204 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



except this girl, and folks did say that whenever she 

 tried to bind it to her head the bright locks refused to 

 obey her fingers, and slowly untwined themselves until 

 they became natural ringlets again. The girl was a 

 sweet singer — and singing is a fairy gift — and she 

 would wander about, lilting merrily to herself, while 

 neighbours wondered, and young men lost their hearts. 

 It was believed that the girl was under the special 

 care of Trows, for everything seemed to be smooth 

 before her, and her golden hair was called " the blessing 

 o' them that loves her." But it happened that a witch 

 began to covet the maiden's lovely locks, and one day, 

 when the girl lay down among some hay and fell asleep, 

 the witch cut ofif all her beautiful hair. The poor 

 young thing returned to her home shorn of her glory, 

 and after that she pined away. All the song had died 

 from her lips, all the smile had gone from her young 

 face. But when she lay dead, in her teens, folks said 

 that the golden hair began to grow again, and had 

 grown to its former length and beauty ere the coffin-lid 

 was closed upon her. The witch did not triumph, for 

 the Trows, who had loved and watched over the mother- 

 less girl, took possession of the malignant old hag and 

 punished her as she deserved. She was compelled to 

 wander about their haunts and to live in the most 

 strange manner. She was haunted day and night by 

 evil creatures. Whenever she tried to sleep the Trows 

 would come and make such queer noises that she could 

 not rest. She continued in that state till extreme old 

 age, when she was spirited away altogether. 



