LONG AGO STORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONG AGO STORIES

KATE GOES TO DUNMOW. Kate felt very excited as she walked beside her uncle and aunt. They were going to Dunmow to claim the famous flitch of bacon and it took a good deal see in the year 1244 Robert FitzWalter, lord of the manor, made a decree saying that if a married couple could kneel on two pointed stones and swear truthfully that they had not quarrelled nor repented their marriage for a year and a day after the ceremony had taken place they should be given a flitch _ of bacon. Sad to say only five couples had been worthy of the flitch during several hundred years, and now Kate s young uncle and aunt were going to claim it. Kate was sixteen, and very wise. “Do not forget,” she said, “that many couples have disputed about the flitch on their way to claim it, and so have been disqualified. Don’t talk to one another— only to me.” Kate’s aunt began to feel nervous when she saw the hundreds of people who had collected to watch the ce, re " mony, and she said she didn t in she could face it. Kate, terrified that her uncle would at the last minute say something snappy, began to talk about boiled bacon and beans while she held her aunt’s hand. The people cheered when the young couple with a number of witnesses walked up to claim the huge side of bacon, but Kate had no peace till her uncle and aunt took their solemn oath that they had never quarrelled nor regretted their marriage. Then the flitch of bacon was awarded them and the fun began. . Kate’s ' uncle and aunt, being very practical young people, and having Kate on their hands, had taken the P re " caution of bringing a large knife with them, and after the people had congratulated them the husband began to cut slices of bacon which Kate and the wife offered for sale. . “Beautiful lucky bacon! cried Kate. “Good lucky bacon that’ll bring you happiness for ever!” The flitch brought in a lot of money, and when the three walked triumphantly home with the cash in a bag Kate was quite relieved to think that half of it was to be her wedding portion. You see Kate had cleaned and worked hard for her uncle 'and aunt—not for wages, but in the hope that they would get the Dunmow flitch and repay her.