uair01
Antediluvian
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2005
- Messages
- 5,473
- Location
- The Netherlands
I rode home from Berlin and I sat in a compartment with a German couple, my age, 50-ish. I told how I once was trespassing (and met a german shepherd watchdog and how the guard said "don't be afraid, she only bites when I tell her to") and then she told me this:
I was pleasantly surprised by this bit of modern folklore:
1) Yes, Gypsies do this kind of thing, it's a classic trick.
2) But Gypsies steal normal useful things, not children.
3) The lady was really very convinced that the Gypsies were after her. So that must be a part of local folklore in the Westfalian countryside.
4) It reminded me of the stories of fairies stealing children.
Yes they're very good watchdogs. When I was four years old, our german shepherd saved me from being stolen by the gypsies. I was playing in my room upstairs and a group of gypsies had distracted my grandma at the front door. Others came around the back and entered the house by the back door. They came up the stairs and into my room. Then the dog was at one of the gypsies' throat and it immobilized the guy against a wall. If it had not been there they would have stolen me.
I was pleasantly surprised by this bit of modern folklore:
1) Yes, Gypsies do this kind of thing, it's a classic trick.
2) But Gypsies steal normal useful things, not children.
3) The lady was really very convinced that the Gypsies were after her. So that must be a part of local folklore in the Westfalian countryside.
4) It reminded me of the stories of fairies stealing children.