The Flying Dutchman and Other Folktales from the Netherlands

Copyright © 2008 by Theo Meder

One day a carpenter wanted to play a trick on the local clergyman when he was standing at the pulpit. On a weekday, he sawed through most of the lower part of the pulpit, just for the fun of it. He thought that when the clergyman ascended the pulpit, it would collapse in its entirety. But imagine his disappointment when it didn't come down.

The carpenter thought, of course, I didn't saw it through well enough. I'll give it another go this week.

After having sawn it through a bit more; the carpenter was back in the church the next Sunday. Immediately after the clergyman had ascended the pulpit, he came falling down, taking the entire construction with him.

The carpenter exclaimed, "I had expected you last week!"

This joke is known as folktale type ATU 1825C, The Sawed Pulpit, and was sent to collector G. J. Boekenoogen in March 1894 by G. Poot from Loosduinen (South Holland). The translatIon is based on T. Meder, De magische vlucht (Amsterdam, 2000), p. 236.