The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-09-11
WELSH FAIRY LORE.
The Ways Of the Little People Who Haunt
the Wales and Woodlands.
From the London Telegram.

From the London Telegram.
In England itself the popular crcdulity is
In many ways rs eXiravagant and obstinate rs
ever, and in Scotland ana Ireland the majority
of old supersttions are nowadays held IN hon.
or and respect But it is perhaps in Wales,
the cradle of so much British fairy lore, the
land of mystery and wonderment until quite
recent years, that the fairies and spirits hold
now their chiet court. Mr.. Writ Skies, the
United States conul for Wales at Cardiff, has
recently published delightful volume on
British Goblins, showing that the TRADITIONS of
the mystic Arthur and OF Mcrlin-themseves
the prototypes of the historic king and en-.
chanter of whom the "Morte D'Arlhur" tells
are still IN vigorous life Elves yet haunt
the wales and woodlands; goblin dwarfs work
in the mines, and household fairies visit the
cleankcpt hearths as of old. In the green
meadows at the bottom of the lakes and
streams, live little race who sometimes visit
our earth, and on the mountain tops the
gnomcs of the peak are still to be met As
fairies have always been, the Cymrlc spritcs
are capricious in mood, but on the whole they
are the friends of man, and scores of stories
hold their ground from personal remembrance
of the individuals benefited, of the presents in
enchanted stats and baskets, or in current coin
and bread and cheese, made by the modern
"Ellyllon." The fairies themselves eat only
toadstools and fairy butter" but for mortals
who visit them they provide feasts such rs RI.
val the entertainments of Eastern legends In
other ways, also they treat their bold visitors
well for, provided the stranger obeys their
directions on certain points, and, above all
things, avoids curiosity, he Is made free of the
stables and gardens and all the other pleas.
ures of the palaces of enchantment which
spring up at the fairies bidding; for the little
folk, when mortals are with them, ride and
dance and enjoy themselves as much as men
and women do. Of children the EllyllOn are
specially fond, and mothers there live who
have successfully wrcstled with the elves when
trying to steal their infants, and grown.up peo-
pie are still To be found who in their child
hood stopped on their way to school to play
with dwaris on the hillside. Grateful for kind.
ness shown, and vindictive for insults offered
nearly all the little spirit folk alike may be
made friends or foes, just as mortals choose to
have them, and the exception IS an eli given
up wholly to mischief and wrong-doing. OF
such, however, there are unfortunately, still a
few, and the Welsh peasant, therefore has To
take today all the old precautions against
challenging children and misleading lanterns,
for want of which so many worthy Taffy has
come to sad grief in the past. On the other
hand, fairies are not of a cunning sort, and can
lie easily circumvented or Imposed upon
Sometimes, indeed, they are caught and kept
as pets. The general good temper of the fair
les, and the facility with which their small
mischiefs may be counteracted, have thus, in
a way. accustomed the Welsh mind to think
lenienty of fairies existence, while the very
convenieBt forms IN which Puck and his com
rades sometimes do their spiriting make them
q good excuse for occasional lapses from so
briefly and decorum. Fathers Of families re