 This tale is related to tales found in countries such as Germany (such as The Three Spinners) and Norway (The Three Aunts).According to the folklore of the borders it was considered unlucky to step upon "unchristened ground" (the graves of stillborn or unbaptised children) and any who did were said to catch "grave-merels" (or "grave-scab") an illness that causes difficulty of breathing and trembling limbs as well as the burning of the skin as if touched by a hot iron.The only way for this to be relieved was for the unfortunate to wear a sack made from linen grown in a field using manure from a farmyard that has not been disturbed for forty years, spun by "Habetrot", bleached by an honest bleacher in an honest miller's milldam and sewed by an honest tailor.