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

THE RANNOCH FARMER'S SON AND THE
FAIRIES.
There once lived in Rannoch a farmer's son, who fell
into ill health, and who used to go to the hill, morning
and evening, to see if he would get better.
When summer came, and the cattle were driven to
the hill pasture, he followed, and remained in charge
of them until they returned home to the strath in the
beginning of harvest.
On a calm, misty day he went away to gather them
to the milking fold, but strayed in the mist, and was
a good long time seeking them before he happened to
come upon them. He found them at last grazing in
a fine large corrie with green juicy grass up to their
eyes. The day was warm, and a misty, drizzling rain
falling, and the grass was springing up rapidly from
the ground. As he was tired with the heat and
travelling on the hill, he sat down on a green
hillock to take a rest.
He was not long there when he heard a voice coming
from the root of every blade of grass at his feet, and
saying: "Some of it to me, some of it to me!" He
then listened a while, and now the same voice came
from the root of every blade of grass in the corrie.
He looked to see if he could find out from whom the
voices came, but no man, small or tall, was visible.
K