Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
Norton Pit threw back the echo from its dry sides—‘Wuff!’ first to Puck, who took it with his head on one side, as you
Wuff!’ like Young jim’s bark.
should when you look at the works of a watch, squinted down
‘You see? You hear?’ said Puck. ‘Nobody answers. Grey Shep- the dark blade, and very delicately rubbed his forefinger from
herd is gone. Feet-in-the-Night has run off. There are no more the point to the hilt.
wolves.’
‘Good!’ said he, in a surprised tone.
‘Wonderful!’ The man wiped his forehead as though he ‘It should be. The Children of the Night made it,’ the man
were hot. ‘Who drove him away? You?’
answered.
‘Many men through many years, each working in his own ‘So I see by the iron. What might it have cost you?’
country. Were you one of them?’ Puck answered.
‘This!’ The man raised his hand to his cheek. Puck whistled
The man slid his sheepskin cloak to his waist, and without like a Weald starling.
a word pointed to his side, which was all seamed and blotched ‘By the Great Rings of the Chalk!’ he cried. ‘Was that your
with scars. His arms, too, were dimpled from shoulder to price? Turn sunward that I may see better, and shut your eye.’
elbow with horrible white dimples.
He slipped his hand beneath the man’s chin and swung him
‘I see,’ said Puck. ‘It is The Beast’s mark. What did you use till he faced the children up the slope. They saw that his right
against him?’ ‘Hand, hammer, and spear, as our fathers did eye was gone, and the eyelid lay shrunk. Quickly Puck turned
before us.’
him round again, and the two sat down.
‘So? Then how’—Puck twitched aside the man’s dark-brown ‘It was for the sheep. The sheep are the people,’ said the
cloak— ‘how did a Flint-worker come by that? Show, man, man, in an ashamed voice. ‘What else could I have done? You
show!’ He held out his little hand.
know, Old One.’
The man slipped a long dark iron knife, almost a short Puck sighed a little fluttering sigh. ‘Take the knife. I listen.’
sword, from his belt, and after breathing on it, handed it hilt- The man bowed his head, drove the knife into the turf, and
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