My husband went to Sweden and all I got was...
Actually, Hick DID bring me something from his world travels this time. He brought me a horse. He also brought me a story, but I'm not so sure of its authenticity.
It's a red wooden horse, perhaps four inches tall from hoof to back, not quite as tall as the Kurt Warner bobblehead that he also brought me, though it was of a more local origin, which he presented me at the time of the horse-giving. No pictures of Kurt today, but I should have gotten one of them side by side.
According to Hick, the Swedish people used to carve wooden horses as toys for their kids. Because they used a knife for carving, and knives are sharp (Hick is an expert on this subject, since he has made his living working with machines that make knives and saw blades out of huge bands of steel), the carvers often cut themselves. Because they didn't want the blood to scare the kids, they painted these wooden horse toys red.
I cannot find any information that lends credence to Hick's explanation of a whittlin' faux pas as the basis for the red color of these Swedish horses. Not even after my extensive research which consists of the first two Google links, and wikipedia. I'll let you check them out for yourself, lest you think I would deliberately show Hick in a bad light, or mock his knowledge of Swedish folklore. You know that Hick always get the benefit of the doubt and a stellar slant here at Val's cathouse.
http://legomenon.com/swedish-red-carved-wooden-dalecarlian-dala-horse-meaning.html
http://www.thelocal.se/20141010/the-story-of-a-swedish-symbol-tlccu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalecarlian_horse
Still, Hick did good. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had brought me nothing.
Or Swedish fish.
Alternate titles: "Giddy Yap!" and "Tally Hick!"
Or Swedish fish.
Alternate titles: "Giddy Yap!" and "Tally Hick!"
