Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Legends of the ^'' Good People.''' 91
joints, occasioned by a fairy-dart. Fairy-doctors, male
and female, tried their herbs and charms on him in
vain ; and more than one on leaving the house said to
one of his family, " God send it's not one of the sheeoges
yous are nursing, instead of poor wild Rickard !
And indeed there seemed to be some reason in the
observation. The jovial, reckless, good-humoured buck
was now a meagre, disagreeable, exacting creature, with
pinched features, and harsh voice, and craving appetite ;
and for several weeks he continued to plague and distress
his unfortunate family. By the advice of a fairy-man a
pair of bagpipes was accidentally left near his bed, and
ears were soon on the stretch to catch the dulcet notes
of the instrument from the room. It was well known
that he was not at all skilled in the musical art ; so if a
well-played tune were heard from under his fingers, the
course to be adopted by this family was clear.
But the invalid was as crafty as they were cunning
groans of pain and complaints of neglect formed the
only body of sound that issued from the sick chamber.
At last, during a hot harvest afternoon when every one
should be in the field, and a dead silence reigned through
the house, and yard, and out ofiices, some one that was
watching from an unsuspected press saw an anxious,
foxy face peep out from the gently opened door of the
room, and draw itself back after a careful survey of the
great parlour into which it opened, and which had the
large kitchen on the other side. Soon after, the introductory
squeal of the instrument was heard, but of a sweeter
quality than the same pipes ever uttered before or after
that day. Then followed a strain of such wild and
sweet melody as held in silent rapture about a dozen
of the people of the house and some neighbours who
had been apprised of the experiment, and who, till the
first enchanting sound breathed through the house, had
kept themselves quiet in the room above the kitchen,
consequently the farthest from the changeling's station.
While they stood or sat entranced as air succeeded to
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