Household Tales · Chapter
Going A-Travelling explained
A poor woman's son wishes to travel but has no money.
What happens
A poor woman's son wishes to travel but has no money. His mother sends him off, and he adopts a series of phrases to say along the way, each leading to a misunderstanding and a beating. He learns the hard way that words have power and consequences, ultimately returning home and never traveling again.
Themes in this chapter
Promises and Their Consequences
The youth's repeated use of inappropriate phrases leads directly to physical punishment, showing how words can have unintended and severe consequences.
Virtue Rewarded and Vice Punished
The youth's foolishness and inability to adapt are punished at every turn, while his eventual return home suggests that staying put is the wiser, safer choice.
Characters to notice
- the youth
The poor woman's son who wishes to travel but repeatedly says the wrong thing and gets beaten.
- Unknown
The fishermen who beat the youth for saying 'not much'.
- Unknown
The hangman or official at the gallows who beats the youth for saying 'get it full'.
- Unknown
The knacker cutting up a horse who beats the youth for saying 'may God have pity on the poor soul'.
- Unknown
The driver of the cart full of people who pushes the youth into a hole and whips him.
Key passages
“Not much, not much, not much.”
The youth says 'not much' as a greeting, which angers fishermen who catch few fish.
This phrase leads to his first beating and sets the pattern for the story.
“Get it full, get it full.”
The youth says 'get it full' near a gallows, implying more criminals should be hanged.
This misunderstanding results in another beating.
“May God have pity on the poor soul!”
The youth says this to a knacker cutting up a horse, who takes offense.
The knacker beats him for what he perceives as an insult.
“There lies the carrion in the pit!”
The youth says this to a cart full of people, who throw him into a hole and whip him.
This final misstep drives him back home for good.