St. Mary and the Wicked Innkeeper.
There is another legend of the origin of the grasshopper.
WHEN Christ was born in the stable, the animals which were there were starved to death by the owner. There was no one who would as much as put a handful of hay into the manger. The Holy Mother, full of pity for the poor animals, asked the master of the house to give them at least a forkful of hay. The master, however, shrugging his shoulders said that all that he had, was gone and he could not give her even as little as a handful. "If that be so, why did not you provide more hay last summer?" asked the Holy Mother.
"Why? just because I was too lazy to cut more."
"If that be so," replied the Holy Mother, angrily, "then thou shalt become a mower, and all thy life thou shalt not do anything else, but from early morning to late at night thou shalt cut grass and yet have no benefit therefrom."
No sooner had she uttered these words than the master was turned into the grasshopper called the "mower," and such has he remained to this very day.
