Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

A letter from Timothy Forecast in 1737.
Sir,
Think myself oblig’d to acquaint your Worship, that at my first coming into these parts, our inhabitants were few, and for some years after the country was seated, we were most grievously infected with wolves and bears, to the great perplexity of myself and neighbors; but thanks be prais’d, as we increased in numbers, we soon clear’d the county of such unwelcome guests; and have remained in a state of tranquility, till of late: But now we labor, under a much worse calamity, and are oblig’d to grapple and encounter with a greater enemy! Tis called ( as our parson informed us ) a Tale-bearer. He says tis a kind of an amphibious creature, and has been often observ’d to take to the water. The people in our country took it for an evil spirit, for tis at all times upon the march, day and night; they therefore requested our parson to lay it in the red-sea; and indeed to do him justice, he has done his endeavours, but all to no purpose, it ravages as bad as ever; and in short, the last Sunday, he told us flat and plain, there was no other method to guard against it, but by way of Charm, which he thought himself in duty bound to give to every one of his parishioners, which was accordingly distributed among us yesterday. (A charm, to ward against the dangerous creature, the Tale-Bearer.) An as I doubt not but this dangerous creature may stroll into your parts, I have sent you a charm.