Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-13
THE BELIEF IN FAIRIES.
1T is SAID TO STILL EXIST IN SOME
PARTS OF THE WORLD.

Two Little Fairy Tales.
In countries where good deal of Celtic
blood yet remains pure and unta.nted with
Teut0nic or scandinavian lingering be-
lief IN fairies may still be traced in remote
parts. \ few years ago an old man in the
Isle Of Man solemnly assured A traveller
there that he himself had one ui.,bt bebalJ
the fairies at their reves in such multi
tudes that there was quite a thickness
tremendous of them" and no amount of
skeptIcal questioning could sha le the old
man IN ans belief. At the present day in
the wilder parts of Cornwall a unite
genuine belief in being ''psky ledu ORE
walls, "Pskie' pixie in Devorian) is The
common Cornish name for fairies. and Ger
tam mlschlevous sprites among them are
supposed TO derive great pleasu -e in entic-
ing unwary travellers across the wild moors
ana hills from the right paths and leading
them greyously astray After landing
some ui'luchy wight IN bog "a burst of
merry iaaShter IN the air genera ly informs
'ne 'raEeier VINO his guide has been. The
only way to cIrcumvent these sirv sDrites
is 70 turn the coat inside out before ventur-
ing across a desolate expanse That they
nave certain command over the powers
Oh nature Is shown by their having the
power to blind and bewilder the trayeler
oy throwing log around him, so that he
cannot trace his way
WHAT AUNT JoAN'' SAW.
Inc following account of their personal
appearance is preserved in a tale told bv
Old wives in the neighborhood o a;norna
beyond Senz1nce: An old woman called
Aunt joan when on a visit tC a neilrbhor
populariy supposed TO be a W liUe witch
rubs little ointment she finds hidden
lndpr -..-.v,-
the result Is that when she opened her ewes
the place was full of sprites and sprircans
In all the folds of the nets and sails hang
ing from the beams troops of small people
were cutting all sorts of capers. The little
creatures were tossing up their heels, way
ing their fcathered caps and fans as they
launched up and down on the merest bits
OF sticks or green twigs. Numbers of them
were swinging in the cobwehs that hung
from the rafters, or riding the mice in and
out through the holes in the thatch
Il noted that all the little men were
dressed In green, pinked out with red. and
had featheTed caps on their heads, high
riding boots, with silver spurs on their
heels. Their ladies were al decked out in
the grand old fashion; their gowns were
of green velvet with long trains, some
looped up with silver chains and bells or
tassets, others had their trains sweepinr
behind them as they walked in grand state
up and down. They seemed TO think there
was nobody in the house but themselves
pranclnS about in their high Eeeled shoes
sparkling with diamond buckles. The
little women all wore high crowned steeple
hats like mine, with wreaths Of the most
beautiful flowers of all colors around
themr sprlGs and garlands on all the other
parts Of their dress and in their hands ne
Hirti hai Gov, =
men. They were the sauciest little NOR
tails l ever did see What puzzled me
most was to see so many sweet flowers
with them at that time of The wear. |
spled some ugly spriggans seated in the
dark corner looking very gloomy, because
they are doomed to guard the treasures
and do Irksome things the merry small
people are free from. \ troop of the small
people entered, playing such sweet strains
on the pipes flutes and other Instruments
they had made with green reeds Of the
brook and shells of the shore"
Then follows an account of low the fairy
band approached the old dame Chenance
(the white wItch), and cast lunches Of the
herbs into her apron, with which she made
hea!Inl; salyes and lotions As soon rs
these fairies retired others came forward
bearing in their hands unopened flowers
OF the toXSiove, from which they poured
magic dyes, which no sooner touched her
dress than It was changed into velvet.
others lald silver cord on the outlines of
the petticoat, and decked the old dame nm
IN ali manner and variety of flowers The
mouse Is covered with marvellous tapestries
and the Old dame so transformed with
her fairy attire that Aunt Joan oets fri.,b+
eneo ana hobbies OF, but on glancing back
with her Unanointed eye sees Dame Cine
nance in her ordinary clothes sewing; but
on looking with the anointed eye the fairv
scene Is again revealed.
LITTLE "BCBBY GRIGLANs."
Another story relates how a man, cutting
furze on the heath. finds among the bushes
a tiny figure asleep He was no bigger
than q cat, and dressed in green coat
sky blue breeches and diamond buckled
shoes. Uncle Billy takes him home to his
children who make great friends with
him, and call him Bobby Griglans (gric-
lans is old Cornish for heath). He is gay
little creature, who sings and dances for
hours together with 4 great adherence OF
dirt or dust He only drin. milk, and
eats blackber or hips and haws. They
keep him u few days. but among the furze
one day Bobby and the children meet lit
tie man and woman, the man dressed Just
as Bobby, only wearing riding boots with
silver spurs. The little woman wore a
green gown SpFlnkttu all over Win silver
stars Her little steeple crowned hat was
wreathed with heather perched on her
golden curls, and the pretty soul was
wringing her hands a-crying, "Oh, my
dear and tender Skillywidden. where ever
canst "a be gone to- my only joy?" 'Now
zoe back said Bobby to The children;
my dad and mann are come. Here | am,
nanny
BY the time he said Here | am" the
little man and woman and Skillywidden
vanished, and were never more seen. The
children got a good thrashing for letting
Skillywidden go, for if they had kept him
he would have shown their daddy where
crooks Of gold are burie1, ard they would
all of them have been rich.
All things pass away: even our children
now will scarcely deign to own belief in
one of the purest fancies that ever entered
human imaginations, and which in former
DAYS great poets deigned to reat rs by no
,,..,.,,.. baiIaf Eai-eS yhola