“The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow, and there is no humor in heaven.” ~ Mark Twain
When we get stuck, when life hands us a challenging situation and there’s no clear way out, our best tool is the ability to shift perspective. To see things from a different angle.
Laughter can help us make such a shift. So can a story.
The answer might not come immediately and yet, the shift is essential. In this episode, we’ll explore this process with the aid of a fairy tale called “The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock.”
Whatever you’re dealing with right now, I hope you find something useful in this episode. Thanks for listening.
Transcript of Sometimes you’ve got to laugh
Hello, and welcome to Myth Matters, storytelling and conversation about mythology and why myth matters to your life today. I’m your host and personal mythologist Dr. Catherine Svehla. Wherever you may be in this wide, beautiful, crazy world of ours, you are part of this story circle.
Sometimes, you know, you just get stuck, stuck, trying to make a decision, stuck in a situation stuck in a mood that you’d rather not be in. And sometimes it takes a long time takes me a long time anyway, to remember that the most important tool I have in situations like that is my ability to shift perspective to be able to see the thing from a different angle.
Now, in the last podcast, I mentioned, humor, having a sense of humor and being able to laugh as a way to shift perspective. Being able to laugh at something, even if it’s not inherently funny, can really loosen up one’s perspective. And it certainly provides a respite, a pause, a reset, and in that space difficulty really can be relieved. When you can laugh at something, even suffering, it all gets just a little bit easier to bear.
One of the main tools that I use for shifting perspective, is mythology, turning to a story. And that’s what we do here with this podcast, right? I mean, certainly we mine them for meaning, but we’re not looking for the meaning. There’s not only one to be found in a story. Rather, we’re looking for insight, you know, we’re looking for questions that the myth or the story poses, things that are puzzling or unsettling or interesting that can lead to insight and can provide a reframe.
I want to explore this shift in perspective from story, and the role that laughter can play in that, with the aid of story. I want to tell you an Irish fairy tale called “The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock.” And in case you’re wondering, a bum-clock is a cockroach. This is one of a number of fairy tales from different points on the globe that handles this theme.
I invite you to relax and listen to the story. Let the story take you where you need to go. Note the moment or detail that catches your attention as this can be a useful opening into the meaning the story offers you right now.
The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock
Once upon a time there was a widow who had one son, called Jack. Jack and his mother owned three cows. They lived well and happy for a long time. But then the crops failed and hard times came down on them. The necessities of life got scarce as the money to buy them disappeared, and at last the widow decided that they must sell one of their three cows to survive. “Jack,” she said one night, “go over in the morning to the fair to sell the branny cow.”
This seemed like a good move and Jack got up early the next morning. He took a stick in his fist and turned out the cow, and off they went to the fair. When they arrived, a great crowd was gathered in a ring in the street. Jack went into the crowd to see what they were looking at, and there in the middle he saw a man with a wee, wee, little harp, a mouse, a bum-clock [cockroach], and a bee to play the harp. The man put them down on the ground and whistled. The bee began to play the harp, and the mouse and the bum-clock stood up on their hind legs, took hold of each other, and began to waltz.
As soon as the harp began to play and the mouse and the bum-clock began to dance, there wasn’t a man or woman, or a thing in the fair, that didn’t begin to dance also. Even the pots and pans, and the wheels and the wagons jumped and jigged, all over the town. Jack and the branny cow danced too.
Nothing like this had ever happened before in this town, and the dancing went on until the man picked up the bee, the harp, and the mouse, and the bum-clock and put them into his pocket. The men and women, Jack and the cow, the pots and pans, wheels and wagons, that had hopped and jigged, now stopped, and everyone began to laugh. They laughed until the tears flowed and their bellies almost split.
Then the man turned to Jack. “Jack,” he said, “how would you like to be master of all these animals?” “Why,” said Jack, “I should like it fine.” “Well, then,” said the man, “what can you give me in exchange for them?” “I have no money,” Jack said. “But you have a fine cow,” said the man. “I will give you the bee and the harp for it.”
“Oh, but,” Jack said, “my poor mother at home is very sad and I have to sell this cow and lift her heart again.” “Better than this she cannot get,” said the man. “When she sees the bee play the harp, she will laugh like she’s never laughed before.” “Well,” said Jack, “that would be grand.”
He made the bargain. The man took the cow and Jack started home with the bee and the harp in his pocket.
When he came home, his mother welcomed him back. “Jack,” she said, “I see you have sold the cow.” “I have done that,” said Jack. “Did you do well?” his mother asked. “I did very well,” said Jack. “How much did you get for her?” his mother asked. “Oh,” he said, “I didn’t sell her for money. I got something far better.” “Oh Jack! Jack!, ” his mother exclaimed, “what have you done?” “Just wait until you see, mother,” Jack said, “and you will agree that I’ve done well.”
Jack took the bee and the harp out of his pocket and set them in the middle of the floor. He whistled to them and as soon as he did, the bee began to play the harp. His mother took one look and a big, great laugh came out of her, and she and Jack began to dance. The pots and pans, the wheels and wagons began to jig and dance, and the house itself hopped about too.
When Jack picked up the bee and the harp the dancing stopped. His mother laughed for a long time. But when she came to herself, she got very angry with Jack. “You are a silly, foolish fellow,” she said, “there’s neither food nor money in the house, and now you’ve lost one of my good cows too. We must do something to live. Tomorrow morning you must go back to the fair with the black cow and sell her.”
Jack left the next morning at an early hour and didn’t stop until he was in the fair. When he arrived, he saw a big crowd gathered in a ring in the street. “I wonder what are they looking at,” he thought. He pushed his way into the crowd and saw the man again. He had the mouse and a bum-clock, and put them down in the street. Once again he whistled, and the mouse and the bum-clock stood up on their hind legs and took hold of each other and began to dance.
As soon as the mouse and the bum-clock began to dance, there wasn’t a man or woman, or a thing in the fair, that didn’t begin to dance also. Even the pots and pans, and the wheels and the wagons jumped and jigged, all over the town. Jack and the black cow danced too.
When the man lifted the mouse and the bum-clock back into his pocket, they all stopped dancing and settled down, and everyone laughed and laughed. The man turned to Jack. “Jack,” he said “I am glad to see you. How would you like to have these animals?” “I would really like to have them,” Jack said, “but I cannot.” “Why not?” asked the man. “Oh,” said Jack, “I have no money, and my poor mother is very down-hearted. She sent me to the fair to sell this cow and bring some money to lift her heart.”
“Well,” said the man, “if you want to lift your mother’s heart I will sell you the mouse, and when you set the bee to play the harp and the mouse to dance to it, your mother will laugh like she’s never laughed before.” “But I have no money,” said Jack, “to buy your mouse.” “I don’t mind,” the man said, “I’ll take your cow for it.”
Jack was very taken with the mouse. This seemed like a grand bargain. He gave the man his cow and took the mouse and started off for home.
When he came home, his mother welcomed him back. “Jack,” she said, “I see you have sold the cow.” “I did,” said Jack. “Did you sell her well?” his mother asked. “Very well indeed,” said Jack. “How much did you get for her?” his mother asked. “Oh, I didn’t get money” he said, “I got value.” “Oh Jack! Jack!” his mother exclaimed, “what do you mean?” “I’ll show you mother,” Jack said.
He took the mouse out of his pocket and put it on the floor with the harp and the bee. Then he whistled and the bee began to play, and the mouse got up on its hind legs and began to dance a jig. His mother gave such a hearty laugh and then she started dancing and jigging herself and Jack danced and laughed so hard he fell down. The pots and pans and the wheels and wagons danced and jigged and the house jigged too.
When they were tired of this, Jack lifted the harp and the mouse and the bee and put them in his pocket, and his mother laughed for a long time. But when she finally recovered herself, she got very angry with Jack. “You are a stupid fellow,” she said, “We have neither food nor money in the house, and now you’ve lost two of my good cows. We have only one cow left. Tomorrow morning you must go back to the fair and sell her. Get something that lifts my heart.”
“I will do that mother,” Jack, said. Early in the morning he got up and turned out the spotty cow and went to the fair. When he got to the fair, he saw a crowd gathered in a ring in the street. “I wonder what they are looking at, anyhow,” he thought. He pushed through the crowd and there was the same man he had seen before, with a bum-clock. He put the bum-clock on the ground and whistled, and the bum-clock began to dance.
The men, women, and children in the street, and Jack and the spotty cow began to dance and jig too. Everything on the street and all around began to dance and jig, even the houses. When the man lifted the bum-clock and put it in his pocket, everybody stopped jigging and dancing and laughed loud. They laughed and laughed.
The man turned and saw Jack. “Jack, my brave boy,” he said, “you will never be fixed right until you have this bum-clock, for it is a very fancy thing to have.” “Oh,” said Jack, “but I have no money.” “No matter,” said the man; “you have a cow, and that is as good as money to me.” “Well,” Jack said, “I have a poor mother who is very down-hearted at home, and she sent me to the fair to sell this cow and raise some money and lift her heart.”
“Oh, but Jack,” said the man, “this bum-clock is the very thing to lift her heart. When you put down your harp and bee and mouse on the floor, and the bum-clock along with them, she will laugh like’s she’s never laughed in her life before.” “Well, that is surely true,” said Jack. “I think I will make a swap with you.” So, Jack gave the cow to the man and took the bum-clock, and started for home.
His mother was glad to see Jack back. “Jack,” she said, “I see that you have sold the cow.” “I did that, mother,” Jack said. “Did you sell her well, Jack?” his mother asked. “Very well indeed, mother,” said Jack. “How much did you get for her?”
“I didn’t take any money for her, mother, but value,” said Jack, and he took the bum-clock out of his pocket, along with the mouse, and set them on the floor. He whistled and the bee began to play the harp and the mouse and the bum-clock stood up on their hind legs and began to dance, and Jack’s mother laughed. Everything in the house started hopping and jigging, and the house hopped too.
When Jack lifted up the animals and put them in his pocket, everything stopped. His mother laughed for a good while. But once she came to and wiped those tears from her eyes, she saw what Jack had done and how now they were without money, food, or even a cow. She was angry and frustrated and began to cry.
Jack looked at her and thought about he had done. “I am a stupid fool,” he admitted. And he thought “now what can I do for my poor mother?” He went out to the road, to walk and think. There he met a woman. “Good day to you, Jack,” she said, “so, you aren’t trying to win the hand of the king’s daughter?” “What do you mean?” asked Jack. “Didn’t you hear what the whole world has heard?” the woman replied. “The king’s daughter has never laughed, and he has promised to give her in marriage, and the kingdom along with her, to any man who can get her to laugh three times.” Well, if that’s the case,” said Jack, “I shouldn’t be walking here with my head hanging low.”
He went back to the house and gathered together the bee, the harp, the mouse, and the bum-clock. He put them into his pocket and bade his mother good-bye. “It wouldn’t be long till you get some good news from me,” he told her, and hurried off.
When he reached the castle, he saw that it was ringed with spikes, and there was a man’s head on nearly every spike. “What heads are these?” Jack asked one of the king’s soldiers. “Any man that comes here trying to win the King’s daughter, and fails to make her laugh three times loses his head and has it stuck on a spike. These are the heads of the men that failed,” said the soldier.
“A mighty big crowd,” said Jack. Then he sent word to the king’s daughter and the king that there was a new man who had come to win her.
In a short time, the king and the king’s daughter and the king’s court came out and sat down on gold and silver chairs, and ordered that Jack be brought before them. Before he answered the summons, Jack took the bee, the harp, the mouse, and the bum-clock out of his pocket. He gave the harp to the bee, and he tied a string to one and the other, and took the end of the string himself. Then he marched into the castle yard before all the court, with his animals coming on a string behind him.
When the king and the queen and the court saw poor ragged Jack with his bee, and mouse, and bum-clock hopping behind him on a string, they roared with laughter. They laughed so long and so loudly that the king’s daughter lifted her head to see what they were laughing at. When she saw Jack and his paraphernalia, she laughed.
Jack dropped a low courtesy, and said, “Thank you, my lady. One of the three parts of you, I have won.” Then he drew his animals up in a circle, and began to whistle. The minute he did, the bee began to play the harp, and the mouse and the bum-clock stood up on their hind legs, took hold of each other, and began to dance. The king and the king’s court and Jack himself began to dance and jig. Everything about the King’s castle, all of the pots and pans, wheels and wagons, and the castle itself began to dance too. When the king’s daughter saw this, she let out a laugh that was twice as loud as the one before.
Jack kept jigging and he dropped another courtesy. “Thank you, my lady” he said, “that is two of the three parts of you won.” Jack and his menagerie went on playing and dancing, but the king’s daughter didn’t laugh again. Jack wondered if his big head was going to end up on a spike.
Then the mouse wheeled round upon its heel. Its tail swiped the bum-clock in the mouth, and the bum-clock began to cough and cough and cough, and the mouse reached for the bum-clock and missed and the two staggered around. When the king’s daughter saw this she laughed the loudest and hardest and merriest laugh that was ever heard before or since.
“Thank you, my lady,” said Jack, and dropped another courtesy. “I believe that I have all of you won.” He stopped his menagerie and when the laughter died down, the king took him and the menagerie into the castle. He was washed and combed, and dressed in a suit of silk and satin, and when the king’s daughter saw him, she confessed that she’d never seen a finer fellow and was very willing to be his wife.
Jack’s mother was brought to the wedding, which lasted nine days and nine nights, every night better than the other, full of fine food, love, dancing, and laughter.
Sounds like a party I’d like to go to.
So, we have this young man and his mom, and they are really between a rock and a hard place, right? On the one hand, they lack food and money. And on the other hand, they lack options. Mom has a solution, sell a cow and get some money. That’s the way it’s typically done right? And yet, he trades away the cows for a laugh.
This has made me think about something that Jung called the transcendent function. Basically, what that means is: when you find yourself on the horns of a dilemma, when you find yourself between two unappealing or unworkable choices, the necessary action is to just hold both of those things in your mind and heart and wait. Wait for something new, something new and unexpected to come in to the picture. Something that will provide a shift in perspective and offer a reconciliation. A solution that wasn’t there before.
We have this man, this mystery man at the fair who brings these things into Jack’s world. Every single time he takes them. He keeps taking them and keeps taking them; three times he goes to the market because you know, this kind of psychic activity, the transcendence of seeming opposites, it doesn’t always, or maybe even often, in my experience, happen immediately. Things might have to get pretty tense. And I love the idea that there we have to hold the tension and that one thing that can help us do that is laughing.
In the story, laughing is the solution. But even if laughing isn’t the solution to our particular situation, it’s certainly going to help. I think Jack’s mom’s position is kind of interesting. On the one hand, she sends him to go get money, but she’s also saying, “lift my heart.” In that contradiction, which neither one of them seems to consciously acknowledge, we see that transcendent function at work again.
So now on one end of the spectrum, we have Jack, who keeps trading away the possibility for money for something that can make people happy, make people laugh. And on the other end of the spectrum, we have the king’s daughter, who never laughs. I don’t know, maybe she’s got a really serious life. Maybe her response to life is more realistic. But I wonder about those gold and silver chairs, and life in the kingdom, where everything is done to ensure that everyone around you meets all of your expectations. I’m going to come back to that notion of expectations in just a minute. But first, let’s think about what happens when she laughs.
I think she laughs because she is really surprised. She sees something completely unexpected, something outside her framework. And in that moment, of being surprised, in giving herself over to it, she forgets herself. She forgets that she’s the princess who never laughs. She lets herself be delighted, and this momentary forgetting actually changes her world. For one thing, she’s no longer the princess that never laughs. She’s laughed three times. And for another, although she is a princess, she marries humble Jack. Jack, who doesn’t even have three cows.
I think there is a connection between a princess, that is a person, who never laughs and living in a world where you expect your expectations to be met, and something is wrong if they aren’t. Something is wrong. If the world doesn’t conform, if life doesn’t provide you with what you want, or what you think you want.
Many of us are living today in a world where almost all of our activity, especially online, is being tracked. Tracked and catalogued, and algorithms are being created to drive us towards the things that supposedly we want, that someone else wants to sell us. I wonder how much this marketing, which on the one hand seems so convenient and so serendipitous, I wonder how that is affecting our expectations, and our expectation that our expectations, our needs, as we have defined them will be met.
You know, life comes with a lot of surprises. And they’re not always pleasant. But a catastrophe is not always a tragedy. The word “catastrophe “comes from the Greek for “overturn.” And sometimes that’s a good thing. When you stay loose, when you stay open, you’re in the realm of possibility. Sure, some bad things can happen. But a lot of amazing good things, unexpected, unimagined things can happen too.
There are a lot of things going on right now. There are a lot of pairs of opposites, dilemma horns that you can be hung up on. And whether or not you are occupied primarily with personal or collective strife or contradiction, you’ve got to find the ability to stay in it. I think that means that sometimes you’ve got to, got to laugh.
Before we part ways I want to give a big welcome to email subscribers, Louise, Cy. Matt and Naquib. Welcome to Myth Matters. If you’re new to Myth Matters, I invite you to head over to the mythic mojo website, where you will find information about the podcast, a variety of ways to subscribe, and also information about the other work that I do with people to use stories to gain insight–that is a new perspective on life.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to the patrons and supporters of this podcast, whose financial contributions keep it all going. If you are finding something of value here on Myth Matters, I hope that you’ll consider joining me on Patreon, or maybe drop a tip in my tip jar, or post a glowing review of Myth Matters on your podcast platform. Or share an episode with a friend.
I’ll leave you with these words from Mark Twain. “The secret source of humor is not joy, but sorrow. And there is no humor in heaven.”
And that’s it for me, Catherine Svehla and Myth Matters. Thank you so much for listening. Take good care of yourself, and until next time, happy mythmaking and keep the mystery in your life alive.
