She called out to them, “Fee, fum, foe, fie. All’s not ready holler I.”
“Not I! Not I!” they screamed back happily, returning her gaiety with interest.
“Fee, Fie, foe, fum. All’s not ready now can’t come!” she answered, and closed the door behind her. The clock was striking seven. “We’re getting a soon start,” Mark said.
Excerpt from “The Tall Woman” by Wilma Dykeman
—–
I’ve never heard the little saying shared in Dykeman’s book. I did a few google searches but the only thing they turned up was the more common fee fie foe fum saying in one of the Jack and the Bean Stalk tales.
Since I’ve had to wait on the girls on pretty much every trip we’ve ever taken, I believe I’ll start using it myself. I especially like the line “All’s not ready now can’t come!”
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
11 Comments
Jane W Bolden
September 20, 2018 at 2:10 pmFee fie foe fum I smell the blood of an English man. Was it from Gulliver’s Travels?
Jane W Bolden
September 21, 2018 at 1:03 pmI was wrong. Jack and the Beanstalk
Gigi
September 20, 2018 at 12:48 pmI remember that. Yes Jack and the Bean Stalk. O loved that story as a kid. If we only had some of those golden eggs.
aw griff
September 20, 2018 at 12:00 pmI gave myself time to think about that one. Nope, not in the memory bank.
Did Chitter and Chatter lose opposite front teeth at same time?
tipper
September 22, 2018 at 12:07 pmAW-yes they did and it was quite a sight 🙂
Wanda Devers
September 20, 2018 at 11:24 amFee Fie Foe Fum, I smell the blood of an Irishman.
Dana
September 20, 2018 at 10:24 amI think you’re right, Gayle. I recall the giant who lived above the bean stalk chanted it as Jack hid from him after climbing up. The book Mom read the story from had an illustration of a giant stomping along and a small Jack hiding behind a tree.
Jack slid down the bean stalk and managed to chop it off at the ground so that the slower moving giant fell with the vine and was killed. Oh, happy day, eh? Lots of violence in those old tales delighting us at bed time.
Papaw
September 20, 2018 at 10:01 amFe fi fiddlie-i-o
Fe fi fiddlie-i-o-i-o
Fe fi fiddlie-i-o
Strumming on the old banjo
Jackie
September 20, 2018 at 8:43 amIt has been reported that Henry David Thoreau said, “He who travels alone can go now, he who travels with another must wait til the other is ready”. This was in response to a reporter’s question as to why he never married.
Gayle Larson
September 20, 2018 at 8:04 amBoy, you are really pushing the old memory this morning. All I remember about this was hearing it come from a pirate. I think it went fee fie foe fum I smell the blood of an Englishman. That’s all I recall.
aw griff
September 20, 2018 at 11:54 amI think it went on as: be he live or be he dead I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.