british fairy and folk tales

7/29/2019 British fairy and folk tales

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NY PUBLIC LIBRARY THE BRANCH LIBRARIES

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KEEP THIS BOOK CLEANDO NOT TURN DOWN THE LEAVESBorrowers finding this book pencil-mturked

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BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES


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OTHER BOOKS OF FAIRY TALESWITH FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR

Price 6s. net impost free, 6$. 6d. net)

jESOP'S FABLESANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALESTHE ARABIAN NIGHTSTHE BOOK OF CELTIC STORIESA TALE OF BLACK CHILDREN

{African Fairy Tales)GREEK WONDER TALESGRIMM'S FAIRY TALESGULLIVER'S TRAVELSOTTOMAN WONDER TALESRUSSIAN WONDER TALESTALES FROM SCOTTISH BALLADSWILLY WIND, AND JOCK AND THE CHEESESWONDER TALES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

ITALES FROM THE EARTHLY PARADISE

AND C. BLACK LTD., 4, 5, AND 6 SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W. I

AGENTSAMERICA . . . THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

64 & 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORKAUSTRALASIA . OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

aos FLINDERS Lane, MelbourneCANADA .... THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.

ST. MARTIN'S HOUSE, 70 BOND STREET, TORONTOINDIA .... MACMILLAN & COMPANY, LTD.MACMILLAN BUILDING, BOMBAY

309 Bow BAZAAR STREET, CALCUTTA


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Ill', SKNI ri' IN illK r.ASKF.r, IIKS], lliK 1HKI1-.king's daughters."


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BRITISHFAIRY AND FOLK

TALESEDITED BY

W.J.GLOVER

AUTHOR OF " TALES FROM THE EARTHLY PARADISEAND " TALES FROM THE POEXS "

^^^A. & C. BLACK LTD.

4, 5, AND 6 SOHO SQUARE, LONDON

Pub'.ished igzo


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^3^^ Gr ft7o3\-5\

CONTENTSPAGE

I. The Fairies of the Downs and Commons (^English) 1II. The Sea-Maiden (Scotch) . . . .30

III. A Legend of Tipperary (Irish) . . .51IV. The Story of King Lludd (Welsh) . . 59V. The Magic Mackerel (Ejiglish) . . .69

VI. The Battle of the Birds (Scotch) . . 92VII. Legend of Bottle Hill (Irish) . . .112VIII. Melilot (English). . . . .128IX. The Smith and the Fairies (Scotch) . .151X. Dreaming Tlm Jarvis (Irish) . . .157

XI. An Emperor's Dream (Welsh) . . . I69XII. Silver Tasseks ,(jE^fo^>) . . . .183

XIII. The Son of the SroTijislH^ Ysoman (Scotch) . 208XIV, Rent Day (Irish) . \^ ..[..[- . . . 223XV. The Chicken Market (English) . . . 229XVI. The Inheritance (Scotch). . . . 255XVII. The Giant's Stairs (Irish) . . . 259XVIII. The King of Lochlin's Daughters (Scotch) . 269XIX. The Tail (English) , , . .281

Tt:E NEW YORK PL'PLIC Lrnr^AHY


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONSIN COLOUR

By CHARLES FOLKARD"He sent up in the basket, first the three men,

AND THEN THE King's DAUGHTERS " . . FrontispieceFACING PAGE" Here she was sleeping, in form not a day older

THAN when she WAS LOST " . . . .20"'Good luck and victory were following thee, lad,'

SAID the Princess".... .40"A GOOD-NATURED SIREN USED TO BRING HER HARP ANDSING WITH HIM " . . . . .74

"In the MOUTH OF DAY THE GiANt's DAUGHTER SAIDTHAT HER FATHEr's BREATH WAS BURNING HER BACK " 104

"MeliLOT RECOVERED AND CLlJ'BED ON " . . .134"'What! Splug,' she cried, 'and with a thimble on

your head '" . . . ^ _ 204"Then Goody, take my arm, old woman, and come on" 248


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crrv

BRITISH FAIRY ANDFOLK TALES

THE FAIRIES OF THE DOWNSAND COMMONSThis is the tale of Teel the shoemaker, Whirlwigthe hatter, and Surmullet the tailor.

Teel was a shoemaker, about whom very-few people knew how well he understood hisbusiness. So one evening the poor fellow, slip-ping dolefully out of the town in which hestarved, went for a walk on a neighbouringcommon. It was a small rough piece of brokenground, ragged with brier, fern, and furze,scratched over with deep-rutted paths, drilledinto with rabbit-holes, here and there scoopedalso into forgotten sandpits, and dabbled withpools. At one end a sleep and jagged lump ofsand-rock cropped up through the brambles.On the top of the bit of rock the shoemaker sat


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2 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESdown to think. From that height there was aview over the meadows round about the common.Behind him they sloped up into a hne of baredowns, with the white chalk glimmering here andthere through their green banks. Before himthe rich landscape was warm with trees. Aldersand great willows were clustered near the river ;oaks gathered in knolls about the slopes of thedeer park; pear, plum, and other fruit treesovertopped the little country town, and all theyellow roads that led out from Stavesacre intothe world at large were fringed with blackberry,wild rose, and honeysuckle hedges, broken withelms, and upon one side, beyond the bridge,raised to the rank of an avenue with Hues ofpoplar.

Trees gathered about the quiet town soclosely as to hide all but the great mossy church-tower from the eyes of Teel, as he sat on thesand-rock, with his feet danghng over its sides,and looked about him. Already the mild eveningstar was in the sky, the rooks were flocking totheir nests in a small wood that dipped overthe riverside, where the stream flowed betweenthe farther slopes of the smooth park. Thedistant peal of the town bells told the shoemakerthat Hodge, Peter, and Jeff, cobblers and bell-


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNSringers, had met for practice in the belfry beforespending a social evening together in the parlourof the Sandhopper's Arms.men the bell-ringing was over there wereniore stars in the darkening sky, and presentlythe moon rose, large and red, from behind thewood m which the rooks were sleeping. A bendof the river was alight directly. All was sostill that Teel heard now and then the faintcreak of the insects stirring in the bushes of thecommon, and the whirr of the night-moth asshe flew by.

" Heigho ! " he sighed. " I get nothing bythis thinking, so I will go home to my good dame.''He was about to rise, when a young rabbitleapt into his lap. The rabbit tamely sufferedhim to pull its ears." Silly puss ! " said the shoemaker ; " whenyou jump into the lap of a man who has an emptycupboard, don't you know that you are good toeat > But never fear, small creature. As youtrust me, you shall take no harm.""Very well," said the rabbit-no longer arabbit; for, indeed, he was a curiously littleman m grey body-clothes, but without coat orhat, and with his feet quite naked. He had a tinybundle m one hand, which he held up to Teel


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4 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES" I hope, my good fellow, I may trust you.

Make me a pair of shoes out of the leather inthis bundle, and return me all the pieces. Iwill pay you well, and bring you some morecustom if your fit is good."

" Fit good 1 " said the neglected artist." Those ignorant people of Stavesacre are contentto wear clumps on their feet. They fatten noless than three cobblers with their custom, andhave suffered me, a proper shoemaker, to starve.Yes, sir! I can fit a dainty foot Uke yours,sir, in a way to show you something of my art.Am I to send the shoes, or will your honour callfor them ? "

" I will call at your house for them," the Fairysaid. " Be ready, if you can, at this hour thisday week."

At the appointed hour Teel was quite ready ;and Till, his good wife, had been so careful tohelp him'in obeying the wish of his Fairy customerthat not a shred of leather or threadthough itwere but a shred no bigger than a morsel of afine of spider's webwas left on or below thetable at which Teel had worked. All was put,with the shoes themselves, into the tiny bag.Then as they sattoo poor to afford candle-in the light that was half moonlight and half


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 5twilight, the old couple suddenly saw the littlegrey Fairy busy about that bag. He weighedit first in one hand, and then in the other. Heopened it, took out the shoes, turned out andexamined all the pieces. Then he put the piecesback, and, sitting down upon Till's spectacle-case, put on the shoes. Wlien they were on, hegot up and danced about in them to try theirfit. They fitted perfectly. Advancing at lastto the edge of the table, he said, " Brother Teel,I am authorised to appoint you shoemaker-in-ordinary to the Fairies of the Downs and Com-mons. Remove, therefore, to your new houseon the sand-rock in Stavesacre Common, whereyou will have plenty of custom and good pay aslong as we may trust j^ou."

"Oh, sir," said Till, " you may trust my oldman with shoes of gold !

" He will find shoes of gold that are his ownin his new house. I pay them to him in ex-change for these. There is a piping hot supperalso waiting for you both in your new house, soI advise you to move into it at once. You needtake nothing with you. Tools, furniture, andeven clothes, are there already."

Tools, furniture, and new clothesyes. Buhnevertheless, after the Fairy vanished, Teel and


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6 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESTill, indulging themselves with the extravaganceof a candle, searched their house through, andfilled a large bundle with household treasure.There was the Sacred Book, in which they hadread to each other ; there were the little clothes,at which Till worked when she had been ayounger (but still not a young) wife ; and thesmall shoes Teel made for the baby, that wasstill the baby to their hearts as when it waslost, a score of years ago.

Then Till had to wipe the dust from hermother's Cookery Book, given to her on hermarriage. That edifying work had been neglectedof late, for want of the eggs and butter, withoutwhich, in its opinion, nothing could be broughtinto being. But there was the mother's name,in her own hand, written across the title-page,worth all the dainties that were ever fried. Tillhad more relics, and the foolish shoemaker hadtreasures put away in drawersdead flowers,faded ribbons. " Do you know. Till," he said," I must have you carry to the new house thewhole of your white wedding-dress that is inyonder worm-eaten old press." So off they wentat last under the moonlight, he with a pack,and she with a pack.

When they came to the skirt of the common


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 7they saw all the windows lighted in a neat littlewhite house on the top of the sand-rock. Whenthey had climbed the sand-rock the cottage-door opened to them of its own accord, and adelicate smell of boiled rabbit and onions kissedtheir noses. In a dainty little parlour, thatdish, dear alike to Teel and Till, smoked readyfor them. There were hot mealy potatoes too,boiled as few but the Fairies can succeed inboiling them ; also, there were two bright glassesset beside a foaming jug of ale.

" What a sweet perfume of meat ! " said Teel." And onion," added Till, who was so muchmoved by the sight of a comfortable hot supper

and the smell of onion, that she wiped her eyesas she sat down.A half-open door was opposite Teel's seat,and there was a lighted room beyond. " I mustjust run and peep in," said the poor shoemaker.So he ran across and peeped, and what he sawwas his new workshop. There were his counterand his cases, and his shoemaker's bench, andthe tiniest httle tools, made with broad handlesto suit his grasp. But sitting all round the shop,row behind row, were thousands of little Fairiesin grey body-clothes, without hats, coats, orshoes, who cried as he peeped in, " Good evening


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8 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESto you, gossip. We are all waiting for you tomeasure us when you have supped ! "

Before Teel could answer them, there was aclatter behind him that obliged him to turn roundIt was caused by the falling of a large pair ofgold shoes through the ceiling to the floor fol-lowed by a cry of " Shoes for you, shoemaker "Thereupon all the Fairies in the shop began tosing :" Shoes ! Wonderful Shoes ISafe on the water, safe on the land,Ready to run at the word of comm'and."Whirlwig was a hatter, who had made feltcaps for the ploughmen of Stavesacre, though hewas clever enough to fit with the glossiest of hatsthe head even of a crocodile. He had plenty ofcustom for his caps; but he would have pouredhis earnings out as easily as he poured beer intohis throat at the Sandhopper's Arms, if his wifeWillwit had not been careful and honest as shewas. A month after Teel had left the town andgone to live in his new cottage on the sand-rock,WTiirlwig was seeing a comrade home over the'

common after a supper at the club of NoisyDogs, at which he was vice-president. On theother side of the common his friend left him,and went on to his own village. Whirlwig turnedback to Stavesacre, but in the middle of the


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 9common he lay down (as he afterwards said) tothink a bit. " Dame Willwit," he thought tohimself, " will say there's little enough in mypocket. Poor woman ! She doesn't know whata famous supper I have had for my money.I'll go home and tell her of it."

He was trying to rise, when a young rabbitjumped into his lap, and tamely suffered him toseize it by the ears. " Heigho ! " cried the hatter," here's a supper for the good dame too. I'lltake you home to her, trust me."

" Very well," said the rabbitno longer arabbit, being indeed a curiously little man ingrey body-clothes, without coat or hat, but withthe neatest of small shoes upon his feet. " Verywell, my good fellow, I hope I may trust yourwife at least to see that you deal fairly." Then,holding up a tiny bundle, he said, " Make me acap out of the felt in this bundle, and returnme all the pieces. I will pay you well, and bringyou some more custom, if your fit is good."The hatter laughed with defiance. "Fit good ! "

he cried. " Though I have been making capsfor blockheads all my days, I know what I know ;you shall wear, sir, what will make you feel thereal use of your head. Am I to send the hat, orwill your honour call for it ? "


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10 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESThe Fairy said he would call at that same hour

on that day week. The little cap was ready ingood time. Whirlwig had made a careless litterof the pieces of felt cut off while he worked, butWillwit, his prudent wife, not only had gatheredthem all carefully into the tiny bag, togetherwith the new cap, she had also locked the doorof the house and put the key into her pocket,so that her husband could not help being at hometo receive his customer. The Fairy came as hehad come to Teel, and being satisfied with whathe found, advanced to the edge of the table andsaid, " Brother Whirlwig, I am authorised toappoint you hatter-in-ordinary to the Fairies ofthe Downs and Commons. Remove, therefore,to your new house by the roadside on StavesacreCommon, where you will have plenty of customand good pay as long as we may trust you."" Oh, sir," said Willwit, " there's not a truersoul than my old man's when he only giveshimself time to consider about what he doesBut I do wish he'd make himself a consideringcapI do, indeed ! "" He will find a considering cap in his newhouse. I pay it to him in exchange for this.Supper is laid there. Dame Willwit, for you andyour children ; so I advise you to remove at


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS ilonce. As for your good man, he has suppedalready. Everything you will want is there ;you need take nothing."The Fairy was gone, and Willwit at oncebegan to get her seven children out of bed.When they were dressed, the whole family wentunder the moonlight to the common, where therewas a new white house on the turf by the roadside.The house door opened for them of its own accord.In the snug kitchen there was a hot rabbit-pieupon the table, large enough for all, and Whirlwigwas inclined to indulge in a second supper ; buton peeping into a second room from which lightshone through the partly open door, he found inhis new shop thousands of tiny customers, alleager to be measured without one moment'sdelay. So he set to work while his wife andchildren ate and drank, and the savoury steamof the pie made his mouth water. Once he ranback when he heard something fall to the floorin the next room. It was a felt cap that hadtumbled through the ceiling, followed by a cry of" A cap for you, hatter ! " Thereupon all theFairies in the shop began to sing

" Cap ! Wonderful Cap IWear it for counsel ; and when you despair,The advice of the Cap will relieve you of care."


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12 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESSurmullet was a clever tailor, but a rascal,

and his wife, Smull, was no better than himself.He had lost his trade by robbery of customers,and lived by robbery upon the roads. He waslurking at night in the bottom of one of the sand-pits on Stavesacre Common to waylay a traveller,when the rabbit jumped also upon his knee.The rabbit would have had its neck wrung inan instant if it had not changed in less than aninstant into the form of the little Fairy with greybody-clothes, a neat little cap, and perfect shoes,wanting only a coat to be completely dressed.When Surmullet received from this tiny customerthe order for a coat, he said that he would rathertake a coat than make a coat, but for all that hewould fit the little gentleman so that he shouldthink he had two skins.

Surmullet also was to finish his work in aweek, and did finish it. The little man lookedgrave when he came for his coat and missed thepieces. But he, nevertheless, formally declaredSurmullet's appointment as tailor to the Fairiesof the Downs and Commons, and invited him tohis new place of business at the bottom of thesandpit in Stavesacre Common. There he wouldfind plenty of custom and good pay as long ashe was to be trusted.


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 13" Trust ! " sneered his wife. " One man is

as safe as another, for the matter of that. There'sno man who wouldn't own himself thief if he hadon a coat of confession."

" You will find such a coat in your new house,"the Fairy said. " I'll pay it in exchange for this."

Surmullet and his wife were eager to be gone.The bottom of the sandpit was a newly-establishedplace of business for them ; but the advantageof a house built there, in which they might bealways lurking, and from which they might atany time pounce out upon a traveller, was to besecured without an hour's delay. So they wentto the common, and found that there was reallya white house built at the bottom of the largestsandpit. Going down into it they found nosupper, but a crowd of little men, angrily waitingto be measured for their coats. As they lookeddangerous. Surmullet began measuring directly.While he did so you may be sure that a coat fellthrough the ceiling, followed by the cry of "Acoat for you, tailor ! " and the song of all thelittle customers :

" Coat ! Wonderful Coat 1WTiat you do wrongly, and what you do well,The Coat of Confession will make you tell."

Now the shoemaker, the hatter, and the


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14 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALEStailor worked hard, each of them for a twelve-month and a day, before they had finished makingshoes, and hats, and coats for all the Fairiesof the Downs and Commons. Teel worked hardwith honest will, and lived in luxury. Whirlwigworked hard because his wife looked after him,and while he worked the Fairies gave him famoussuppers ; Surmullet worked hard because theFairies frightened him, and every man who isnot true is a coward.

At the end of a twelvemonth and a day theFairies of the Downs and Commons were allfitted with their new coats, caps, and shoes, andas these articles were made of very durablematerial, they would outlast the lives of thetailor, hatter, and shoemaker who made them.Teel was the first to finish. The house on thesand-rock vanished when the last Fairy wasshod, and the tradesman to the Fairies wentback with his old wife to their cottage in thetown. They took with them nothing but whatthey had brought thence, except the goldenShoes of Safety. A month afterwards. Whirl-wig, the hatter, came back with his wife andseven children, richer for all his work only bythe Considering Cap ; and Surmullet returnednext, with the Coat of Confession on his arm.


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 15They had all been kept so closely to their

work that they had never been outside the whitehouses, invisible to other eyes, in which theFairies had supplied their wants. They hadbeen completely and unaccountably lost out ofStavesacre. Their houses remained vacant, be-cause new people never came into that quietplace, and the settled inhabitants were so entirelysettled that a Stavesacre man never so much asthought of moving from one house into another.When, as it rarely happened, anybody wentaway from Stavesacre, somebody painted on awindow of the house he quitted that it was " ToLet." Then it remained empty until naturalincrease of population in the place itself wouldin the course, perhaps, of many generations,cause another tenant to be reared. The processwas a very slow one. In the half-century beforethe time of which this story tells, the increaseof the population had been only from two thou-sand one hundred and five to two thousand onehundred and eleven.

When Teel and Till came back into the town,and said they had only been as far as the common,where they had spent the year in shoemakingfor the Fairies, Stavesacre said that was a finetale, but no doubt they had their reasons for


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i6 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESbeing secret ; and opinion was divided as to theway in which Teel came by his gold shoes. Amonth afterwards, Stavesacre looked out of thewindow to see Whirlwig and Willwit, his wife,tramping in again with their seven children. He,too, said that he had been no farther than thecommon, where he had been making caps forthe Fairies, and was only the richer by a Con-sidering Cap for his pains. The only personswho believed that story were Teel and Till, andDame Till lost no time in holding consultationwith Dame Willwit, and comparing their ex-perience of Fairy patronage.

" I am told," said Till, " that those ne'er-do-wells. Surmullet and his wife, were lost out oftown soon after you. Has he been in the sameemploy, I wonder ? "

While the two women talked together, Whirl-wig came downstairs in a rusty blue coat, astained and soiled red waistcoat, and high wallsof shirt-collar about his cheeks. " I am going ^osup at the club," he said to his wife as he went out.

" Ah ! " sighed Willwit, " the Fairies gave hima Considering Cap, and he always has refusedto put it on. A poor man, with a wife and sevenchildren, needs to put on his Considering Capbefore he goes to sup at the club ; but he shall


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 17wear it after he comes home. I will put himto bed in it to-night."

" A famous notion, gossip," said Dame Till." But what my man is to do with his shoes Iwish I could see. He hasn't a fault to be mended,bless his old heart ! "

" Or a sorrow to be cured," said her friend," when you are by."But Till looked into the empty air, and herfingers strayed towards a lock of baby hair thathad lain folded in paper for a score of years uponher bosom.

Willwit took her by the other hand, like akind gossip as she was, and said, " Yes, thoughit be twenty years ago, it must be hard to missyour little Clary. And you had but her ! "

"If we had but her grave to kneel over !mourned the good Till. " She may be livingwith the thieves who stole her, and they mayhave made her one of them ! "

^ " If she be alive, there is still hope thatyou may find her. Truly, dear friend, the manwould walk on shoes of gold who brought herback to you."

" On shoes of gold ! " Till cried. And leapingup, she clapped her hands for joy. " Oh, neigh-bour, neighbour, let me go ! "


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1 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES" Husband ! " she panted, when, out of breath

with the haste she had made, she got home toher old man ; " put on those Fairy Shoes ofSafety, and go out to find our child. My hearttells me they were given you for that."

" But whither shall I go ? "" Put on the shoes and go' Safe on the water

and safe on the land, ready to run at the word ofcommand,' the Fairies said they were. Thenbid them carry you to Clary, if she be alive."

" You are right, and I am gone," said Teel.^^Tiile he was gone, Till went to the old locker,

in which she treasured as a relic her whitewedding-dress.At the word of command, the shoes carried

Teel swiftly, lightly, through the town. Theyran, without touching ground, down the slopeto the river, crossed the surface of the waterwithout wetting a sole, and sped over the swardof the deer-park to the wood by the far slopesof the winding stream. The autumn leaves werefalling on its sheltered paths, but the wonderfulshoes did not stir or tread upon a fallen leaf asthey sped on, causing their wearer to flit likea shadow through the underwood, already dampwith night-dew. At last, Teel struck into thethickness of a massive oak, and entering its


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 19substance, stood still, in the very heart-wood ofthe mighty trunk, that clipped him about likea cloud.

The brighter for that veil around it andabove it was the mossy nest over which Teelnow stood still. Here it was that the Fairiesof the Wood, who stole her, held his little Clarycradled. Here she was sleeping happily, in formnot a day older than when she was lost, soothedby singing from a choir of green Wood-Fairies,who were her attendants. But when Teelsnatched her up, and fell to kissing her, theFairies sang :

" Playfellow Clary, nice to steal,You must go home with Father Teel.Clary will be our playfellow for goodIf father don't leave his Gold Shoes in the wood."

Teel instantly stepped out of the shadow ofthe oak, and took his shoes off. Their gold rosein a mist that ran along the ground and spreadinto the trees, until the autumn leaves dropped,yellow and chnking, upon paths that had becomestrewn with gold. The gnarled trunk of the oakwas sohd enough when Teel turned his backupon it.

So, without stooping to pick up any of thegold through which he walked, and without


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20 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESflinching when his naked feet trod among thorns,the old shoemaker went through the forest.Slowly, and trembling with joy, he went throughthe forest, bearing upon his arms the sleepinginfant. It was a long walk home, and there wasthe bridge beyond the poplar avenue to becrossed outside Stavesacre, for which reason hisway must be through the main street. But thestars were all out when he reached it, and halfthe town was already abed. Few saw the oldman limping with torn feet over the stones ashe went homeward by the light of the crescentmoon and of the stars, pressing, with shrivelled,knotted hands, the tender sleeping child to hiswarm heart.

Till saw him from afar, and ran to him throughthe night shadows in her j^ellowish-white wedding-dress. She had been holding solemn festival inthis attire, sitting alone in her poor room, and soawaiting the return of Clary. If she thought ofan old time, she had not thought it would comeback to her so perfectly that Clary would beBaby Clary still. She was a yearling child whenlost, and as a yearling child she was returnedinto her mother's bosom. Age had not hardenedthe true heart that welcomed her. It was adainty sight to see the old dame crooning with


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HERE SHE WAS SLEEP! N(;, IN FOKM NOTSHE WAS LOST.' A UAV OLDEK THAN WHEN


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 21love as she wept fast tears over the child thatsmiled up at her from the lap of muslin and oldlace and limp white satin bows. Till pressedits nose into the wreck of the great true-love-knot upon her bosom, and got her thin grey hairinto confusion with its golden curls as she satlip to lip with it in her agony of joy. Meanwhile,her old man, kneeling before the newly-lightedfire, stirred in their single pot a baby-mess withone of his thin hands. His other hand movedwith a wandering touch about his wife andchild.

Presently the child was to be fed with awooden spoon, and grasped the spoon as it wascoming to its mouth. Immediately the woodwas gold. They were in no joy about that, butin some concern lest there should be an objec-tionable change made in the gruel. No, thatwas excellent. And Clary throve like any otherchild ; was healthy, happy, natural, except thatshe would sometimes murmur a strange fairymusic in her sleep, and that, when touched byher, wood became gold.

By noon next day so many planks, beams,window-frames, and doorposts of the shoemaker'scottage were changed into shining gold, thatgossip Willwit held her breath when she ran in


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22 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESwith something of interest to tell to gossip Till.We know what there was to be told by Willwit.W'hat she had to say to Till was that her goodman Whirlwig, waking up that morning with theConsidering Cap on his head, had sat up in hisbed, and poured out such a stream of wise re-flections on the headache he had got, and onthe responsibilities he had got : on the necessityof getting a new coat for the boy Daniel, and newshoes for Heartsease, and a new gown for Willwit ;on the devotion and prudence of his valuablewife Willwit and his own past wastefulness ; onthe wisdom of instantly resigning his place asVice-President of Noisy Dogs ; of clearing outhis shop, and making a great stir, if possible, toprocure increase of custom ; on the possibilityof saving enough for the purchase of a smallpony-cart with which he could go in search ofcustomers to the svuTounding villages ; on thecost of a cart and of a pony ; on his possibleweek's earnings in Stavesacre, and on the averageweekly cost of a sufficiency of meal, of meat,of butter, of eggs ; on the advantages and dis-advantages of keeping a pig, and his own powersof building a pigsty ; on the numbers of yearsit would take to turn, by saving, a pig into a cowon the best thing to be done for little Sorrel's


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 23cough, and the cause of that pain in the side hiswife had been complaining of ; and so on, andso on, that he was another man. He had soldten caps that morning ; he was inventing, asa speculation of his own, a grand official hat forthe next Mayor of Stavesacre. He had alreadyfound her money enough to get a leg of porkand stuffing for their dinner.

" I wouldn't have my good man lose thisindustry," said Willwit, " no, not if he got, in-stead of it, your child's wonderful power ofgold-making."

" I don't care for the gold-making," saidTill, " though I suppose it makes us very rich.That old chair you sit on, now it's made of gold,must be worth something. Take it home, gossip.Nobody need be poor in Stavesacre if this is tolast with Clary ; but it's so like a disease, thatI shall be glad enough to see her cured."

When she said that, a green dwarf with avery long nose peeped in at the door. " Oh,good morning. Dame Till," he said. " If youdon't wish that child of yours to turn any morewood into gold, let her walk round the roomthree times in the gold Shoes of Safety. Herethey are. If you are in the mind to make thatuse of them, keep them ; if not, let them be cast


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24 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESback into the wood yonder, where your goodman left them." The dwarf threw the shoesinto the room and vanished.

Till put httle Clary's feet into the shoesdirectly, and began to guide her tottering.

" Think what you do," said Willwit. " Thechild's power will give you never-ending wealth."

" I want my own natural and healthy httleClary," Till rephed." But won't you wait till you have advised

with your husband ? ""As to Clary, and all else, my Teel and Iare of one heart."So Clary pattered three times round the roomin the gold shoes. After the first round therewas no sign of amendment, for all the wood inthe house not changed already became gold.After the second round, everything that wasmade of cotton, hemp, or flax, the child's clothes,all the linen the two women wore, and theirpoor cotton gowns, changed into cloth of gold." I fear to go round again," said Till. " Thedisease grows stronger, and the dwarf may havemeant only to mock me. Yet I will have trust."

So she went round for the third time, andafter that there was no change, but there wasnot a splinter of wood left in the house with


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 2$which to try whether the desired change in thechild really was effected. The women, dressedas they were in gold from head to foot, darednot go out of doors to fetch a stick. It waslucky for them that at this moment the knaveSurmullet and Smull his wife stepped in.

They were then coming in from the common,and as they passed Teel's cottage in the emptycountry street were the first to notice the goldenwindow-frames and doorposts, and the brilliantgold door of Teel's cottage. Inside, the roomwas like a gold mine, with two golden womenin it and a golden child.

But a passing boy or two soon spread thenews, and all the town had presently turnedout to look at the shoemaker's cottage, withgolden beams and posts and doors, and goldenthatch. Surmullet and Smull had been hearingwonders inside, while they looked greedily aboutthem, and Smull had fetched a fagot from theyard to put in the child's hand. It remainedwood.

" A pretty game you have spoiled," she said." My worthy husband also had a fairy gift, andwho knows what may come of it. Put on yourcoat, good man."

Surmullet put on the Coat of Confession


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26 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESwhich he had brought in on his arm, and suddenlybegan to tell of all his rogueries. Indoors andout of doors, all Stavesacre was there to wonderand listen. Surmullet seized upon every manhe had cheated or robbed, and made a thoroughlyclean breast of his offence ; but he was astonishedat the good nature with which all his confessionswere received.

When Teel came home with the shoe-leatherfor which he had been to the tanyard two milesdown the river, he found himself suddenlyseized by the mob of townspeople before andabout his cottage, lifted upon men's shoulders,and beset with a great shout of " Teel ! Teel !Teel for the next Mayor ! " More astonishingstill were the shouts of " Bravo, Surmullet ! "Though Surmullet was telling half the town thathe had robbed and cheated it, yet there he was,speaking the truth. He who went out a yearand a day since, a sneak whom no man trusted,and who trusted nobody,he who was knownto be a thief when he used all his cunning to getcredit for honesty,was now held to be honestwhen he manfully confessed all that was in him,though the all was bad.Now the end of the story is, that Surmullet,finding comfort in his Coat of Confession, ceased


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 27to be the coward that he had been. By shiftinghis coat slyly and whenever he could to othermen's backs, he found that other men, forcedto speak all the good and evil that was in them,commonly turned out better than almost any-body else expected. The sensation of beingtrusted was to Surmullet himself very welcome ;and even SmuU was content to stand with herhusband in the good books of her neighbours.

WTiirlwig became the most considerate andpainstaking man in the whole world.

Teel and his wife were the richest people inor out of Stavesacre, after they had given goldaway to Whirlwig, to Surmullet, and to everypoor neighbour. There was built for them a finehouse in the deer park, where they loved, alltheir days, the kindest and prettiest of daughters.Teel wore the Mayor's cap that Whirlwig haddistinguished himself by inventing. In thesecond year of his mayoralty he gave his wonder-ful Shoes, and, in the same year, Whirlwig andSurmullet, who no longer needed magic help,gave also their Cap and Coat, to be held inperpetual possession by the town council ofStavesacre.

The Shoes, Coat, and Cap were kept in astrong tower, and committed to the keeping of


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28 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESsix faithful warders. Whenever an offence wascommitted in the town, an officer of justice,putting on the Shoes, commanded them to bringhim face to face with the offender. Instantlytracked and seized, the culprit was brought intothe presence of the Mayor. There all the wit-nesses, and the offender himself, wore, whenthey give evidence of what they knew, thewonderful Coat of Confession. The whole truthabout everything that related to an offencebeing thus presented to the Mayor, that Magis-trate put on the wonderful Considering Cap, andarrived at the wisest possible decision of thecase. There being no escape for any Stavesacrecriminal while the Cap, Coat, and Shoes werethere to secure his capture and conviction,nobody played the rogue ; and the Stavesacremen lived for a century with so little necessityfor keeping their eyes open that they becamesleepier than ever.

So it happened that one day all the sixwarders who kept the apparatus of Stavesacrejustice were asleep together in the porch of thetower. When they awoke. Cap, Coat, and Shoeswere gone, and half the houses in the townbolts and bars having long fallen out of usewere robbed that night. The thieves were great-


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FAIRIES OF THE DOWNS 29grandchildren of Surmullet, and as they crossedStavesacre Common with a wagon-load of plunderthey threw into one of the pools a bundle, whichcontained not only the Considering Cap andCoat of Confession, but also the Golden Shoes ofSafety ; for, although these were of solid value,there was great fear of their fairy power.

Whenever the pools are dragged on StavesacreCommon, if that bundle should be found, let itbe forwarded immediately to the Lord ChiefJustice.


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IITHE SEA-MAIDEN

There was ere now a poor old fisher, but on thisday he was not getting much fish. On a day ofdays, and he fishing, there rose a sea-maidenat the side of his boat, and she asked him if hewas getting fish. The old man answered andsaid that he was not.

" What reward wouldst thou give me forsending plenty of fish to thee ? "

" Ach ! " said the old man, " I have not muchto spare."

" Wilt thou give me the first son thou hast ? ""It is I that would give thee that, if I were

to have a son ; there is not, and there will notbe a son of mine."

" Name all thou hast," said the maiden." I have but an old mare of a horse, an old

dog, myself, and my wife. There's for theeall the creatures of the great world that aremine."

Here, then, are three grains for thee that


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 31thou shalt give thy wife this very night, and threeothers to the dog, and these three to the mare,and these three hkewise thou shalt plant behindthy house, and in time thy wife will have threesons, the mare three foals, and the dog threepuppies, and there will grow three trees behindthy house, and the trees will be a sign, when oneof the sons dies, one of the trees will wither.Now, take thyself home, and remember me whenthy son is three years of age, and thou thyselfwilt get plenty of fish after this."

Everything happened as the sea-maiden said,and he himself was getting plenty of fish ; butwhen the end of the three years was nearing, theold man was growing sorrowful, heavy-hearted,while he failed each day as it came. On thenamesake of the day, he went to fish as he used,but he did not take his son with him.

The sea-maiden rose at the side of the boatand asked, " Didst thou bring thy son with theehither to me ? "

" Och ! I did not bring him. I forgot thatthis was the day."

" Yes, yes ! then," said the sea-maiden," thou shalt get four other years of him, to tryif it be easier for thee to part from him. Herethou hast his like age," and she lifted up a big


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32 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESbouncing baby. " Is thy son as fine as thisone?"

He went home full of glee and delight, forthat he had got four other years of his son, andhe kept on fishing and getting plenty of fish,but at the end of the next four years sorrow andwoe struck him, and he took not a meal, anddid not a turn, and his wife could not thinkwhat was ailing him. This time he did notknow what to do, but he set it before him, thathe would not take his son with him this timeeither.

He went to fish as at the former times, andthe sea-maiden rose at the side of the boat, andasked him, " Didst thou bring thy son hither |to me ? " j!" Och ! I forgot him this time too."

" Go home then," said the sea-maiden, " andat the end of seven years after this, thou artsure to remember me, but then it will not be theeasier for thee to part with him, but thou shalt^get fish as thou used to do." |The old man went home full of joy ; he had !got seven other years of his son, and before ,seven years passed, the old man thought that hehimself would be dead, and that he would seethe sea-maiden no more.


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 33But no matter, the end of those seven years

was nearing also, and if it was, the old man wasnot without care and trouble. He had restneither day nor night. The eldest son asked hisfather one day if any one were troubling him ?The old man said that some one was, but thatbelonged neither to him nor to any one else. Thelad said he must know what it was. His fathertold him at last, how the matter was betweenhim and the sea-maiden.

" Let not that put you in any trouble," saidthe son ; " I will not oppose you."

" Thou shalt not ; thou shalt not go, my son,though I should not get fish for ever."

" If you will not let me go with you, go to thesmithy, and let the smith make me a great strongsword, and I will go to the end of fortune."

His father went to the smithy, and the smithmade a doughty sword for him. His fathercame home with the sword. The lad grasped itand gave it a shake or two, and it went in ahundred sphnters. He asked his father to goto the smithy and get him another sword in whichthere should be twice as much weight ; and sodid his father, and so likewise it happened tothe next swordit broke in two halves. Backwent the old man to the smithy ; and the smith

3


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 35will do good, mind me, and I will be at thyside."On this he went onward till he reached aking's house, and he took service as a herd, andhis wages were to be according to the milk of thecattle. He went away with the cattle, and thegrazing was but bare. When lateness came,and when he took them home they had not muchmilk, the place was so bare, and his meat anddrink was but spare this night.

On the next day he went on farther with themand at last he came to a place exceedingly grassy,in a green glen, of which he never saw the like.

But about the time when he should go behindthe cattle, for taking homewards, who is seencoming but a great giant with his sword in hishand." Hiu ! Haw ! ! Hogaraich ! ! ! " shoutedthe giant. "It is long since my teeth tastedflesh. The cattle are mine ; they are on mymarch ; and a dead man art thou."

" That may be easier to say than to do,"said the herdsman.To grips they went, himself and the giant.

He saw that he was far from friend, and nearhis foe. He drew the great clean-sweepingsword and neared the giant. In the play of


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36 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESthe battle the black dog leaped on the giant'sback. The herdsman drew back his sword, andthe head was off the giant in a twinkling. Heleaped on the black horse and went to look forthe giant's house. He reached a door, and inthe haste that the giant made he had left eachgate and door open.In went the herdsman, and found mag-nificence and money in plenty, dresses of everykind in the wardrobe, with gold and silver, andeach thing finer than the other. At the mouthof night he took himself to the king's house, buthe took not a thing from the giant's house.And when the cattle were milked this night therewas milk. He got good feeding this night,meat and drink without stint, and the king washugely pleased that he had caught such a herds-man. He went on for a time in this way, butat last the glen grew bare of grass, and thegrazing was not so good.

He thought he would go a little farther for-ward in on the giant's land, where he saw agreat park of grass. He returned for the cattleand drove them in.

They were but a short time grazing in thepark when a great wild giant came full of rageand madness.


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 37" Hiu ! Haw ! ! Hogaraich ! 1 ! " said the

giant. " It is a drink of thy blood that quenchesmy thirst this night."" There is no knowing," answered the herds-

man, " but that's easier to say than to do."At each other went the men. There was the

shaking of blades !At length and at last it seemed as if the giant

would get the victory. Then the herdsmancalled for his dog, and with one spring the blackdog caught the giant by the neck, and swiftlythe herdsman struck off his head.He went home very tired this night, but it'sa wonder if the king's cattle had not milk. Thewhole family was delighted that they had gotsuch a herdsman.

He followed herding in this way for a time ;but one night after he came home, instead ofgetting " All hail " and " Good luck " from thedairymaid, all were crying and full of woe.

He asked what cause of woe there was thisnight. The dairymaid said that a great beastwith three heads was in the loch, which was todevour some one every year, and the lot hadfallen this year on the king's daughter, " and inthe middle of to-morrow she is to meet thebeast at the upper end of the loch, but there is


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38 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESa great suitor yonder who is going to rescueher."

" What suitor is that ? " asked the herdsman.*' Oh, he is a great General of arms," said the

dairymaid, " and when he kills the beast, he willmarry the king's daughter, for the king hassaid that he who could save his daughter shouldmarry her."

On the morrow when the time was nearing,the king's daughter and this hero of arms wentto give a meeting to the beast, and they reachedthe black corrie at the upper end of the loch.They were there but a short time when the beaststirred in the midst of the loch ; but on theGeneral's seeing this terror of a beast with threeheads, he took fright, slunk away, and hidhimself, leaving the king's daughter fearful andtrembling, with no one at all to save her.

At a glance she saw a doughty handsomeyouth, riding a black horse, coming where she was.He was marvellously arrayed, and full armed,and his black dog moving after him.

" There is gloom on thy face, lady," said theyouth. " What dost thou here ? "

" Oh, that's no matter," answered the prin-cess. " It's not long I'll be here at all events."

" Not that," said he.


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 39" A worthy fled as likely as thou, and not

long since."" He is a worthy who stands the war," an-

swered the youth. He lay down beside her andsaid if he should fall asleep, she should rouse himwhen she saw the beast making for shore.

" Whsit is rousing for thee ? " she asked." Rousing for me is to put the gold ring on

thy finger on my little finger."It was not long before she saw the beast

making for shore. She took a ring off her fingerand put it on the lad's. He awoke and wentwith his sword and his dog to meet the beast.What spluttering and splashing between them !The dog was doing all he might, and the king'sdaughter was palsied with fear of the noise ofthe beast. They would now be under, and nowabove. At last he cut off one of the heads.The dragon gave one roar, and the son of earth,Echo of the rocks, called to his screech, and hedrove the loch into fury from end to end, thenin a twinkling went out of sight.

" Good luck and victory were following thee,lad ! " said the princess. " I am safe for onenight, but the beast will come again, and forever, until the other two heads come off him."

He caught the beast's head and drew a withy


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40 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESthrough it, and told her to bring it with herthere to-morrow. She went home with the headon her shoulder, and the herdsman betook him-self to the cows. She had not gone far whenthis great General saw her, and he said to her thathe would kill her if she would not say that 'twashe took the head off the beast.

" Oh, 'tis I will say it. Who else took thehead off, but thou ? "

They reached the king's house, and the headwas on the General's shoulder. But here wasrejoicing that she should come home alive andwhole, and this great captain with the beast'shead in his hand. On the morrow they wentaway, and there was no question at all but thatthis hero would save the king's daughter.

They reached the same place, and were notlong there when the fearful beast stirred in themidst of the loch, and the hero slunk away as hedid on yesterday, but it was not long after thiswhen the man of the black horse came, withanother dress on. No matter, she knew that itwas the very same lad.

" It is I am pleased to see thee," said she." I am in hopes that thou wilt handle thy greatsword to-day as thou didst yesterday. Comeup and take breath."


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"good'i.uck and victory were follovvin(; thee, r,AD,'SAID THE PRINCESS.


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 41Soon they saw the beast steaming in the midst

of the loch.The lad lay down to rest. " If I sleep before

the beast comes, rouse me."" \Miat is rousing for thee ? "" Rousing for me is to put the ear-ring that

is in thine ear in mine."He had not well fallen asleep when the king's

daughter cried, " Rouse ! rouse ! " but wake hewould not. She took the ear-ring out of her earand put it in the ear of the lad. At once he wokeand went to meet the beast. What a spluttering,splashing, raving, and roaring ! They kept onthus for a long time, and about the mouth ofnight he cut another head off. He put it onthe withy, leaped on the black horse, and betookhimself to the herding. The king's daughterwent home with the heads.

The General met her, and took the heads fromher, saying that she must tell that it was he whotook the head off the beast this time also.

'' Who else took the head off, but thou ? "said she.

They reached the king's house with the heads.Then there was joy and gladness. If the kingwas hopeful the first night, he was now sure thatthis great hero would save his daughter, and there


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 43but had tried to take the heads off the withy,but they could not. The king asked if therewere any one else about the house that wouldtry. They said that the herdsman had not triedthem yet. Word was sent to him, and he wasnot long throwing them hither and thither.

" But stop a bit, my lad," said the king'sdaughter, " the man that took the heads off thebeast has my ring and my two ear-rings."

The herdsman put his hand in his pocket andthrew them on the board.

" Thou art he," said the princess.The king was not so pleased when he saw

that it was a herdsman who was to marry hisdaughter, but he ordered that he should be putin a better dress. His daughter spoke and saidthat he had a dress as fine as any that ever wasin his castle, and thus it happened. The herds-man put on the giant's golden dress and theywere married.

Everything went well for some time. One daythey were sauntering by the side of the lochwhen there came a beast more wonderfullyterrible than the other, and took him away tothe loch without fear or asking. The king'sdaughter was now mournful, tearful, sorrowful,and was always looking at the loch. An old


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44 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES smith met her and she told him what had be-fallen her. He advised her to spread everythingthat was finer than another in the very sameplace where the beast took away her husband,and so she did.

The beast put up his nose and said, " Fineis thy jewellery, king's daughter.""Finer than that is the jewel that thoutookest from me. Give me one sight of myhusband, and thou shalt get any one thing ofall these thou seest."The beast brought him up." Deliver him to me, and thou shalt get allthou seest," said she.The beast did so. He threw him ahve andwhole on the bank.A short time after this, when they were

walking at the side of the loch, the same beasttook away the princess. Sorrowful was eachone that was in the town on this night. Herhusband was mournful, tearful, wandering downand up about the banks of the loch, by day andmght. The old smith met him. The smithtold him that there was no way of killing theBeast but this one way : " In the island thatIS m the midst of the loch is the white-footedhmd, of the slenderest legs, and the swiftest


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 45step, and though she should be caught, therewould spring a crow out of her, and though thecrow should be caught, there would spring atrout out of her, but there is an egg in the mouthof the trout, and the soul of the beast is in theegg, and if the egg breaks, the beast is dead."

Now, there was no way of getting to thisisland, for the beast would sink each boat andraft that went on the loch. He thought he wouldtry to leap the strait with the black horse, andeven so he did. The black horse leaped thestrait, and the black dog with one bound afterhim. He saw the hind, and he let the blackdog after her, but when the black dog would beon one side of the island, the hind would be onthe other side.

" Oh, good were now the great dog of the car-cass of flesh here ! "

No sooner spoke he the word than the gen-erous dog was at his side and after the hind.The worthies were not long in bringing her toearth. But he no sooner caught her than acrow sprang out of her.

" 'Tis now were good the falcon grey, ofsharpest eye and swiftest wing ! "

No sooner said he this than the falcon wasafter the crow, and was not long putting her to


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46 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESearth. As the crow fell on the bank of the loch,out of her jumped the trout.

" Oh, that thou wert by me now, O otter ! "No sooner said than the otter was at his side.Out on the loch she leapt and brought the troutfrom the midst of the loch; but no sooner wasthe otter on shore with the trout than the eggcame from his mouth. He sprang and put hisfoot on it. 'Twas then the beast let out a roar,and said, " Break not the egg, and thou gettestall thou askest."

" Deliver to me my wife."In the wink of an eye she was by his side.When he got hold of her hand in both his hands

he let his foot down on the egg, and the beastdied.

The dead thing was horrible to look upon.The three heads were off it doubtless, but if theywere, there were heads under, and heads overhead on it, and eyes, and five hundred feet. Butno matter, they left it there and went home,and there was delight and smiling in the king'shouse that night. And till now he had not toldthe king how he killed the giants. The king putgreat honour on him, and he was a great man withthe king.

He and his wife were walking one day, when


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48 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESwas dead, and he made a vow that he would goand find where the corpse of his brother waslying. He put saddle on a black horse, and rodeafter his black dog (for the three sons of thefisher had a black horse and a black dog), andwithout going hither or thither he followed onhis brother's steps till he reached the king'shouse.

This one was so like his elder brother, that theking's daughter thought it was her husband.He stayed in the castle. They told him how itbefell his brother ; and to the little castle of thecrone, go he musthappen hard or soft as it might.To the castle he went ; and just as befell theeldest brother, so in each way it befell the middleson, and with one blow the crone felled himstretched beside his brother.

On 'seeing the second tree withering, thefisher's youngest son said that now his twobrothers were dead, he must know what deathhad come on them. On the black horse he went,and followed the dog as his brothers did, andcame to the king's house. 'Twas the king whowas pleased to see him ; but to the black castlethey would not let him go. But to the castlehe must go, and he went.

" All hail and good luck to thyself, fisher's


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THE SEA-MAIDEN 49son ; 'tis I am pleased to see thee ; go in andtake breath," said the crone.

"In before me, thou crone; I don't Hkeflattery out of doors ; go in and let's hear thyspeech."In went the crone, and when her back wasto him he drew his sword and whipped her head

off ; but the sword flew out of his hand. Swiftlythe crone gripped her head with both hands andput it on her neck as it was before. The dogsprang on the crone, but she struck the generousdog with the club of magic ; and there he lay.But this only maddened the youth the moreHe got hold of the magic club, and with oneblow on the top of the head, she was on earthm the wink of an eye. He went forward andsaw his two brothers lying side by side. Hegave a blow to each one with the magic club,and on foot they were. And what spoil ! Goldand silver, and each thing more precious thananother, in the crone's castle.They came back to the king's house and therewas rejoicing !The king was growing old. The eldest sonfof the fisherman was crowned king, and thepair of brothers stayed a day and a year in theking's house, and then the two went on their


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52 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESA^Tien the harvest nights came on, and the

moon shone bright and brilHant over the hill,and the cattle were l3^ing down hushed and quiet,and the herdsman, wrapt in his mantle, wasmusing with his heart gladdened by the gloriouscompany of the stars twinkling above him, shewould come and dance before him, now in oneshape, now in another, but all ugly and frightfulto behold. One time she would be a greathorse, with the wings of an eagle, and a taillike a dragon, hissing loud and spitting fire.Then in a moment she would change into a littleman lame of a leg, with a bull's head, and alambent flame playing round it. Then into agreat ape, with duck's feet and a turkey-cock'stail. But I should be all day about it were Ito tell you all the shapes she took.

And then she would roar, or neigh, or hiss,or bellow, or howl, or hoot, as never yet wasroaring, neighing, hissing, bellowing, howling, orhooting, heard in this world before or since.The poor herdsman would cover his face, and callon all the saints for help, but it was no use.With one puff of her breath she would blowaway the fold of his greatcoat, let him hold itnever so tightly over his eyes, and not a saint inheaven paid him the slightest attention. And


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A LEGEND OF TIPPERARY 55bold, for you know not who is hearing you ; but,if you make your words good, and watch my herdsfor a week on the top of the mountain, your handshall be free of my dish till the sun has burntitself down to the bigness of a farthing rushlight."

The bargain was struck, and Larry went tothe hilltop, when the moon began to peep overthe brow. He took his seat on a big stone undera hollow of the hill, with his back to the wind,and pulled out his pipes. He had not playedlong when the voice of the fairies was heardupon the blast, hke a slow stream of music.Presently they burst out into a loud laugh, andLarry could plainly hear one say, " Whatanother man upon the fairies' ring ? Go tohim, queen, and make him repent his rashness,"and they flew away.

Larry felt them pass by his face as they flewlike a swarm of midges ; and, looking up hastily,he saw between the moon and him a great blackcat, standing on the very tip of its claws, with itsback up, and mewing with the voice of a water-mill. Presently it swelled up towards the sky,and, turning round on its left hind leg, whirledtill it fell to the ground, from which it startedup in the shape of a salmon, with a cravat roundits neck, and a pair of new top-boots.


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56 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES" Go on, jewel," said Larry, " if you dance,

I'll pipe ; " and he struck up.So she turned into this, and that, and theother, but still Larry played on, as he well knew

how. At last she lost patience, as ladies willdo when you do not mind their scolding, andchanged herself into a calf, milk-white as thecream of Cork, and with eyes as mild as thoseof the girl I love. She came up gentle andfawning, in hopes to throw him off his guard byquietness, and then to work him some wrong.But Larry was not so deceived ; for when shecame up, he, dropping his pipes, leaped uponher back.Now from the top of the mountain, as youlook westward to the broad Atlantic, you willsee the Shannon, queen of rivers, " spreadinglike a sea," and running on in gentle course tomingle with the ocean through the fair city ofLimerick. It on this night shone under themoon and looked beautiful from the distant hill.Fifty boats were gliding up and down on thesweet current, and the song of the fishermenrose gaily from the shore.

Larry, as I said before, leaped upon the backof the fairy, and she, rejoiced at the opportunity,sprang from the hilltop, and bounded clear, at


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A LEGEND OF TIPPERARY 57one jump, over the Shannon, flowing as it wasjust ten miles from the mountain's base. Itwas done in a second, and when she ahghted onthe distant bank, kicking up her heels, she flungLarry on the soft turf. No sooner was he thusplanted, than he looked her straight in the face,and scratching his head, cried out, " By myword, well done ! That was not a bad leap fora calfl''

She looked at him for a moment, and thenassumed her own shape.

" Laurence," said she, " you are a bold fellow ;will you come back the way you went ? "" And that's what I will," said he, " if youlet me."

So changing to a calf again, again Larry goton her back, and at another bound they wereagain upon the top of the peak. The fairy, oncemore resuming her figure, addressed him : " Youhave shown so much courage, Laurence, thatwhile you keep herds on this hill you never shallbe molested by me or mine. The day dawns,go down to the farmer, and tell him this ; andif anything I can do may be of service to you,ask and you shall have it."

She vanished accordingly, and kept her wordin never visiting the hill during Larry's life ;


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58 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESbut he never troubled her with requests. Hepiped and Hved at the farmer's expense, androosted in his chimney corner, occasionally castingan eye to the flock. He died at last, and isburied in a green valley of pleasant Tipperary ;but whether the fairies returned to the hill afterhis death is more than I can say.

Note.The hill is Knocksheogowna, which signifies " The Hillof the Fairy Calf."


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IVTHE STORY OF KING LLUDD

Beli the Great had four sons, the eldest beingcalled Lludd ^ and the youngest Llevelys. Afterthe death of Beli, the kingdom of the Island ofBritain fell into the hands of Lludd his eldestson, and Lludd ruled prosperously, and rebuiltthe walls of London, and encompassed it aboutwith numberless towers. After that he bade thecitizens build houses therein, such as no housesin the kingdoms could equal. And, moreover,he was a mighty warrior, and generous and liberalin giving meat and drink to all that sought them.And though he had many castles and cities,this one loved he more than any. He dwelttherein most part of the year, therefore was itcalled Caer Lludd, and at last Caer London.And after the stranger-race came there, it wascalled London.

Lludd loved Llevelys best of all his brothers,1 Lludd is the celebrated King Lud, brother to Caesar's op-

ponent, Cassivelaunus.59


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THE STORY OF KING LLUDD 6iIsland, however low it might be spoken, butwhat, if the wind met it, it was known to them.And through this they could not be injured.

The second plague was a shriek which cameon every May-eve, over every hearth in theIsland of Britain. This went through people'shearts, and so scared them, that the men losttheir hue and their strength, and the womentheir children, and the young men and themaidens lost their senses, and all the animalsand trees and the earth and the waters, wereleft barren.

The third plague was, that however muchof provisions and food might be prepared in theking's courts, were there even so much as ayear's provision of meat and drink, none of itcould ever be found, except what was consumedin the first night. And two of these plagues,no one ever knew their cause, therefore wasthere better hope of being freed from the firstthan from the second and third.

Thereupon King Lludd felt great sorrow andcare, because that he knew not how he might befreed from these plagues. He called to him allthe nobles of his kingdom, and asked counselof them what they should do against theseafflictions. By the common counsel of the nobles.


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62 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESLludd, the son of Beli, went to Llevelys, hisbrother, king of France, for he was a mangreat of counsel and wisdom, to seek hisadvice.

They made ready a fleet in secret and insilence, lest that race should know the cause oftheir errand, or any besides the king and hiscounsellors. When they were made ready, theywent into their ships, Lludd and those whomhe chose with him. And they began to cleavethe seas towards France.

WTien these tidings came to Llevelys, seeingthat he knew not the cause of his brother's ships,he came on the other side to meet him, and withhim was a fleet vast of size. When Lludd sawthis, he left all the ships out upon the sea exceptone only ; and in that one he came to meet hisbrother, and he likewise with a single ship cameto meet him. Wien they were come together,each put his arms about the other's neck,and they welcomed each other with brotherlylove.

After that Lludd had shown his brother thecause of his errand, Llevelys said that he himselfknew the cause of the coming to those lands.And they took counsel together to discourse onthe matter otherwise than thus, in order that


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66 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESin that place he caused the earth to be dug, andin that pit a cauldron to be set, full of the bestmead that could be made, and a covering ofsatin over the face of it. He himself watchedthat night. While he was there, he beheld thedragons fighting. When they were weary theyfell, and came down upon the top of the satm,and drew it with them to the bottom of thecauldron. When they had drunk the mead theyslept. In their sleep, Lludd folded the coveringaround them, and in the securest place he hadin Snowdon, he hid them in a kistvaen. Afterthat this spot was called Dinas Emreis.^ Thusthe fierce outcry ceased in his dominions.

When this was ended, King Lludd caused anexceeding great banquet to be prepared. Whenit was ready, he placed a vessel of cold waterby his side, and he in his own proper personwatched it. As he abode thus clad with arms,about the third watch of the night, lo, he heardmany surpassing fascinations and various songs.Drowsiness urged him to sleep. Upon this, lesthe should be hindered from his purpose and beovercome by sleep, he went often into the water.At last, behold, a man of vast size, clad instrong, heavy armour, came in, bearing a hamper.

1 Dinas 5:mrys is a small hill in one of the valleys of Snowdon


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THE STORY OF KING LLUDD 67And, as he was wont, he put all the food andprovisions of meat and drink into the hamperand proceeded to go with it forth. Nothingwas ever more wonderful to LIudd, than thatthe hamper should hold so much.Thereupon, King Lludd went after him andspoke unto him thus : " Stop, stop ! " said he,though thou hast done many insults and muchspoil erstwhile, thou shalt not do so any moreunless thy skill in arms and thy prowess begreater than mine."Then he instantly put down the hamper onthe floor, and awaited him. A fierce encounterwas between them, so that the glittering flreflew out from their arras. At the last Lluddgrappled with him, and fate bestowed the victoryon Lludd. And he threw the plague to theearth. After he had overcome him by strengthand might, he besought his mercy. " How canI grant thee mercy," said the king, " after allthe many injuries and wrongs that thou hastdone me ? "" AH the losses that ever I have caused thee "said he " I will make thee atonement for, equalto what I have taken. And I will never do thehke from this time forth. But thy faithful vassalwill I be. And the king accepted this from him


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68" BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESThus Lludd freed the Island of Britain from

the three plagues. From thenceforth until theend of his hfe/ in prosperous peace did Lludd,the son of Beli, rule the Island of Britain. Andthis tale is called the Story of Lludd and Llevelys.And thus it ends.

^ Legend states that King Lud was buried in London, near thegate still bearing his nameLudgate.


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70 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESthemselves for the revel, had used up everythingthey could find in their masquerade store, andwere still only half dressed. Gale & Whirl-wind, therefore, were commissioned to send downmany more shiploads of frippery. The said firm,which drives a roaring trade, busied itself to suchgood purpose for its customers the fishes, thatthis one particular ball was the grandest evergiven under water.

The small fry that were permitted to lookon made walls and roof to the great dining-hall.Kept in square, head over head, by a detach-ment of Sword-fishes, glittering eyes and goldennoses of seven hundred and seven million millionof Pilchards formed the lofty walls. Those eyesand noses belonged only to fortunate possessorsof front places in the great mob eager to see thefeast. Many of the distinguished guests likedto eat bits of the wall as much as any otherdelicac}^ offered for refreshment, but holes madeby their nibbling were filled up instantly by theexulting outsiders, for whom front places werethus procured.

The roof of the ballroom was a floatingcloud of those small beings which sometimesappear as fire upon the surface of the wave. Itwas a joke of the Whale's every ten minutes to


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J6 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESOf course this fisherman did not know how

this fish was studying his letters with advantageto himself. The first letter he learned gave hima thousand fingers and a thousand toes. Theinterpretation of the second letter on his backhaving now flashed upon him, he was able tospeak in a thousand tongues. As most fishesare mute, the greater number of these tongueswere those of men, and beasts, and birds. " Mytalents are drowned in the sea," said Mackerel" I care not for a fishy reputation. Why havemy tail-fins become legs, except that I may walkupon the land ? To the land I will go, being onfire to extend through earth and air the famethat has already circled through the water."So, as he meant, nevertheless, to go on studyinghis back, he tucked under his arm the Mermaid'sglass, bought for a song. He took along hisnew thousand-stringed harp. It was made forhim by the Sirens, of hair from their own tresses,stretched over the shell of that crawling thingof the deep which once put the chiefs of meninto its purple livery.

The Mackerel was looking for a boat to carryhim over the surf to the shore, when he hailedthe young fisherman Filarete with " Boat, ahoy ! "

" What do you want ? What are you ! "


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THE MAGIC MACKEREL jj" I am the famous Doctor Mackerel Pes-

cadillo, linguist and composer. Take me overthe breakers. I have business ashore." As hespoke, Doctor Pescadillo reached the side of thefishing-boat, and putting up an arm, seized, witha many-fingered hand, the boatman's oar, andjumped in cleverly.

" Legs too," said Filarete ; " and you standupright ! Business ashore ! I think you have."Then he entangled him in eight or ten folds ofhis fishing-net. " You and I will have businesstogether, my fine fish." And he began to amusehimself, as he pulled eagerly to land, with crying," Walk up ! all alive ! " already fancying himselfthe prince of showmen. " All alive ! the Mack-erel is now upon his legs, and speaking ! Noam'syour time ! Be quick, for the miracle of natureis engaged to marry the Randan of the PacificOcean's Grandmother, and is going off directlyin a fly ! " While he spoke, the boat occupiedhis attention, for he was backing her across thebreakers. Away darted the Mackerel when shewas safely beached, and scampered singing upthe shingle.

With a thousand fingers upon each hand,knots are very soon unpicked. Pescadillo hadnot only unpicked himself a way out of the net,


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78 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESbut had unpicked every knot in the whole mesh,so that when he leapt out of the boat, Filarete'snets were become a litter of loose string. TheMackerel ran faster than a swallow flies, and yetthe fisherman gave chase ; for the mischievousfish, instead of running out of sight, often satdown or lay down, feigning sleep, and neverstarted off again until the hand, stretched outto seize him, w^as within a scale's-breadth of hisbody. For he was resolved that Filarete shouldbe his follower.

They ran till dusk, when they got to the topof a mountain, which they had been climbingall the afternoon ; for it had pleased the fish totry his friend's wind to the utmost. On themountain-top were ragged points of granite, butthe central peak was a smooth table on whichtwenty men could stand. The Mackerel thenslipped into a hole under a peak, while thefisherman, distrusting his feet, sat down to usehis eyes. He was too hungry to sleep, andwatched well until morning, when he observed,where he had lost sight of the Mackerel, a gleamas of water in a cranny of the rock. He hadbeen drenched in the mists of evening, and hadseen the moon half the night through. He hadheard odd music after sunset, as if a thousand


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THE MAGIC MACKEREL 79or two of tiny fingers had been harping. Theridiculous Mackerel had sung also sentimentalsongs about the stars.

Then, as dawn approached, when the poorfisherman was shivering with cold and hunger,the Mackerel, still full of sentiment, as he wasempty of all other meat, was heard singing :

" Now, like the tender hope of fish, the doubtful morning breaks,Scarce venturing to thrust a beam upon the sullen flakesThat stretch across the east, as though they gathered there

to barThe passage of the coursers of the sun's triumphal car."" Tooraloral la ! " said the fisherman, " but

I will venture a thrust on your flakes with some-thing handier than a beam, my good friend."The Mackerel was at the bottom of a deep cleftin the rock, where he could not be reached by hisfriend's arm, and he had turned his hole into afountain of sentiment, because that was the mostnauseous thing he could produce for the vexa-tion of his adversary. But Filarete saw a bushgrowing near the Mackerel's retreat, and feltthat he could produce what would be morestirring than any nonsense verses. He tore off,therefore, a long straight bough, rapidly strippedit into a small pole, and began savagely to thrustat Doctor Pescadillo. As he did so, he foundthat the gleam from the cleft was not of water,


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8o BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESbut of looking-glass, in which the Mackerelseemed to have been admiring himself while hesang. The glass he smashed, but the owner ofit ran up his stick almost into his hand, leaptover his head, and, with his music-shell tuckedunder one of his arms, had climbed the sharpestpinnacle of rock before the fisherman turnedround to look for him. The Mermaid's glass wasbroken when he had almost made out the thirdletter of his line.

" Well, said Filarete, " I'll starve you out,though I can no more catch you up there than Ican reach yonder mackerel sky."

Mackerel sky ! Pescadillo stretched his legsand spread his arms, and gazed up at the cloudsthat wrote his line over and over again onshadowy mackerel backs far overhead. His eye-balls started forward ; he stood on the tips ofhis two thousand toes, and spread abroad intothe air two thousand fingers, as if they were aboutto clutch ; then read aloud with a low voice,at which the mountain quaked, the third of theletters in his mystic line.

In the same instant a thousand dishes ofchoice food smoked on the table of the mountain-top. Close to the right hand of Pescadillo therewas floating in the air the meat he liked best,


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THE MAGIC MACKEREL 8iin a shining dish. Filarete's favourite dish camealso to his hand.

" Now let us breakfast," said the Mackerel.Filarete was already breakfasting. Fish and

fisherman stood where they were ; the rightthing came always at the right time from thetable to the hand of each. When they hadboth eaten enough, the breakfast vanished ; butthe fisherman said to the fish, " My lord, I amyour servant. While you can command such atable as that, I know how great and good youare, and I will follow you about the world."

" I take you, man, into my service," said thegracious Mackerel. " Now tell me what is yondercity by the lake ? There is the sea behind us,and the mountain-peaks are to the right andleft. I am not for the sea or for the mountains.I shall go down into that citywhat is it ? "

" The city, my Lord Doctor Pescadillo, isthe city of Picon, by the Lake Picuda. It isthere I sold mymay I say in your worshipfulpresencefish. The way from the sea is byyonder ravine. The lake is always bubbhng,and produces only bubbles. Little corn or fruitwill grow on the plains, and these wild mountains,as you see, are barren. The people of the citylive, therefore, almost entirely on what we poor


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82 BRIIISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESfellows get out of the sea. They seldom haveenough to eat; but you will feed them. Not inyour own worshipful person, no. Yet you runrisk until they find out what sort of a fish youare."

"There is a king there, I hope," said theMackerel.

" My lord, there are a hundred kings, eachwith ten daughters. The country, being barren,is so hard to govern, that it takes a hundred kingsto make anything of it."

"Very good," said the Mackerel. "I willgo down to those kings, and offer marriage totheir thousand daughters."

Ill

The Last of his LineThe principles upon which Doctor Pescadillohad established his first happy attempts to readthe writing on his back having helped him tothree letters, enabled him thereafter to makequick and easy progress in research. When heand his Squire reached the landward foot of themountains, they were hungry again; but theMackerel had only to repeat the discovered third


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84 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES"The other letter," thought the Doctor,

" must be right since this is right ; but as I getwhat I want by the thousand for each letter,and don't yet know anything more that I want,let me keep it by me for a little while."

It is in common kindness to be expected thatthe person to whom this story is told should betold also what is the sound of the letters that,when spoken, will produce at once a dinner, oran equipage on this liberal scale. But theletters are those of a dead language that wasnever living among ordinary men, and knownonly to a most ancient race of sorcerers, whosemouths were like the mouths of fishes. The lastsurvivor of that racea thousand thousand yearsago^upon the day of his death caught a Mackerel,the only kind of fish having a mouth exactly fitfor the pronouncing of his language. In darkletters he wrote with his finger on the fish's backa line of power as he died. The letters of thisline, and of course also the line itself, onlythe mouth of a Mackerel can utter. It is forthat reason that they cannot be told in thestory.

Pescadillo understood already a thousandtongues, among which tongues of horses wereincluded. He learnt, therefore, at once, from


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THE MAGIC MACKEREL 87most fortunate of fishes could stop any soundat will, and let it go again when he thoughtproper.A creature that could give such dinners hadhis own way entirely in the city and land ofPicon. The hundred kings deposed themselvesfor love of him, declared him sole king, andthemselves his viceroys. He changed the nextletter he read into a thousand palaces of wonders,and in each there was a study, walled with looking-glass, so that he worked with comfort at thewriting on his back. Every new letter he learntto utter crowned with thousandfold fulfilmentthe wish of the hour. The thousand Princessesvied for his love ; but he began to see thathe could not be happy with a thousand wives.His last letter, except the very last, he gaveto the wish that the one thousand dear Princessescould be all rolled into one.

Then there was a sight to be seen ! Roj^alPrincesses tumbling out of windows and doors,rolling about the streets like balls, every twothat came together lost in one another, till thethousand had all rolled together into one colossaldamsel. Her the poor httle fish was very proudto marry. He did not think himself small, andyet, being small, a large wife was entirely to his


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88 BRITISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALESfancy. This couple was married in great statethe fisherman being groomsman to the Mack-erel, and all her hundred fathers standing by togive away the bride.

The wedding ball was so magnificent beyondbelief that King Pescadillo, in his brilliantcourt, surrounded by his hundred kingly fathers-in-law, could not help thinking of the old daysunder water, where so much was thought of theShark's ball, and when the friends of his youthlaughed at him for staying at home to learn hisletters. As he thought this, he looked at himselfin the great mirrors on the wall. There was theone last le'ter nearest to his legs. His flushof triumph so quickened his wit that he couldread it at a glance, and whiskered it uncon-sciously while he was wishing my Lord Sharkwere there to see what a state ball Lord Mackerelwas giving. He looked up, and saw the ball-room walled with glass, behind which there werea thousand sharks in sea-water glaring uponthe company. The company was in extremedelight at this clever addition to its entertain-ment.

Then the little Mackerel's heart beat withexultation. " Something," he said to him-self, " I know not what, is near. This is my


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THE MAGIC MACKEREL 89wedding-day, and on this day of all days I havefinished reading the inscription on my back,letter by letl^r. If the power of the single lettersbe so great as to fulfil wish after wish, and temptme on till I learn all, now that I know all, whatwill be the strength of the whole charm? "

Ah, cunning sorcerer, last of 3 our line, you

british fairy and folk tales

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