River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-08-23
An Irish Legend.

4 rich lady sat up late one night card
ing and preparing wool, while all the
family and servants were asleep. Sud
denly knock was given at the door and
a voice called, "0pen! open" "Who is
thereln said the woman of the house. IL
am the Witch of the One Horn" was
answered. The mistress, supposing that
one of her neighbors had called and re-
quired assistance, opened the door, and a
woman entered, having in her hand a
pair of wool carders, and bearing a horn
on her forehead, as if growing there.
She sat down by the fire in silence, and
began to card the wool with violent
haste. Suddenly she paused, and said
aloud: Where are the womenln they
delay too long" Then a second rap
came to the door, and a voice called as
before, open! open!' The mistress felt
herself constrained 10 rise and open TO
the call, and Immediately a second witch
entered, having two horns on her fore
head, and in her hand wheel for spin
ming the wool. 'Give inc a place." she
said; II am the Witch of the Two
Horns" and she began To spin as quick
as lightning. And 30 the knocks went
on, and the call was heard, and the
witches entered, until at last twelve
women sat round the fire-the first with
one horn and the last with twelve horns.
And they carded the thread, and turned
their spinning wheels. and wound and
wove. all singing together an ancient
rhyme, but no word did they speak to
the mistress of the house. Strange to
hear and frightful to look upon were
these twelve women, with their horns
and their wheels; and their mistress felt
near to death. and she tried to rise that
she might cali for help but she could not
move, nor could she utter word or cry,
for the spell of the witches was upon her.
Then one of them called to her In Irish
and said: "Rise, woman and make US
cake Then the mistress searched for a
vessel to bring water from the well that
she might mix with the meal and make
the cake, but she could find none. And
they said to her: "Take a sieve, and
bring water in it." And she took the
sieve, and went to the we'll; but the
water poured from it, and she could fetch
none for the cake, and she sat down by
the well and went. Then voice came
by her, and said: Take yellow clay and
moss, and bind them together, and
plaster the sieve so that 1t will hold"
This she did, and the sieve held the
water for the cake. And the voice said
again; Return, and when thou CONTEST
to the north angle of the house cry aloud
three times, and say, The mountain of
the Fenian women and the sky over it is
all on fire. And she did so. When
the witches inside heard the call, great
and terrible cry broke from their lips, and
they rushed forth with wild lamentations
and shrieks, and fled away to Sleiue-
namon, where was their chief abode
But the Spirit of the Well babe the mis-
tress of the house to enter and prepare
her home against the enchantment of the
witches if they returned again. And
first, to break their spells, she sprinkled
the water in which she had washed her
child's feet (the feet water outside the
door OF the threshold; secondly, she took
the cake which the witches had made in
her absence, Of meal mixed with blood
drawn from the sleeping family. And
she broke the cake in bits, and placed a
bit in the mouth Of each sleeper, and