FOLK-LORE FROM UNST. 193 



steps are not taken, be sure both mother and child will 

 be snatched away. The following is one of many- 

 stories told. 



The husband had gone to the fishing, and the old 

 woman " in charge " ran over to a neighbour's cottage 

 to gossip over a cup of tea, while mother and child 

 were sleeping. The tea was potent, and the gossip 

 well-spiced, and twilight had deepened before the old 

 nurse thought of returning to her patient. As she neared 

 the door she saw a small man in grey crossing the 

 little kail-yard at the back of the house. He carried 

 a heavy burden on his back, and a smaller one in his 

 arms, and the old woman guessed the truth at once. 

 Hurrying indoors with many misgivings she found a 

 dead changeling and a mad wraithe where the mother 

 and baby had been. Alas ! had she only remembered to 

 lay crossed straws on the threshold, or place a circle of 

 pins in the pillow, all had been safe. Shrieking, " Da 

 Trow ! da Trow ! " she flew to alarm her neighbours, 

 who thronged into the cottage right speedily. But all 

 were powerless against supernatural agency. For a 

 whole day the raving semblance of a woman sat 

 huddled on the pillow, staring at the dead infant in 

 her arms, which no one was permitted to remove. At 

 the end of that time she saw fit to follow its example ; 

 and when the husband came home he was shown the 

 lifeless bodies, and was assured that they were " none 

 of his." In his ignorant grief the poor fellow refused 

 to receive such a statement, and, after giving the dead 

 Christian burial, he and the brothers of his wife treated 



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