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
Old people have positively asserted that some years ago, at the
celebration of a wedding in the village of Glass, a couple of miles from
the Wunderberg, and the same distance from the city of Saltzburg, there
came toward evening a little Hill-man out of the Wunderberg. He desired
all the guests to be merry and cheerful, and begged to be permitted to
join in their dance, which request was not refused. He accordingly
danced three dances with some of the maidens of good repute, and with a
gracefulness that inspired all present with admiration and delight.
After the dance he returned them his thanks, accompanied by a present to
each of the bridal party of three pieces of money of an unknown coin,
each of which they estimated to be worth four creutzers. Moreover, he
recommended them to dwell in peace and concord, to live like Christians,
and, by a pious education, to bring up their children in goodness. He
told them to lay up these coins with their money, and constantly to
think of him, and so they would rarely come to distress; but warned them
against becoming proud, and advised them, on the contrary, to relieve
their neighbours with their superfluities.
The Hill-man remained with them till night, and took some meat and
drink from each as they offered it to him, but only very little. He
then renewed his thanks, and concluded by begging of one of the
company to put him over the river Satzach, opposite the mountain.
There was at the wedding a boatman, named John Ständl, who got ready
to comply with the dwarf's request, and they went together to the
water's-edge. As they were crossing, the man asked for his payment,
and the Hill-man humbly presented him threepence. The boatman utterly
rejected this paltry payment; but the little man gave him for answer,
that he should not let that annoy him, but keep the threepence safe,
and he would never suffer want, provided he put a restraint on
arrogance. He gave him at the same time, a little stone with these
words: "Hang this on your neck, and you will never be drowned in the
water." And of this he had a proof that very year. Finally, the
Hill-man exhorted him to lead a pious and humble life, and being
landed on the opposite bank, departed speedily from the place.[263]
_The Dwarf's Feast._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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