Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Witchcraft, Sorcery, Ghosts, and Fetches. 165
her senses what'll I do % and if they can stay till cockcrow,
she'll never see another day." So after about half
an hour, when the hullabuUo was worse than ever, she
stole out without being noticed or stopped, and then she
gave a great scream, and ran in, and shouted, " Granny,
granny ! come out, come out. Black Stairs is a-fire " ! Out
pelted both the devil and the witches, some by the
window, some by the door ; and the moment the last of
them was out, she clapped the handle of the besom
where the door-bolt ought to be, turned the button in
the window, spilled the feet-water into the channel under
the door, loosed the band of the spinning-wheel, and
raked up the blazing coal under the ashes.
Well, the poor woman was now come to herself, and
both heard the most frightful roar out in the bawn, where
all the company were standing very lewd'^' of themselves
for being so easily taken in. The noise fell immediately,
and the same voice was heard. " Feet-water, let me in."
" I can't," says feet-water ; " I am here under your feet."
"Wheel-band, let me in." "I can't—I am lying loose
on the wheel-seat." " Besom, let me in." " I can't—I am
put here to bolt the door." "Turf-coal, let me in." "I
can't—my head is under the greeshach." " Then let
yourselves and them that owns you have our curse for
ever and a day." The poor women were now on their
knees, and cared little for their curses. But every Holy
Eve during their lives they threw the water out as soon
as their feet were washed, unhanded the wheel, swept up
the house, and covered the big coal to have the seed of
the fire next morning.
We have not in Ireland many traditional or legendary
records of our wise women meeting the devil at such
* " Regretful, ashamed," the root being leiden, to suffer. Many
words and expressions among our folk of the Pale are looked on as
abuses or perversions, when they are in truth but old forms still
carefully preserved.