490 REPORT — 1897. 



The Devil. 



651. Kells. — There was a large rock near the Old Bridge over the Ken, 

 between Carsphairn and Dairy. The devil, looking from a hill called 

 Dundeuch at some distance from the river, resolved to destroy the bridge. 

 He seized a huge rock, but fearing that he might overshoot the bridge if he 

 threw it with the force of his whole hand, poised it on his little finger 

 and threw it. He misjudged the weight of it, and it fell short. The rock 

 has been very much broken up for building purposes. It is known as 

 ' The Deil's Finger-stane.' 



652. Dairy. — A funeral was proceeding to the churchyard of Dairy 

 along the road between Dairy and Moniave. "When the procession reached 

 a certain 'straun,' i.e., stream, a stranger joined. No sooner had he done 

 so than the cortege ' set up speed ' and ran with great haste to the 

 churchyard. The stranger disappeared suddenly, no one knew where. 

 He was the devil. The deceased had made a compact with the devil and 

 sold himself to him, and was to be claimed at the spot the stranger joined 

 the funeral procession. He came to the appointed spot to 'claim his 

 own.' When he got his own he disappeared. Hence the stream got the 

 name of the Bargain Straun. (Told in Corsock.) 



653. Kirkcowan. — The farmer of Balaird, part of which lies on the 

 river Bladenoch in the parish of Kirkcowan, had a field of hay on 

 the banks of the 'burn.' He and his servants were busy amongst it 

 when a violent torrent of rain fell, and the burn came down suddenly 

 in great flood, so that it overflowed its banks, and was sweeping away 

 quantities of the hay. Seeing the crop floating away in spite of all their 

 exertions to secure it, the farmer lost all control of himself, and gathering 

 together the forks and rakes, &c., they were using, threw them into the 

 rushing water, and cried out : ' B' the Lord ! if ye (the devil) tack 

 the hey, tack a' wi' you.' 



654. Girthon. — The farmer of Culreoch, which lies on the banks of the 

 river Fleet in the parish of Girthon, was a ' twisty aul' carle.' One very 

 windy day he was carrying a bundle of fodder to give to some of his 

 cattle. He had to go round a corner particularly exposed to the force of 

 the storm. The wind caught the bundle of fodder as he tried to round the 

 corner, and he was driven back oftener than once. At last he planted 

 down his foot with force, bent his body against the storm, and burst out : 

 < Na, nor yet yir fayther aither.' 



Broivnie. 



655. Borgue. — The Brownie is looked upon as a helpful being. Food 

 used to be set in convenient places for the brownies to eat during night. 



656. Dairy. — At Borgue the aunt of my informant's father used to 

 lay out food for the brownies during night. For this kindly act they did 

 all sorts of heavy work, as threshing. 



657. Brownies did during the night the work of those that treated 

 them kindly. At Bogue, in the parish of Dairy, there is a Avell called 

 Kitty Ramsay's Well. Beside this well those who wished to have their 

 services placed food for them. They ate the food, drank the water of the 

 well, and did the work of their benefactors. 



Fairies. 



658. Kirhmaiden. — Some were in the habit of placing a basin of 

 meal or a bowl of water on the dresser for the use of the fairies during 



