Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

52 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
certain ycung woman was decoyed into one of these openings,
who was seen by an acquaintance dancing with the merry race.
He resolved on trying to rescue her, and leaving his gun at the
entrance, went forward, and seizing the young woman by the hand,
dragged her out before they could prevent him. They pursued
them, but having got her beyond the gun, they had no longer
power to keep her. She told him she had nearly dropped down
with ftitigue, but she could not cease dancing, though she felt it
would soon kill her. The young man restored her to her friends,
to their great joy."
(/ rciiiember exactly the same incident told of a hill called Ben-
cnock in /slat/, and one similar of another hill, called Cnoch-doun.)
" When poor women are confined, it is unsafe to leave them alone
till their children are baptised. If through any necessity they
must be left alone, the Bible left beside them is sufficient protection.
" Many v.-ere the freaks fairies were guilty of. A family
who lived in Gaolin Castle, Kerrera, near Oban, had, as they sup-
posed, a delicate child ; it was advancing in years but not growing
a bit ; at length a visitor from Ireland came to the castle, and
recognized her as the fairy sweetheart of an Irish gentleman of
his acquaintance. He addressed her in Gaelic or Irish, saying —
' ThA THUSA SINN A SHIRACH BHEAG LEANNAN BeIAN MacBrAODH.'
— There thou art, little fairy sweetheart of Brian MacBroadh. So
offended was the elf at being exposed, that she ran out of the
castle and leaped into the sea from the point called Euadh na
SiRACH, the fairies' point, to this day.
" Fairies were very friendly to some people whom they
favoured, but equally mischievous where they took a dislike. A
hill in the farm of Dunvuilg in Craignish was one of their
favourite haunts, and on a certain occasion they offered to assist
an honest tenant's wife in the neighbourhood, for whom they had
a kindness, to manufacture a quantity of wool she had for clothing
for her family. She was very glad to have their services, and
being always an active race, they set to work directly, repeating
' CiRADii, Cakdah, Tlamauh, Cujgeal, beaetighe gu luath burn
LUAIDH AIR TEIXNE CORK lONNDRAIDH IIHOR MHAITH BEAN N TJGHE
FHiN.' Teazing, carding, mixing, distaff, weaving loom, water
for waulking on the fire, the thrifty housewife herself is the best
at sitting up late.