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FAIRY
FRIENDS
It is a good thing to befriend the fairies, as the following stories
show:—
There have been from time immemorial at Hawick, during the two or three
last weeks of the year, markets once a week, for the disposal of sheep
for slaughter, at which the greater number of people, both in the
middle and poorer classes of life, have been accustomed to provide
themselves with their marts. A poor man from Jedburgh who was
on
his way to Hawick for the purpose of attending one of these markets, as
he was passing over that side of Rubislaw which is nearest the Teviot,
was suddenly alarmed by a frightful and unaccountable noise.
The
sound, as he supposed, proceeded from an immense number of female
voices, but no objects whence it could come were visible.
Amidst
howling and wailing were mixed shouts of mirth and jollity, but he
could gather nothing articulate except the following words—
“O there’s a bairn born, but there’s
naething to pit on ’t.”
p. 99The occasion of this elfish concert, it seemed, was the birth of a
fairy child, at which the fairies, with the exception of two or three
who were discomposed at having nothing to cover the little innocent
with, were enjoying themselves with that joviality usually
characteristic of such an event. The astonished rustic
finding
himself amongst a host of invisible beings, in a wild moorland place,
and far from any human assistance, should assistance be required, full
of the greatest consternation, immediately on hearing this expression
again and again vociferated, stripped off his plaid, and threw it on
the ground. It was instantly snatched up by an invisible
hand,
and the wailings immediately ceased, but the shouts of mirth were
continued with increased vigour. Being of opinion that what
he
had done had satisfied his invisible friends, he lost no time in making
off, and proceeded on his road to Hawick, musing on his singular
adventure. He purchased a sheep, which turned out a
remarkably
good bargain, and returned to Jedburgh. He had no cause to
regret
his generosity in bestowing his plaid on the fairies, for every day
afterwards his wealth multiplied, and he continued till the day of his
death a rich and prosperous man.
* * * * *
About the beginning of harvest, there having been a want of meal for
shearers’ bread in the farmhouse of Bedrule, a small quantity
of
barley (being all p. 100that was yet ripe) was cut down, and converted
into meal. Mrs. Buckham, the farmer’s wife, rose
early in
the morning to bake the bread, and, while she was engaged in baking, a
little woman in green costume came in, and, with much politeness, asked
for a loan of a capful of meal. Mrs. Buckham thought it
prudent
to comply with her request. In a short time afterwards the
woman
in green returned with an equal quantity of meal, which Mrs. Buckham
put into the meal-ark. This meal had such a lasting quality,
that
from it alone the gudewife of Bedrule baked as much bread as served her
own family and the reapers throughout the harvest, and when harvest was
over it was not exhausted.
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