The book Arran; - Cook Clan

FOLK LORE 261
in the kitchen of a farmer in Ireland, where the housewife was bedfast
and at the bosom of death, and every old woman in the place attending
her. In the twinkling of an eye the fairies snatched the poor
woman away, and left in her place a log of wood of the appearance of
the woman. They then betook themselves home in the same manner
as they left, with MacMurchie and the farmer's wife in their company.
When they reached the fairy mound in Drumaghineir, they bestowed
the woman on MacMurchie because he accompanied them to Ireland,
and she remained with him as his wife.
Seven years after this, on a warm summer evening, an Irish
beggar came the way, and being tired, he sat down on the huskingstone^
at the side of MacMurchie's door. The housewife was
milking the cows, and every time she passed between the byre and
milkhouse the beggar would say :
' Well, if I had not placed my wife
with my own two hands in the coffin, I would swear that thou art
she.' The end of the story was that the woman departed with the
Irish beggar— ^her lawful husband.
a' bhean-ghluin agus na sibhrich^
Bho chionn fada roimhe so, bha seana chailleach a' comhnuidh
ann am BaUe-mhicheil a bhiodh ri banachas-ghhiin. Air latha
araidh 's i' buain le h-aon de na coimhearsnaich, de thainig trasd
uirre ach losgann m6r, grannda 's i trom le losgainn oga. ' Tha mi
'guidhe 's ag aslachadh ort,' ars a' chailleach, 's i 'cur an losgainn
a thaobh le barr a' chorrain ghobhlaich, ' nach dealaich thu ri do
luchd gus am bi mo dha laimh-se timchioll ^ ort.' Cha robh tuilleadh
air aig an am, ach oidhche no dha an deidh sin, cd thainig thun an
doruis aice ach gille air muin eich 'na dheannaibh, agus e 'glaodhaich
uirre i 'dh' eirigh gu luath, luath, a' dheanadh cuideachaidh 'us cobhair
air nmaoi a bha 's a' ghlaodhaich.* Ghreas i uirre, 'us chaidh i air
muin an eich aig ctilthaobh a' ghille, ach an aite crtm an rathaid a
ghleidheadh 's ann a ghabh e a muigh 's a mach rathad ciiil Airdbheinn.
' C'aite fo chromadh nan speur,' ars' a' chailleach, ' am
^ Hollowed stone into which grain was put and beaten until freed from the husks.
^ Locally pronounced ' sihhridk,' the ch being silent after i.
' Pronounced tiomall locally.
* 'na laidhe-shiubhla, in childbed ('« a ghlaodhaich, literally in the crying).