The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
There was a Nis in a farm-house, who was for ever tormenting the
maids, and playing all manner of roguish tricks on them, and they in
return were continually planning how to be even with him. There came
one time to the farm-house a Juttish drover and put up there for the
night. Among his cattle, there was one very large Juttish ox; and when
Nis saw him in the stable he took a prodigious fancy to get up and
ride on his back. He accordingly mounted the ox, and immediately began
to torment the beast in such a manner that he broke loose from his
halter and ran out into the yard with the Nis on his back. Poor Nis
was now terrified in earnest, and began to shout and bawl most
lustily. His cries awakened the maids, but instead of coming to his
assistance they laughed at him till they were ready to break their
hearts. And when the ox ran against a piece of timber, so that the
unfortunate Nis had his hood all torn by it, the maids shouted out and
called him "Lame leg, Lame leg," and he made off with himself in most
miserable plight. But the Nis did not forget it to the maids; for the
following Sunday when they were going to the dance, he contrived,
unknown to them, to smut their faces all over, so that when they got
up to dance, every one that was there burst out a laughing at them.
_The Nisses in Vosborg._
There was once an exceeding great number of Nisses in Jutland. Those in
Vosborg in particular were treated with so much liberality, that they
were careful and solicitous beyond measure for their master's interest.
They got every evening in their sweet-groute a large lump of butter, and
in return for this, they once showed great zeal and gratitude.
One very severe winter, a lonely house in which there were six calves
was so completely covered by the snow, that for the space of fourteen
days no one could get into it. When the snow was gone, the people
naturally thought that the calves were all dead of hunger; but far
from it, they found them all in excellent condition; the place cleaned
up, and the cribs full of beautiful corn, so that it was quite evident
the Nisses had attended to them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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