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
A fairy came one day from one of the turrets of Craig-ail-naic to the
wife of one of the tenants in Delnabo, and asked her to lend her a
firlot of oatmeal for food for her family, promising to repay it soon,
as she was every moment expecting an ample supply. The woman complied
with this request, and after, as was the custom of the country, having
regaled her with bread, cheese, and whiskey, she went, as was usual,
to see her a part of the way home. When they had reached the summit of
an eminence near the town, the _Béanshi_ told her she might take her
meal home again as she was now abundantly supplied. The woman did as
desired, and as she went along she beheld the corn-kiln of an adjacent
farm all in a blaze.
_The Fairy-Gift._
A farmer in Strathspey was one day engaged in sowing one of his fields
and singing at his work. A fairy damsel of great beauty came up to him
and requested him to sing for her a favourite old Gaelic song named
_Nighan Donne na Bual_. He complied, and she then asked him to give
her some of his corn. At this he demurred a little and wished to know
what she would give him in return. She replied with a significant look
that his seed would never fail him. He then gave to her liberally and
she departed. He went on sowing, and when he had finished a large
field, he found that his bag was as full and as heavy as when he
began. He then sowed another field of the same size, with the same
result, and satisfied with his day's work, he threw the bag on his
shoulder and went home. Just as he was entering the barn-door he was
met by his wife, a foolish talkative body with a tongue as long, and a
head as empty as the church bell, who, struck with the appearance of
the bag after a day's sowing, began to ask him about it. Instantly it
became quite empty. "I'll be the death of you, you foolish woman,"
roared out the farmer; "if it were not for your idle talk, that bag
was worth its weight in gold."
_The Stolen Ox._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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