The book Arran; - Cook Clan

266 THE BOOK OF ARRAN
elusion that this was the work of the fairies, and that it was his duty
to reward their kindness. When his own meal came from the mill
he left a boll of it at the head-rig where he got, before this, the bannock
and meal of the fairies, and they brought with them the meal of the
farmer.
A short time after this the fairies met him in the field and their
kindness was turned into anger, for they seized him and thrashed
him severely with flails. They asked him, ' Why did you give us
meal of that kind ? ' 'I gave you,' said the farmer, ' as good meal
as I had.' ' But,' said they, " the meal which we gave you, it was
from the top-grain that it was made.' ' If that is so,' said he, ' I
will give you meal as good as the meal you gave me.'
With this promise they released the farmer, and home he went
as fast as his legs would take him, and he threshed the top-grain of
the corn, sent it to the mill, and left a boll of the meal where the
fairies would get it. From then until he died, he and the fairies were
good friends.
There was once a wedding at Bennan, and during the night the
store of whisky got finished. Two men therefore went off to the
nearest inn for a fresh supply, carrying a jar with them. After completing
their business at the inn they took their way back. As the
two men were coming along the road they saw a hole open in the
ground, the interior of which was lit up, while strains of fine music
were to be heard ; on going nearer to the hole they saw fairies dancing
and making merry. One of the men said he would go in and have
a dance, the other declined and went back to the wedding party.
There he told what had become of his companion. A number of those
present went out to look for him, but on reaching the spot where the
fairy dance had been, no hole was to be seen. A suspicion arose that
the lost man had been killed by his comrade, and the story had been
told to cover the deed. The friends of the missing man went to a
woman of skill for counsel. She told them not to touch the suspected
man for a year and a day ; and on that day to go to the place
where their friend disappeared and they would find it open. They
waited, and on the appointed day they went and found the place
open, and saw the man still dancing with the fairies, and still with
his jar on his back. They told him to come away with them. He.