A preacher chokes on a chicken bone, resulting in comical at...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1979.016.6; SA1979.017.1
Original Tape ID
Summary
A preacher chokes on a chicken bone, resulting in comical attempts to dispose of the body.
The preacher Old Dry Frye liked two things very much: one, the collection plate, and the other all the fried chicken he could eat. He liked to arrive opportunistically at parishioners' supper times and have it served to him.
The preacher eats so fast that he chokes on a chicken bone and dies. A sequence of events follows as the parishioner tries to dispose of the body and other local people who discover it all think they have killed the preacher. He is finally set on a mule and he may be riding on it still.
Preceded by a short introduction from Barbara McDermitt in which she says that in the Appalachian area, where she has spent a lot of time, preachers were always poked fun at. She comes from a family of preachers herself.
Item Notes
Recorded live at a School of Scottish Studies cèilidh. Part of the story is lost when the tape is changed. Barbara McDermitt learned this from Richard Chase, the American folk tale collector, although whether in person, or from one of his publications, is unclear. 'Old Dry Frye' was published in 'Grandfather Tales' (Richard Chase, 1948, pp. 99-105).
Recording Location
County - Midlothian
Parish - Edinburgh
Village/Place - Edinburgh
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Classification
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good