The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Wambarrows

Round Barrow(s)

Folklore

The Farmer of Houghton was very friendly with the pixies. He used to leave a floorful of corn when he was shorthanded, and the pixies would thresh it for him. They did an immense amount of work until one night the farmer's wife peeped through the key-hole and saw them hard at it, and thought it a crying shame that they should go naked and cold. So she made some clothes for them and left them on the threshing floor, and after that there was no more help from the pixies. They did not forget the farmer however, for one day, soon after Withypool Church bells were hung, the pixy father met him on an upland field.
'Wilt give us a lend of thy plough and tackle?' (pack horses and their crooks).
'What do 'ee want un vor?' the farmer asked.
'I do want to take my goodwife and littlings out of the noise of they ding dongs.'
The farmer trusted the pixies and lent them his horses, and they moved, lock, stock and barrel, to Winsford Hill. And presently the old pack-horses trotted back looking like beautiful two-year-olds.
Some Late Accounts of the Fairies
K. M. Briggs
Folklore, Vol. 72, No. 3. (Sep., 1961), pp. 509-519.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
12th October 2006ce

Comments (0)

You must be logged in to add a comment