Ward & Lock's descriptive and pictorial guide to the Isle of Man ...

Introduction. 13years' residence he must have thought he was dwelling onan enchanted island. When, in the course of our tour, wereach some of the localities mentioned by him, we shall noticetlie stories he told and apparently believed.Waldron seems to have had no doubt that the fairieshabitually held high jinks, and he collected some amusing ancc -dotes of their revels. On one occasion, he tells us, a peasantwas led away by invisible musicians, not being able to resistthe melodious fascination. At length he arrived at a placewhere the fairies were assembled, and was invited to drink.As he was about to drink from the offered goblet, " one ofthem, whose features seemed not unknown to him, pluckedhim by the coat, and forbade him, whatever he did, to tasteanything he saw before him, "for if you do," added he," you will be as I am, and return no more to your family."Taking the advice, he refused the draught, the fairies disajipeared,and he got back safely to his homo, taking withhim the fairy cup, which he devoted to the service of theChurch, " and this very cup, they told me, is that now usedfor the consecrated wine in Kirk Merlugh."It was common for fairies to substitute fairy babies forhuman infants. But fairies have everywhere been addictedto that trick from the time of Shakespeare's " Titania.""VValdron either knew, or had heard of, the supposed motherof one of these elfs, a beautifid child, but thin and weak.The woman went out to work early one morning, postponingthe washing and dressing of the infant till she had time toattend to it. When she returned, she found that he hadbeen carefully washed, and " his hair combed with the utmostexactness and nicety." It was not uncommon for womenexpecting to be confined to see troops of seven or eightlittle women come into the chamber at night bearing ababy.Waldron, too, had heard, on excellent authority, of phantomhorsemen and hunters, who without ceremony took horsesfrom stables, and next morning replaced them, " all in a sweatand foam, and tired almost to death ; " and he asserts, " Agentleman of Ballafletcher assured me he had three of hisbest horses killed on these nocturnal journeys." The fairiesor spirits, however, were sometimes good-natured and neighbourly,and would acquaint people when visitors were coming,very useful assistance when, perhaps, "potluck" would givebut meagre fare, and better entertainment needed time toprovide. " That this is a fact,"' says Waldron, "lam positivelyconvinced by many proofs ;but how or wherefore it should