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road, therefore, which we may easily suppose people would 
not then willingly choose to pass at night. However, the 
love of beer, which was then even more powerful than at the 
present day, kept the rustic visiter until a late hour at night, 
and when at length he started on his way home he was at 
least all the happier for his entertainment. As he approached 
the tumulus, his astonishment 'was great to hear merry sounds 
issuing from it, which betokened that it was occupied by a 
party who were feasting and singing. Wondering who could 
have come to that lonely spot to enjoy themselves at such an 
hour, he approached nearer to the mound, and then, for the 
first time, he saw a door open in its side. Our rustic friend, 
who was well mounted, rode boldly up to this door, looked 
through it, and beheld, inside, a spacious apartment, brilliantly 
illuminated, and a large company of men and women seated 
at a magnificent entertainment. As he stood there staring 
at the door, one of the cup-bearers, seeing him, approached 
and offered him the cup to drink. Now it must be remarked 
that, according to the doctrines of fairy lore, (for these were 
fairies,) when a mere mortal approached their assemblies 
accidentally, the fairy-folk always offered him some of the 
liquor they were drinking, and if he drank it, he immediately 
lost all power of returning home, and was carried away into 
fairy-land. But the rustic of East Yorkshire was too wise for 
that, for he poured the contents on the ground, and, grasping 
^firmly the cup, started off at full gallop. The fairy feasters 
rushed from the tumulus, and gave chase, but the horse of 
the fugitive was a good and swift one, and almost by miracle 
he reached his village in safety, and secured his valuable 
prize. He had, however, a chance in his favour which 
William of Newburgh has forgotten to state. It was a 
popular belief equally in the time of the fairies and in that 
of the witches, that if you once placed a running stream 
between yourself and your unearthly pursuers, they had no 
