about two hundred years ago there was a poor man working as a laborer on a farm in lanarkshire . he was what is known as an " orra man . " that is , he had no special work mapped out for him to do , but he was expected to undertake odd jobs of any kind that happened to turn up . one day his master sent him out to cast peats on a piece of moorland that lay on a certain part of the farm . now this strip of moorland ran up at one end to a curiously shaped crag , known as merlin 's crag , because , so the country folk said , that famous enchanter had once taken up his abode there . the man obeyed , and , being a willing fellow , when he arrived at the moor he set to work with all his might and main . he had lifted quite a quantity of peat from near the crag , when he was startled by the appearance of the very smallest woman that he had ever seen in his life . she was only about two feet high , and she was dressed in a green gown and red stockings , and her long yellow hair was not bound by any ribbon , but hung loosely round her shoulders .
he was startled by the appearance of the very smallest woman that he had ever seen in his life .
why was the poor man startled by a woman ?
why was the poor man startled by a woman ?