Stolen Garlic

A POOR man planted a bed of garlic, and as he had no land besides, each plant was separately tended and grew apace. When the crop was almost large enough for pulling he placed beside the bed a portable hutch, and slept there o' nights to guard against thieves. After watching for many nights without seeing sign of trespassers, he concluded that there were none about, and that he might as well sleep at home ; so he left the empty hutch beside the garlic bed, and spent the night in his own house. When he came back next morning to water his vegetables, he found that all had been pulled and carried off.

In consternation and tears he went to the magistrate and entered complaint of his loss. The magistrate called him up for examination, and asked him why he did not seize the thief.

" Because, your honor, I was not there when he came."

" Then why do you not bring as witness some one who saw him ? "

" Because, your honor, nobody caught a glimpse of him."

" Then why did you not bring from the garlic bed some clue by which he might be traced ? "

" Because, your honor, he left nothing in the bed besides the portable hutch which was there before."

" Very well," said the magistrate ; " since the hutch was the only object known to be on the field at the time of the theft, we will make the hutch the defendant in the suit, and to-morrow morning you will appear here as plaintiff against it."

The complaint and the result of the preliminary examination were reported far and wide, with the official announcement that on the next morning a portable hutch would be tried for theft. So remarkable a trial had never before been heard of, and it became the subject of inquiry, comment, and debate throughout the neighborhood.

When the case was called the court was crowded with spectators. The constables brought in the hutch and put it in the place for prisoners. It was charged with the crime, and as it offered no defense the magistrate ordered that it should be beaten until it confessed its guilt. The constables administered blows with a will, leaving it shattered in pieces. As the punishment proceeded, the amazement of the spectators gave way before their sense of the ludicrous, and by the time the constables were following up and whipping the fragments of the hutch the audience were laughing heartily.

In apparent rage the magistrate charged the whole assembly with contempt of court, ordered all the gates to be shut and locked, and fined each person present a pound of garlic, with no release till the fine should be paid. Many constables were deputed to escort those who wished to go out to buy garlic, and each merrily spent a few farthings in paying his fine.

In the course of the day all the garlic in the market had been bought up, and the adjoining hamlets had been ransacked to supply the unwonted demand. Each, as he handed in his fine, was required to tell where he got the garlic, which was then deposited bunch by bunch in a chamber of the courthouse.

When all the fines were paid, the plaintiff was invited to examine the bunches of garlic, and to state whether he recognized any as his own. He unhesitatingly declared certain bunches to be his, and when the record of the purchasers was examined, these bunches were found to have been all bought at the stall of a certain green-grocer. The green-grocer was arrested, and made to tell where he got the stolen goods. He declared that he knew nothing more about the garlic than that he had bought it from a certain villager. The villager was arrested and was proven by circumstantial evidence to have committed the theft. The magistrate thus got for himself a great reputation for sagacity ; the thief got forty blows ; and the poor gardener had awarded to him all the garlic that had been received in fines for
contempt of court.

from Chinese Fairy Tales By Adele M. Fielde published 1893

Here are two delicious recipe that use loooooots of garlic!


40 Clove Garlic Chicken
recipe found at A Year of Slow Cooking


The Ingredients.
serves 6

3-4 pounds chicken
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
20-40 garlic cloves, peeled, but intact

The Directions.
The author used a 6 quart oval slow cooker.
Place onion slices on the bottom of the stoneware insert.
In a large mixing bowl, toss chicken parts with olive oil, salt, paprika, pepper, and all of the garlic cloves.
Pour into slow cooker, on top of the onion.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6.
The longer you cook chicken-on-the-bone, the more tender it will be.
If you use drumsticks, the ones on the side will brown and may stick to the sides of the crock, burning a bit.
If this bothers you, you can rearrange them with tongs an hour before serving.


If the chicken isn't enough garlic for you, pair it with some:

Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
* 1 stick butter, room temperature
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 long loaf Italian bread, cut lengthwise

Directions
1. In a bowl, mix the butter and garlic together.
2. Spread the butter mixture on the bread.
3. On a baking sheet, bake the bread at 375F for 8-10 minutes, on the top rack of
the oven.
4. Then broil the bread for 1-2 minutes to brown.

Oh my, no more Pie!

Another great echo/songtale!

This is a traditional song. I am not totally sure of it's origins. I have seen it listed as an African American song but it may just be a southern traditional song.

This song or chant is also good for teaching steady beat. The beat can be pat out on your legs or tapped out on a drum.

No More Pie

(each line is echoed by children)
Oh, my!
No more pie.
Pie's too sweet.
I wanna piece of meat.
Meat's too red.
I wanna piece of bread.
Bread's too brown.
I think I'll go to town.
Town's too far.
I think I'll take the car.
Car won't go.
I fell and stubbed my toe.
Toe gives me pain.
I think I'll take the train.
Train had a wreck.
I fell and hurt my neck.
Oh, my!
No more pie.

Oh, my!
No more pie.

The last two lines a said just a little slower. As if a train were come to the end of the line.
This is a great song to use for thinking up rhymes or just new actions for the song.
Ex:
Oh, no. (oh, no)
Too much snow. (too much snow)

or you can use the kid's names

Hello Paul (hello Paul)
Let's walk down the hall. (let's walk down the hall)

Unfortunately, all names are not this simple to rhyme but it can be fun to make up silly words.


"Easy as Pie" Pie
Ingredients
* 2/3 cup boiling water
* 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix
* 1/2 cup cold water
* 1/2 cup ice
* 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
* 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions

1. In large bowl, stir boiling water into gelatin at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved.

2. Mix cold water and ice to measure 3/4 cup.

3. Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any remaining ice.

4. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk until smooth.

5. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound.

6. Spoon filling into crust. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

7. Garnish with sliced strawberries before serving.

Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow.......Sing with Your Child Month

Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow is a traditional British and American folk song.

It's a "play song" and the children perform the actions in the songs verses, basically acting out the planting and harvesting of a crop.

The song can be found on many children's cd's, performed by artist such as Raffi and John Langstaff.




Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


First the farmer sows his seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


Next the farmer waters the seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


Next the farmer hoes the weeds,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?


Last the farmer harvests his seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.


Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?

( the picture at the top of the blog is from Songs for Early Childhood at Church and Home, illustrated by Ann Eshner, 1958)

This video shows kids performing some of the movements in the song.



All Kinds of Beans Soup Mix in a Jar aka French Market Soup Mix in a Jar

(this recipe makes 14 gift jars of bean soup)

1 pound dried navy beans
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
1 pound split peas
1 pound yellow split peas
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 pound lentils
1 pound dried baby lima beans
1 pound dried lima beans
1 pound dried soybeans
1 pound pearl barley
1 pound dried red beans

1. In a very large container, combine navy beans, pinto beans, great Northern beans, split peas, yellow split peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, baby limas, limas, soybeans, barley and red beans; mix well.

2. Divide evenly into 14 lidded jars.

3. Attach a card to each jar with the following recipe:

All Kinds of Beans Soup aka French Market Soup:

2 quarts water
1 ham hock
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

1. Soak 2 cups French Market Bean Mix in water to cover, 8 hours or overnight.

2. In a large soup pot, bring 2 quarts water and ham hock to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

4. Remove ham hock.

5. Stir in soaked beans, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes and green chiles, onion and garlic.

6. Bring to a boil again, skimming foam off the top.

7. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 1 hour, until beans are tender.