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From: "Kath" <>
Subject: [FOLKLORE FAMILY] THE FAIRY NURSE
Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 12:04:57 -0700

THE FAIRY NURSE

THERE was once a little farmer and his wife living near Coolgarrow. They had
three children, and my story happened while the youngest was a baby. The
wife was a good wife enough, but her mind was all on her family and her
farm, and she hardly ever went to her knees without falling asleep, and she
thought the time spent in the chapel was twice as long it need be. So,
friends, she let her man and her two children go before her one day to Mass,
while she called to consult a fairy man about a disorder one of her cows
had. She was late at the chapel, and was sorry all the day after, for her
husband was in grief about it, and she was very fond of him.

Late that night he was wakened by the cries of his children calling out
"Mother! Mother!" When he sat up and rubbed his eyes, there was no wife by
his side, and when he asked the little ones what was become of their mother,
they said they saw the room full of nice little men and women, dressed in
white and red and green, and their mother in the middle of them, going out
by the door as if she was walking in her sleep. Out he ran, and searched
everywhere round the house, but neither tale nor tidings did he get of her
for many a day.

Well, the poor man was miserable enough, for he was as fond of his woman as
she was fond of him. It used to bring the salt tears down his cheeks to see
his poor children neglected and dirty, as they often were, and they'd be bad
enough only for a kind neighbour that used to look in whenever she could
spare time. The infant was away with a nurse.

About six weeks after-just as he was going out to his work one morning-a
neighbour, that used to mind women when they were ill, came up to him, and
kept step by step with him to the field, and this is what she told him.

'Just as I was falling asleep last night, I heard a horse's tramp on the
grass and a knock at the door, and there, when I came out, was a
fine-looking dark man, mounted on a black horse, and he told me to get ready
in all haste, for a lady was in great want of me. As soon as I put on my
cloak and things, he took me by the hand, and I was sitting behind him
before I felt myself stirring. "Where are we going, sir?" says I. "You'll
soon know," says he; and he drew his fingers across my eyes, and not a ray
could I see. I kept a tight grip of him, and I little knew whether he was
going backwards or forwards, or how long we were about it, till my hand was
taken again, and I felt the ground under me. The fingers went the other way
across my eyes, and there we were before a castle door, and in we went
through a big hall and great rooms all painted in fine green colours, with
red and gold bands and ornaments, and the finest carpets and chairs and
tables and window curtains, and grand ladies and gentlemen walking about. At
last we came to a bedroom, with a beautiful lady in bed, with a fine
bouncing boy beside her. The lady clapped her hands, and in came the Dark
Man and kissed her and the baby, and praised me, and gave me a bottle of
green ointment to rub the child all over.

'Well, the child I rubbed, sure enough; but my right eye began to smart, and
I put up my finger and gave it a rub, and then stared, for never in all my
life was I so frightened. The beautiful room was a big, rough cave, with
water oozing over the edges of the stones and through the clay and the lady,
and the lord, and the child weazened, poverty-bitten creatures nothing but
skin and bone-and the rich dresses were old rags. I didn't let on that I
found any difference, and after a bit says the Dark Man, "Go before me to
the hall door, and I will be with you in a few moments, and see you safe
home." Well, just as I turned into the outside cave, who should I see
watching near the door but poor Molly. She looked round all terrified, and
says she to me in a whisper, " I'm brought here to nurse the child of the
king and queen of the fairies; but there is one chance of saving me. All the
court will pass the cross near Templeshambo next Friday night, on a visit to
the fairies of Old Ross. If John can catch me by the hand or cloak when I
ride by, and has courage not to let go his grip, I'll be safe. Here's the
king. Don't open your mouth to answer. I saw what happened with the
ointment."

'The Dark Man didn't once cast his eye towards Molly, and he seemed to have
no suspicion of me. When we came out I looked about me, and where do you
think we were but in the dyke of the Rath of Cromogue. I was on the horse
again, which was nothing but a big rag-weed, and I was in dread every minute
I'd fall off; but nothing happened till I found myself in my own cabin. The
king slipped five guineas into my hand as soon as I was on the ground, and
thanked me, and bade me good night. I hope I'll never see his face again. I
got into bed, and couldn't sleep for a long time; and when I examined my
five guineas this morning, that I left in the table drawer the last thing, I
found five withered leaves of oak-bad luck to the giver! '

Well, you may all think the fright, and the joy, and the grief the poor man
was in when the woman finished her story. They talked and they talked, but
we needn't mind what they said till Friday night came, when both were
standing where the mountain road crosses the one going to Ross.

There they stood, looking towards the bridge of Thuar, in the dead of the
night, with a little moonlight shining: from over Kilachdiarmid. At last she
gave a start,. and " By this and by that," says she, here they come, bridles
jingling and feathers tossing! He looked, but could see nothing; and she
stood trembling and her eyes wide open, looking clown the way to the ford of
Ballinacoola. " I see your wife," says she, " riding on the outside just so
as to rub against us. We'll walk on quietly, as if we suspected nothing, and
when we are passing I'll give you a shove. If you don't do your duty then,
woe be with you! "

Well, they walked on easy, and the poor hearts beating in both their
breasts; and though he could see nothing, he heard a faint jingle and
trampling and rustling, and at last he got the push that she promised. He
spread out his arms, and there was his wife's waist within them, and he
could see her plain; but such a hullabulloo rose as if there was an
earthquake, and he found himself surrounded by horrible-looking things,
roaring at him and striving to pull his wife away. But he made the sign of
the cross and bid them begone in God's name, and held his wife as if it was
iron his arms were made of. Bedad, in one moment everything was as silent as
the grave, and the poor woman lying in a faint in the arms of her husband
and her good neighbour. Well, all in good time she was minding her family
and her business again; and I'll go bail, after the fright she got, she
spent more time on her knees, and avoided fairy men all the clays of the
week, and particularly on Sunday.

It is hard to have anything to do with the good people without getting a
mark from them. My brave nurse didn't escape no more than another. She was
one Thursday at the market of Enniscorthy, when what did she see walking
among the tubs of butter but the Dark Man, very hungry-looking, and taking a
scoop out of one tub and out of another. ' Oh, sir,' says she, very foolish,
'I hope your My is well, and the baby.' ' Pretty well, thank you,' says he,
rather frightened like. 'How do I look in this new suit? ' says he, getting
to one side of her. ' I can't see you plain at all, sir,' says she. 'Well,
now?' says he, getting round her back to the other side. ' Musha, indeed,
sir, your coat looks no better than a withered dock-leaf.' 'Maybe, then,'
says he, 'it will be different now,' and he struck the eye next him with a
switch.

Friends, she never saw a glimmer after with that one till the day of her
death.


>From the Lilac Fairy Book by Andrew Lang which he took from:
'Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts,' by Patrick Kennedy.



Kath <>
~`* `*' `*' `* `*' `*' *' `*' *' `*' `* `*' *' `*' ~~~

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