The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-15
Some Queer Old Fables.

A lady has furnished to the Folk Lore
Journal, an English periodical, collection
of notes on the folk lore of SoItherlandshire,
some of which seem worthy Of republica
tion here. Here IS a story of most potent
witch:
"The great witch, the 'Cailleach Mohr' of
C,ibrek, was once suspected Of having en-
chanted all the deer Of the Reay forest, by
which means they became bullet-proof.
Lord Reav. who was exceedingly angry,
was at loss to remedy the evil or break the
spell. His man William promised TO find
out all about it, He watched the witch for
a whole night, and by some counter spell
contrlved TO be present in the morning
when he detected her milking the kinds
They stood round the door of her hut, but
one Of them took q fancy to a skein of blue
worsted mat hung from a nail and ate it.
The witch, in a rage struck the animal.
'Ahn she cried, the spell Is off you now, and
Lord Reav'S bullet will be your death to-
day William repeated this to his master
who would hardly believe that he had spent
the night in the hut of the witch. But
fine hind was shot that very day, and
hank of blue yarn found in her stomach
established at once the reputation of the
servant and of the Callleach Mohr. Will
liam determined to pay her ano her visit,
we'll knowing that this wicked old woman,
though very rich, never gave anything
away and had never asked any one to sit
down in her house. He accordingly
walked into her kitchen. She craved to
know the strangers name aud destination.
Il come from the south and / am going to
the north ne answered CURLY. But what's
your manner NV name is William Sit
doun." 'Sitdounn she repeated, whereupOn
he flung himself into a char. She gave
an angry cry. This | do willingly" ne
said when the mistress bids me" sac
wa, much provoked an taking out a ban
mock as white aad as round as the moou,
| began to eat without taxing any more no.
tee of him. Your piece seams dry one,
mistress y he said al last "Ah, the fat 81 10
is toward me-" gruffly answered the witch,
who had indeed spread one siie with but
ter almost an inca thick. The side that is
to you shall be to me- cried William, and
making dash at the cake he ran out Of the
hut carrying the witch'S supper with him
as a trophy The old woman began to
curse and to hope that the mOrsel might kill
him; but William was too wise to eat any,
thing that was fashioned by such uncanny
hands. The witch it was who ate up il her
fury all that her visitor did not carry off:
so she died of her unhallowed meal, t. the
great joy of Lord Reay and all her neigh
bors.n
Some incidents of second sight are thus
recorded:
A carpenter assures us that when a boy in
-ASayllI no w dS OLlc Ody uSluluS SIloCJ, " u6ll
| he beheld four wheeled carri tEe-a thing
| ne had never seen in his life-wIth a pair Of
horses and harness that shOne in the sun,
| coming down at a quick pace n spur OF ons
! Of the most rugged hills in SoltAerlaad. He
| thought no more Of the apDarition, though
it was sufficiently wonderful. as o that
| side of the lOch there was not a ward of
road He left Assynt; nor did he return till
few years ago, when the road that nov
| runs to Glen Dhu was made. One day,
| lying again above the tara, he saw an open
carriage and pair of horses come quickly
| along the new road. at the very spot where
| his prophetic vehicle had thirty years before
| crossed tle steep incline.
| The writer relates That part of the estate
| Of Embo, recently bought by the Duke of
| Sutherland, consists of an open III or slop-
| in- towards the sea- and on this ground spec
! trail hosts have been repeatedly seen charg-
| ing and repulsing each other People cross
! ing ths moor have been seen by others sur
| rOu ded by armies, of which they saw
nothing. 1t is most common before sun
| rise, and may be supposed enough country
| people think it uecauny) to resemble the
| figures seen by travellers in the Err re-
| birge. A fine illustration of the destiny of
fate is the story of the hour and the man.
! Some workmel tire ching by the
side of a river in Souherlanl long
| ago, heard an unearthly voice cry:
The hour is come, but not the
| man. Half an hour later they deserted q
mal running full speed as if with the
intention of crossing the stream. One of
them started off to intercept him. because
the river was in ''Speat, or ''spata ;" and he
was very likely, from his haste, to plunge
IN without noticing how heavily it was run
ming. The man, stranger, seemed eager
and breathless, and iNdssd what is called
fey" for he refused TO listen to the work
men and shook them off They, familiar
! with the pools and shadows of the rive
used force to prevent his running so great a
risk; and finding he would not lis en- t.
reason, they carried hm off and locked
| him up in our Lady's Chapel, not far of
Thither they returned to seek him when
work hours were over, and to their horror,
found that he mad drowned himself in the
font. The man could not pass his "hour.