The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-10-10
PIXIES OF CORNWALL
A TRIBE or ELVES WITH THE so,uo
OF ANCIENT CELTs

and Bad That Are Charged to Tb.,.
FRANKLIN Little People.
Piskies, pixies or pigsies are trih,
Of elves peculiar to old Cornwall
territory once extending to the easter,
edge of Dartmoor, which is still in
cluded in the duchy. They are not Ella
mentary spirits, but in material Ina
were those Of the Celtic tribes who "a
fused to give up their ancient religion
for Christianity. but otherwise lived
blameless, hence their sympathy with
humanity. Not good enough for heaven
nor bad enough for hell their wander.
ing souls were permitted to remain On
earth, haunting their own familiar
mOorlands, wooded coombes and wasta
seabeaches.
In early May and during the reign Of
the harvest moon they are active in
revel, but their chief festival of the
year Is held ON midsummer eve. With
the passing Of many centuries they
have greatly shrunken in size and are
now indistinguishable by daylight from
aunts, moths or butterflies, except by
those intimately acquainted with their
appearance. A troop Of these sprites
was beheld of late years by one who
had the gift of such sight on a sunny
hillside one brilliant summer after.
noon. They were dancing amid the
heather bells, climbing tall foxgloves,
tumbling queer somersaults, cutting
fantastic capers and, as the Cornish
saying runs, Laughing like a pisky."
This shows them to be merry race
Apparently they are gradually becom
ing converted to Christianity. for on
Christmas eve they assemble in the
deepest mines to celebrate the holy sea-
son, when solemn, enhancing music
may be heard and chOirs Of unearthly
voices chanting, NOVEL, Novel;"
They are tricksy elves, skilled in gla
mour and illusion. A favorite deceit
Of theirs is enticing the lonely night
traveller into boys by appearing like the
light in q cottage window, or a man
walking with lantern across ground
where no human foot can tread in
safety. They steal pretty babies from
their cradles, leaving ugly changelings
In their places.
If spoken Of disrespectfully, or even
mentioned by name, they take violent
ofense. Hence they are called 1.-The
Others" 1.-The small people In green
Or 1.-The good folks" At Germol is
green lane we'll known as a resort Of
fairies. Once on midsummer eve two
timers who worked at Croft Gothal, o
mine hard by, were returning late
down this bat lane aforesaid and
found it full from end to end Of the lit
tie people holding high festival.
Among the crowd one Of the men
recognized his own child, for one
evening the boy had been as beautiful as
could be seen and next morning was
ugly, weakened and altered. There
fore 1.-THE others" must have changed
him. When relating this tale next day
at Croft Gothal he was suddenly
thrown into a deep pit and almost
killed. When carried home his wife,
furious at the cause of their misfor.
tunes. exclaimed that the pixies were
'taxin', tricksy devils" Instantly
The fell backward into the fire and
vas burned severely. convincing
Roof that these elves must not be
rified with.
At Treonike, a small hamlet In St
Austell parish. a boy was once be-
pulled away from his home, lost for
many days. and finally. after all hope
y finding him had been given up, he
ras one morning discovered fast
ssleep on a tuft Of bracken, hard by
lis fathers cottage door, His own
ltory ran that he had been playing
.ear that spot on the day of his disap-
>earance, when he heard most exQui
site music in the air.
At first he mistook this for bird
longs, but soon realized that the little
people must be the unseen musicians
Following the sounds, he easily pene-
rated thicket whose depths he had
never before succeeded in entering. for
some invisible guide smoothed the IN
1ergrowth in his path, while causing
.hOrns and briers to spring up, closer
and more matted than formerly, be-
hind him and on either hand. Also the
music became more and more ravish-
Ing.
At last he found himself upon the
shore of small lake, which. to his sur
prise. reflected the sky thick with stars,
though it had been full noontide on the
but short time earlier. Then
a lovely lady came through the dark
ness, took him by the hand and led
him about underground palaces with
crystal arches, glowing with changing
tints. far finer than any caverns in the
deepest mine.
There he saw many marvellous sights,
Toasted on dainties he had never tasted
In his life before, gamboled or con-
versed with troops of merry play
mates, all beautifully dressed in green
At last lie sell asleep from sheer weari
ness, and evoke in the spot where Dc
bad first beard the pisky minstrels.
The Gusnp. knoll near st. Just, Is
noted spot for pisky revels. Many
worthy fel3s have been privileged to