Sir Gammer Vans

Synopsis

In a sequence of events most of which are self-contradictory, the narrator goes to visit Sir Gammer Vans in his house — "a brick house, built entirely of flints, standing alone by itself in the middle of sixty or seventy others just like it" — is fed breakfast — "a slice of beer, and a cup of cold veal" — and goes hunting with him. He shoots a deer, breaking its ribs without hurting it, finds the arrow in a beehive, and shoots partridges when they jump out — 18 they say, but he claims 36.

Motifs

The references to arrows and venison point to its being an old tale, which may indicate the "sir" is a title for a clerical honor, rather than a knight.

References

References

1. Joseph Jacobs, ''More English Fairy Tales'', "[https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/book.php?id=24&tale=641 Sir Gammer Vans]"
2. D. L. Ashliman, ''[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type1965.html Lying Tales: self-contradictory stories of Aarne-Thompson type 1965 and similar playful lies]''