A solitary example of the little ghosts who cannot rest because they have died unchristened. When these ghosts congregate together, they are called spunkies in Lowland Scotland and in Somerset, and 'Pisgies' in the West Country, where they take the form of small white moths. In this story we are shown that it is the name not the baptism that is important to the little spirit.

The village of Whittinghame was haunted for a long time by the unhappy spirit of an unwanted baby who had been murdered by his mother and buried at the foot of a tree near the village. On dark nights it used to run up and down between the tree and the churchyard wailing, 'Nameless me!' and no one dared to speak to it, for it was believed that whoever addressed it would die. Late one night, however, a drunk man, too merry for fear, heard it wailing, and called out:

'How's a wi' you this morning. Short Hoggers?'

The little ghost was delighted.

     ‘O weel's me noo, I've gotten a name;

     They ca' me Short-Hoggers o' Whittinghame!’

he cried, and ran joyfully off to Heaven.

Chambers learned the story and the rhyme from an old woman of Whittinghame, who claimed to have seen the ghost. 'Short-hoggers' is a name for babies' bootees.

Puddlefoot, the brownie, was kid in the same way by a drunk man, but he was displeased and driven off by the naming.

[Motif: F251.3]