Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-11-04
SPRlTES AND BOClES.

Fair Scotland, the "Land O. Cakes,
is peculiarly the home of sprites and
COLLINS. James Hogg, better known
as the Ettrick Shepherd, says, in his
tale of the "Wool- gatherer, eye had
need take care how ye dispute the
existence of fairies, brownies, and ap-
partitions; we may as well disputes
the gospel of st. Mathew"
Tradition accounts for the existence
of these imps and elves and bogies in
different ways. 1t is said that when
our Lord cast the fallen angels out OF
heaven, some fell down on the hills
and mountains, and became hill folk
some fell into the elf moors, and be-
came the elf folk, and others fell into
dwellings, and hence the domestic
sprites are brownies. Another legend
goes that while Eve was washing her
children by the brcok-side our Lord
unexpectedly appeared, and fearing
his displeasure, she concealed those
that were not washed In reply to
His question if all her children were
there, she answered "yes." Then He
declared that those she concealed
from Him should be forever concealed
from mankind, and at the same mo,
ment they disappeared, and were
buried under the hills. From them
sprung the whole race of elves or
under ground folk.
The brownie is the faithful ally of
the Scottish household. He is be-
lieved to be the ordained helper of
mankind in the drudgery entaiIed by
sin. He is the good genius of all in
dustrious people, and assists them in
the performance of their work. lie
is forbidden to receive wages, but
has an excellent appetite, and is
grateful for gifts of food. His ia
vorite dish is bowl Of cream, and
ne is fond of cakes made out of meal
fresh from the mill, toasted, and
spread over with honey. These are
carefully prepared for bin by the
grateful housewives, and placed
where he can find them. He has an
utter abhorance of clothes, and is in
suited and offended if they are offer.
ed to him. A good man Of the Glen
devon, wishing to reward the brownie
for his services, laid out some cloth
ing for him. In the middle of the
night the brownie discovered it.
Highly indignant, he instantly took
his departure from the house, calling
out as he left,
.'Gie brownie coat, gle brownie sark.
Ye'se get nae msir of brownies wark."
But all sprites are not of the friend
ly brownie order. There is Red-cap
or Bloodly-cap, cruel and malignant
little elf. He is described as short,
thick set old man, with long promi
nent teeth, skinny fingers, large eyes
of fiery red color, grisly hair stream
ing over his shoulders, iron boots,
pike staff in his hand, and red cap
on his head. He is an ill conditioned
and malicious goblin, who turks about
the moors. When benighted travel
els pass his haunts, he filings stones at
them, and unless they make deter
mined resistance, lie will murder them
outright. He can be driven away,
however, by the repetition of few
Scripture words, or by the holding
up of the cross. When thus routed
he vanishes in fame of fire, yelling
dismally, and leaving a large tooth
on the spot where he was last seen.
Habetrot is the presiding genius of
the spinning-wheel. The following
legend is told of her;
A matron of the Border land had
fair daughter more fond of play than
work, and to whom spinning-the
usual occupation of women in those
days-was intensely disagreeable.
But the mother was distressed by the
idleness of her daughter, for no lassie
had any chance of good husband
who was not an industrious spinster
One morning the gude.wife gave her
seven heads of lint, requiring that
they should be within three days
spun into yarn. The girl was wand
ering in the garden, lamentlng her
inability to perform the task, when
Habetrot appeared and performed the
work for her, so that she was able to
return the yarn to her mother at the
required time. The mother was over
ioyed at her daughters industry, and
sprang up exclaiming, "My daughters
spun sa'en, sa'en, sa'en!' A laird
who was riding by heard Der cry, and
interested to see the guide wife's joy,
asked if he might look at the yarn.
Then he inquired for the fair spinster.
The blnshing girl came forward, and
her grace and beauty so won his
heart that he took her for his wife.
After the wedding the bride trembled
with apprehension lest she should
not be so def at the spinning wheel
as her husband expected. Once more
Habetrot came to her aid Whether
the good dame was as indulgent to
all idle damsels does not appear, but
this little maiden must have been an es-
peoila pet Habetrot said, "Bring your
bonnie bridegroom to my cell He
shall see what comes of spinning, and
he will never tie you to the spinning
wheel" The bride led her husband to
the knoll where Habetro: and num-
erous company of elves sat spinning
They were all bent and distorted by
bending over their wheels, and their
lips were long and hung down over
their chins. "Why are we sac lang
lipit ?" asked the laird. One after
another they answered him, each
with a different twist of their hideous
mouths, "We maun wet our thread as
we spin; thus are we sac lang lipit. "
Then Habetrot slyly limited that if
the little bride were allowed to spin,
her pretty mouth would grow out of
shape too. So the bridegroom pro-
tested that the little wife should never
touch a spinning-wheel. And he