runneth not to the con-
trary. The first is in a large pasture, a
grim, dark, smooth boulder. On its top.
generation ago. was a clear footprint,
vast, sinister-that of Aud Nick himself.
one remembers the scene OF childhood
when the story was told A crowd OF
youngsters round the blacksmths fire.
the gray narrator. old farmer, the
inckering lights from fire and lamp, the
SOFT pelt of snow against the window
Aye, he's giant is Aud Nick; three
steps he took from end to end Of aw Eng
land; and yam on 'em leeted In our grit
pastur." One remembers the thrill Of
awed pride that His Satanic Majesty
should have put his footprint so near our
parish. but why did he mark the
stoneT' was Queried in bated breath.
Doesn't he cum frae a warm spot,
scoffed the smith. The footprint is said
TO have disappeared fifty years or more
ago when a tower added TO the church
brought sanctified work in view OF the
field
Another OF these stones lies in a sheep
fold by a beckside There is no house
within a mile. but the place on a hot
summer day is the busiest place in the
dale Here is the washing pool most
favored by our shepherds The dark
stone lies in a corner of the inner in
closure: it is almost round and very
smooth. After the washing Is over IT
used to be test of strength TO lift this
cobble into a cart. The weight was not
very great. but the lack of grip baffied
all except men with exceptionally long
forearms. One remembers such famous
litter telling the story many year later.
But the story goes that move that cobble
where you will. it still comes back to the
old fold. Like the skulls of Calgarth, Il
cannot be riddled. Where the upland
glen breaks into the lower valley a man.
sion has been built. The builder hearing
its story, wished to use the thunder stone
in part of his stable. With some trouble
the resentment Of the dalesmen had TO
be avoided-his towns tradesmen brought
down the cobble at cleaning. Next
morning, before breakfast. the old farmer
and his two sons from Nab Neuk came
down to the building and demanded the
stone TO be returned. The master mason
pointed TO a corner on which four foot
OF masonry had been piled.
Never matter" said the old man. it'll
haze TO come DOT. There's nit yam at Nal
Neuk hes winked eye Ow meet Y hoose
4 is full Of ratings and rowlings and bump
ings. an We darent stir The mason
then fell back en- the formula that II was
Mr.. IS orders that the cobble should
/ be brought down and built into the stable
wall, and as Mr.. s. was landlord Of the
4 parish, though yet stranger. the OLD
man had TO be content "Ah tell thee
what BARN: that was an awful day. T
I coos woddent milk. and L sheep never
come doom L hill. IL was as strange as
when Dick GunsOn went To market on 1
I Sunday. Honivver meet com on. and W
aw sat up. Scum 1 row began. And there
/ was creamings and yowlincs ootside bul
naebody 10 see. though L dogs barked foi
sewer. Just afoor midnight IL gat thai
| had as ah sed 10 [ lads. 'NOk up and We u
/ bring that cObble back again An efei
/ we set GOT L missis Sed aw went calnei
! and calner. r. mason had put IN a Ia
nous day on that corner. but doom II hec
/ to come, and in less than two hours VI
| he'd L stane back in 4 fold. We've nivve'
/ been distu sen, though. after I lad'
haze been pu'ing L cobble about We hear
J few rumbles TIL IL gets lack TO its spot.
| That is the story as told many year ago
| strange and weird. a tag maybe OF some
I old legendary lore. but the old farmer a.
/ Nal Neuk swore stoUtly 10 his actual eX'
! perience.
What happened TO the third THUNDER
stone Of which weird stories are told u
unknown The schoolmaster OF K
sixty years ago. was known 10 practise
occult arts-and his familiar was
| smooth. oval stone, black-red In color
Z The man had only TO call, or whistle
/ wherever he might be. and the stone ma
terialiZed and came rolling toward hlm
II was useful. too. There are old folks
still living, who were educated at Il
| who tell one that at "A word the stone
would roll i'm at the door, pass tn
! scared classes. go up TO the fireplace an'
begin blowing the fire When the room
.fak