The Genii Forum

In Discoverie of Witchcraft, chapter XXX, page 192 (Dover Edition), there is a trick/gag/puzzle? entitled :

To make a shoals of goslings drawe a timber log.

Who is able to translate in modern english and possibly explain what kind of trick, gag or puzzle, Scot is speaking?

One of my friends thinks that the word LOG is in fact LEG.
Is this can help...

Thanks in advance.

The text from Scot is:

To make a shoal of goslings, or (as they saie) a gaggle of geese to seeme to drawe a timber log, is noone by that verie meanes that is used, when a car dooth drawe a foole through a pond or river: but handled somewhat further off from the beholders

To me, this says:

To make a group of geese to appear to pull a piece of wood, use the same method for having a cat pull a fool (?) through a pond, but you are further away from the action.

I'm assuming that you tie some thin string to the log, and then pull it along behind the birds. I may be very wrong.

Ian

Thank you.

I think it's the good explanation.