Matheson Collection > Folk tales and fairy lore in Gaelic and English

FOLK TALES AND FAIRY LORE. l6l
maiden, and on calling to mind her own misery when
she was first in the same strait, she took great pity
upon her, and told her how she would empty the chest.
" Every time you cease baking, you are making bread
of the remaining sprinkling of meal," she said. " But,
after this, do you put the sprinkling of meal back into
the chest, and you will see that it will be emptied of all
the meal it contains in a short time."
The maiden did as the old woman directed her, and
the meal came to an end, as she had said. When the
girl saw the chest empty, she went joyfully to the chief
of the fairies, and asked him to let her go away,
because she had finished the task laid upon her. But
he did not believe her, till he looked into the
meal-chest, and saw that it was empty. Then he gave
the maiden her wages and leave to depart. And as
she was going out, he said: "My blessing on thee,
but my curse on thy teaching mouth."
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