July 2, 1888.] 



KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



203 



himself into any shape, but he was not to harm the needy 

 nor the honest, but rather to help them. Robin often took 

 advantage of his power, and delighted in playing tricks. 

 One da_v he went to a wedding as a fiddler, and caused 

 quite a commotion during the evening by putting out the 

 lights. All being in darkness, " hee strucke the men goode 

 boxes on the eares." Each thought it was the other, and 

 they began fighting, at which the naughty elf did laugh 

 right merrily. The women also began to scratch each other 

 like so many wild cats, and it was some time before peace 

 was restored. At supper-time Robin once more disgi-aced 

 himself by turning himself into a bear, and fi-ightening all 

 the people away. Being both hungry and greedy, he ate 

 all the supper provided for the evening. Sometimes he 

 was very good-natured, and would help the maids with their 

 work — that is, if they left out some cream for him at night. 

 In West Cornwall, among the coal mines, there are 

 harmless little elfish beings called Pixies, Spriggans, and 

 Knockers. The latter are supposed to be the souls of the 

 Jews who crucified Christ, and were sent by the Romans to 

 work as slaves in the tin mines. They haunt the richest 

 mines, and the miners have heard them knocking and 

 singing underground, which is a sure sign of good luck. 

 These little beings are very ugly, and apt to be spiteful. 

 One day a man named Tom Trevorrow heard the 

 Knockers just before him whilst he was working under- 

 ground, and he roughly told them " to be quiet and go," 

 upon which a shower of stones fell suddenly around him. 

 Not only did thLs give him a dreadful fright, but from that 

 day he had such bad luck that he had to leave the mine. 



The Piskies are said to be half-witted people who have 

 died, when they were not good enough to go to heaven. 

 They go about in parties, and delight in mischief. On 

 gloomy nights they lead people a sad dance, over hedge and 

 ditch, led by 



Jack o' the lantern I Joan the wad, 

 Who tickled the maid and made her mad. 



One night a Polperro lad was returning home across the 

 fields, when he heard a chorus of squeaking voicessaying, "I'm 

 for Portallow Green," and in a moment he was surrounded by 

 a throng of laughing piskies. He followed them, until they 

 cried, " I'm for the King of France's cellar." He suddenly 

 found himself in a large cellar, and joined his mysterious 

 companions in ta.sting the richest wines. They strolled 

 through the palace, and the lad " could not resist the 

 temptation of pocketing one of the rich silver goblets from 

 the table in the dining-hall. This all took place in five 

 minutes. Then a signal was given, and in a moment he 

 was whisked home with the silver goblet, to prove the 

 truth of his tale. 



Not long ago a woman of Mousehole (a village near 

 Penzance) saw [or said she saw] troops of small people, not 

 more than a foot and a half high. T'hey woidd come out of 

 a hole in the cliif on moonlight nights, but would scamper 

 back again if anyone came near them. Mothers often told 

 their children that if they went under cliffs by night, the 

 small people would carry them to " Dicky Danjy's Hole." 

 These little beings will thresh the farmer's corn, and do the 

 servants' work for them at night. But should anyone 

 notice them, or try to reward them for their services, they 

 leave the house for ever, saying* — 



Pisky fine, Pisky gay, 

 Pisky now will fly away ! 



The same occurs among the Irish fairie.s; and Shirley 

 Hibberd relates an amusing story told by an Irish servant 

 from Galway. Her father was a blacksmith, who had won 



• Folk-Lore Journal, vol. v., part iii., p. 185. 



the goodwill of the fairies by helping benighted travellers. 

 If he left any work in his smithy overnight they would 

 finish it for hira. The family were often aroused by hearing 

 " vigorous puffing with the bellows, and hammering on an 

 anvil"; but the fairies always replaced the tools they had 

 used in the night, and left the smithy in perfect order. If 

 the fairies were disturbed in their work there was trouble. 

 One evening the blacksmith went to the smithy for some 

 medicine he had left on a shelf. The good people had just 

 begun their work, but liis entrance put them to flight. As 

 a result a series of misfortunes took place. The following 

 day " a black pig died, little Tike took the measles, and for 

 several nights the people in the house were kept awake by a 

 noise like peas and pebbles being thrown at the window." * 

 These fairies dwell in rocks, and are so small and dainty 

 " that a dewdrop trembles beneath their light weight." In 

 the fairy legends of the South of Ireland, Crofton Croker 

 tells us that " they are only a few inches high, and almost 

 transparent." 



The Banshee watches over a particular family ; the 

 Cluricane is an evil elf who takes the form of an old man, 

 and knows where to find hidden treasures ; and the Phooka 

 is a diabolical spirit who sometimes appears as an eagle or a 

 black horse, and hurries any one he gets hold of to 

 destruction. 



Fairies that are only seen on moonlight nights are 

 laughter-loving mischievous sprites. A story is told about 

 a caipenter, called Davy Hanlan, who declared that he 

 came across some of these beings. He was on his way 

 home, and, worn out with the day's work, he rested on a 

 bridge. The moon had risen, and the hills and valleys were 

 bathed in a silvery haze. The lights and shadows were so 

 exquisitely blended that it appeared " to be the work of an 

 enchanter's wand." Suddenly Davy heard voices, and " saw 

 a group of dwarfish beings emerging from the gloom, and 

 coming rapidly towards him, along the green mareh that 

 borders Maudlin stream." As they approached the Ijridge 

 they cried out, " Where is my horse? Give me my horse." 

 In the twinkling of an eye they were all mounted. Davy 

 also said " Give me my horse," and he found himself astride 

 a piece of wood. Gliding smoothly through the air, tiie 

 whole party arrived in a large city just as the bells had tolled 

 the " magic hour of midnight." They went from house to 

 house, ti7ing all the doors until they came to one which 

 had a large wine-cellar. The door had been left open, so 

 they did not hesitate to enter and make themselves perfectly 

 at home. They had a merry time : wine-bottles were 

 broken, bungs flew out, and the walls re-echoed their peals 

 of laughter. Davy looked on in wonder, and, thinking that 

 he might as well take his share in the fun, he asked a rather 

 agreeable fairy if he could not have some wine, as he was 

 very thirsty. " When I shall have done," said the fairy, 

 " I will give you this goblet, and you can drink." She had 

 scarcely handed it to him, when the leader gave the word 

 of command : — 



Away, away, my good fairies away ! 



Let's revel in moonlight and shun the dull day. 



They all mounted their horses, and, in the twinkling of an 

 eye, Davy found himself on the bridge again, with the 

 silver goblet in his hand.f Tory Island, Donegal, is a 

 favourite haunt of the good people, " and no Toryite will 

 go out alone after dark. Till lately there lived at Killult a 

 woman who used to be carried off by the fairies. One dark 

 night, when they were ont looking for her with torches, 

 Owen Kelly of Molin rescued her : she was in the gra-sp of 



* Notes and Queries for 1852, vol. vi. 



t Notes and Queries for 1853, vol. vii., p. 6i. 



