Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland: Collected Entirely from Oral SourcesCampbell, John Gregorson
History
Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland: Collected Entirely from Oral Sources
Campbell, John Gregorson
Folklore -- Scotland
Two young men in Iona were coming in the evening from fishing on the
rocks. On their way, when passing, they found the shï-en of that island
open, and entered. One of them joined the dancers, without waiting
to lay down the string of fish he had in his hand. The other stuck a
fish-hook in the door, and when he wished made his escape. He came
back for his companion that day twelvemonths, and found him still
dancing with the string of fish in his hand. On taking him to the open
air the fish dropped from the string, rotten.
Donald, who at one time carried on foot the mails from Tobermory,
in Mull, to Grass Point Ferry (_Ru-an-fhiarain_), where the mail
service crosses to the mainland, was a good deal given to drink, and
consequently to loitering by the way. He once lay down to have a quiet
sleep near a Fairy-haunted rock above Drimfin. He saw the rock open,
and a flood of light pouring out at the door. A little man came to him
and said in English, “Come in to the ball, Donald,” but Donald fled,
and never stopped till he reached the houses at Tobermory, two miles
off. He said he heard the whizz and rustling of the Fairies after
him the whole way. The incident caused a good deal of talk in the
neighbourhood, and Donald and his fright were made the subject of some
doggerel verse, in which the Fairy invitation is thus given:
“Rise, rise, rise, Donald,
Rise, Donald, was the call,
Rise up now, Donald,
Come in, Donald, to the ball.”
It is well known that Highland Fairies, who speak English, are the most
dangerous of any.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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