Urban Legend: The Hunger Trick November 10, 2015
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
Here is one for a busy day. Not sure if this is anecdote or factual event, but it is written in an amusing fashion, in that dry understated way that some British writers had in the later nineteenth century. Beach would put it down provisionally as an urban legend: he imagines the room exploding with laughter when the story is told. It is also a reminder that in a northern city like Manchester that there was a habitually starving population.
A few months since a man called at a tavern and asked the company if they would like to witness a conjuring trick. As the man looked cold and hungry, the landlord gave consent, and stated that he knew a few tricks himself. The man placed three hats on the table then asked the landlord for three pieces of bread. When these were given to him he said could not proceed till he got three pieces of cheese. When these were brought he placed one piece of bread and cheese under each hat. Now for the trick. The man rolled up his shirt sleeves, unbuttoned his collar, and stated that he would eat the three pieces of bread and cheese, then bring all under one hat. When he had eaten two pieces he declared he could not proceed unless he had a drink. A pint of ale was now brought to him, and the other piece soon disappeared. ‘Now, gentlemen, which hat must I bring it under?’ [i.e. which hat is it under?] A hat was pointed to, and the fellow quietly placed the hat upon his head and left the astonished men. Man Cour, 18 Jun 1892, 14
Food plays a big role in urban legends, but today that means poisoned candies or rats in the Kentucky Fried Chicken. The very idea of someone dying of hunger simply no longer makes sense. In the nineteenth-century in an urban centre like Manchester starvation was sometimes put on death certificates (at least Beach was told this a while ago). Can anyone come up with any modern urban legends that show someone clever walking away with more than he came with: drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com
Note that this confidence trick or ones like it are sometimes called lapping: the crook (or in this case the starving man) tries various bits of food or drink from various people (or by extension money or other goods) and manages to cream enough calories (or dollars) to make an intervention worthwhile.
LTM 15 Nov 2015 writes ‘Nice one. The only similar story I recall was a story or part of a story where Yank soldiers in WWI come across a farmhouse and move in. The family there says they have no food except an onion. One soldier asks for that onion and begins to make a soup. The soup smells wonderful, and he says ‘Too bad we don’t have a carrot or two.’ Whereupon the family finds a few carrots hidden in straw. He adds them to the pot, and then says ‘Too bad we don’t have a potato or two.’ They are found and the story continues to him wanting a chicken, which is found. Then everyone sits down to a great improvised meal. Grand-pere even finds wine. I can’t recall the story author , but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find it in Apicius.’
Mike L 22 Dec 2015 points out the key folklore point of reference is Stone Soup
