20 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



leaves matted together, because the little twigs have 

 got interlaced somehow ; but the genuine and much- 

 prized witch-knot is a woody wart-like protuberance, 

 mostly of the shape of a small puff-ball. It is found at 

 times on other trees ; but the beech produces these 

 circular nobs more, I think, than other trees. These 

 are knocked off, and, as treasures, pocketed and 

 religiously kept as a cure, and also a preventive, of 

 rheumatism. I have seen some of the old ladies 

 turn their very large pockets out when they could 

 not feel just what they wanted, and one or two 

 witch-knots would be sure to come out, beautifully 

 polished by constant friction against the "jumbles" 

 those bag-like pockets contained. A knuckle-bone, 

 white and glistening, would also be sure to turn 

 up, or rather out. This article was considered to 

 keep cramps away from the one who carried it. 



But dearly prized above all was some article kept 

 for luck. Any prized article might be mourned over 

 if they lost it, but the idea of losing the " luck " was 

 too much even to dream about. 



A good old creature gave me as a parting gift a 

 luck-stone. It was one of the quaintest, most elfish- 

 looking, grinning heads I have ever seen ; and it 



