P. 392 b. Sleep-thorns.
Sleep-thorns, or something similar, occur in the West Highland tales. In a story partly reported by Campbell, I, xci, "the sister put gath nimh, a poisonous sting or thorn, into the bed, and the prince was as though he were dead for three days, and he was buried. But Knowledge told the other two dogs what to do, and they scraped up the prince and took out the thorn, and he came alive again and went home." So in "The Widow's Son," Campbell, II, 296: "On the morrow he went, but the carlin stuck a bior nimh, spike of hurt, in the outside of the door post, and when he came to the church he fell asleep." In another version of The Widow's Son, II, 297, a "big pin " serves as the "spike of hurt." Cf. the needle in Haltrich, Deutsche Volksmärchen aus dem Sachsenlande in Siebenbürgen, 3d ed., p. 141, No 32. (G.L.K.)
393. Italian ballad. Add: Righi, p. 33, No 96; Nigra, No 77, p. 393, 'La Bevanda sonnifera,' A-H; Giannini, 'Il Cavaliere ingannato,' p. 157; Ferrari, Biblioteca di Lett, pop. italiana, I, 2J8, 'La bella Brunetta;' Finamore, in Archivio, I, 89, La Fandell' e lu Cavaljiere (mixed); Nerucci, in Archivio, II, 524, 'La Ragazza Fantina;' Julia, in Archivio, VI, 244, 'La 'nfantina e lu Cavalieri;' Rondini, in Archivio, VII, 189.
Ricordi, Canti p. Lombardi, No 9, 'La Moraschina,' gives the first half of the story, with a slight alteration for propriety's sake.
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