Jan Harold Brunvand, "A Classification for Shaggy
Dog Stories." Journal of American
Folklore, vol. 76, no. 299
(January-March, 1963), 67.
D510. The Mysterious Letter in French. An American acquires a note written in
French. He asks various people to read it for him and they attack him, fire him
from his job, kick him out in the street, or otherwise show strong disapproval
of the letter, without telling him what it contains. Finally, when he meets a
sympathetic soul willing to translate it (or, when he has learned French
himself), he finds that the ink has faded or wind blows the note into a fire or
into the sea. He never learns the contents of the note.
============
“A Matter of Text,” Suspense Comics #10, Continental
Magazines, Winter 1945. No one will reveal to an American in Morocco what a
note in Arabic says. Those who read it react in various ways, including suicide.
“The Envelope,”
Mister Mystery #2, Media
Publications, Nov. 1951. Before a man leaves for a European vacation, his boss
presents him with a card that features writing in a strange language. “Just
present it at any hotel and you will be well received! It’ll give you the
finest treatment and service they can offer!” But whenever the man shows it to
someone, the reaction is outrage.
“Sour Note!” House
of Mystery #179, National Periodical Publications, Inc., March-April 1969. A
mysterious woman hands a man a note he can’t decipher. Everyone who is able to
read it is outraged.
Eric Partridge, The 'Shaggy Dog' Story. Its Origin,
Development and Nature (with a few examples). Freeport, NY:
Books for Libraries Press, 1970 [London:
Faber and Faber, 1953], pp. 37-43.
[A]t least as early as 1905 and current,
with a wartime setting, there was a certain story told by those who tell stories,
and believed by some (myself included) to be the spoken prototype of the
'shaggy dog'.
THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE
A young officer, being granted a short
leave from the Flanders Front, decided to visit Paris. It was his first visit, and after
finding a hotel, having a bath and a meal, he thought he would visit a theatre.
On reaching the theatre his attention was
attracted to a large limousine that had stopped at the entrance, and out of
which alighted a white-haired old gentleman and a ravishingly beautiful blonde.
The young officer, completely bowled over by the fair vision, watched them
ascend the marble staircase and, as he watched, noticed the young lady open her
small handbag, and in getting out a diminutive handkerchief let small a small
piece of paper. He very gallantly ran up the staircase, picked up the piece of
paper, and then hurried into the foyer in an endeavour to catch up to the girl
and her escort.
He was, of course, accosted by an
attendant, to whom he explained what had occurred, and his wish to personally
restore the paper to its owner. The attendant escorted him to the manager's
office, and the manager, at once full of sympathy and understanding, took him
into the theatre promenade, and allowed him to make a careful search for the
young lady, but unfortunately he was unable to see any sign either of her or of
the old gentleman.
After this fruitless search they returned
to the manager's office, when the manger asked whether the piece of paper was of
any importance, and the officer admitted that, whilst it appeared to be a short
letter, he was unable to read French at all. The manger then offered to read
the contents in order to see whether there was any clue of the lady's identity.
The effect on the manager was electrifying, and he immediately handed it back
to the officer, rang for an attendant, and ordered him to have the officer
thrown out of the theatre at once. This was effected with some considerable
violence, in view of his resistance, but he eventually landed on the broad of
his back on the pavement.
Being thoroughly incensed at the treatment
he had received, he tramped round the centre of Paris for some little while,
and then returned to his hotel. The waiter at his hotel expressed surprise at
his comparatively early return, and he thereupon unfolded his tale of woe to
him. The waiter said that this was most extraordinary, and perhaps he could
help: might he see the note? The note was handed over. It produced precisely
the same effect upon the waiter, and he at once went away and returned with the
manager, who, in handing back the note to the officer, informed him that he
could not allow him in any circumstances to remain a moment longer in his
hotel, and that he must remove himself and his belongings forthwith. He was
quite unable to obtain any explanation of this high-handed treatment, or its
cause, and was compelled to pack his bag and leave.
As his anticipated pleasure of his first
visit to Paris had been so completely destroyed, he decided that, after all, he
would go back home to London and spend the remainder of his leave there.
On reaching London the following day, he
telephoned to his fiancée, and was invited by her parents to come out to
Haslemere and spend his leave with them. After dinner that evening, sitting
with his prospective father-in-law, he explained his original intention
regarding the spending of his leave, and all that had occurred to make him
change his plans. The father-in-law said that the whole matter appeared to be simply
absurd, and he suggested that the young man go up his room and bring the note
down to him, so that his own knowledge of the French language could perhaps
solve the mystery. The young man brought the note down and gave it to his host.
To his amazement exactly the same thing occurred, and the note was again handed
back to him, and he was requested, not only to leave the house immediately, but
also to give his word of honour that, before leaving, he would make no attempt
whatever to see his fiancée, and, furthermore, that he would consider the
engagement completely at an end and would not again approach her, as he was
obviously not the sort of person with whom they wished to have further
acquaintance.
He complied and sadly returned to London,
feeling that his whole world had turned upside down. While trying to drown his
sorrows in an hotel lounge, he suddenly remembered that an old friend of his
was a lecturer in French in one of the colleges, and he telephoned him and
asked whether he could give him a bed for the night. This request was readily
granted and he travelled out to his friend's place. He then unburdened himself
of all his troubles since leaving the Line. His friend listened very
sympathetically, and, after hearing the whole story in detail, expressed his
astonishment, but said that the matter could be very simply resolved, as he had
a perfect knowledge of French, and couldn't possibly conceive that any note would
cause any similar feelings to arise in him. On learning that the officer had
the note with him in his luggage he asked him to go and get it. Some little
while elapsed, and then the officer returned, looking very crestfallen indeed;
on being asked the reason, he stated that unfortunately he had lost the note.
===========
See also:
C. K. Stillwagon, Rope Chokers: A Collection
of Human Interest Stories, Anecdotes, Historical Fragments and Pictures of the
Oil Fields (Houston: The Rein Company, 1955), 122-25. In B. A. Botkin, ed.,
A Treasury of American Anecdotes (New York: Random House, 1957), 275-7.
Richard Dorson, “Folklore at a Milwaukee Wedding,” Hoosier
Folklore, vol. 6, no. 1, March 1947, 1-13, s.v. “Mysterious Note in French”
(p. 10).
