Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-21
PIXIES OF OLD CORNWALL.
Good and Bad That Is Charged to
These Little People.
From the London Globe.

From the London Globe.
Piskies, pixies or pigseys are a tribe OF
elves peculiar to cid Cornwall. a territory
once extending to the eastern edge of Dart
moor which is still included in the duchy.
They are not elemental spirits. but In ma
terial life were those of the Celtic tribes
who refused to give up their ancient reii-
gion for Christianity, but otherwise lived
blameless: hence their sympathy with hu-
mainly. Not good enough for heaven, nor
bad enough for hell their wandering souls
were permitted to remain on earth, haunt
ing their own familiar moorlands wooded
coombes and waste sea beaches
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 ants. 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 sunny hillside
one brilliant summer afternoon. 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 a merry race. Ap-
parently they are gradually becoming con-
verted to Christianity. for on Christmas eve
they assemble in the deepest mines to cele-
brate the holy season. when solemn. en-
trancing music may be heard. and choirs
OF unearthly voices chanting NOVEL;.
Novel;"
They are tricksy elves. skilled in glamour
and illusion. A favorite deceit of theirs is
enticing the lonely night traveller into boys
by appearing like the light in a cottage
window, or man walking with lantern
across ground where no human foot can
tread In safety. They steal pretty babies
from their cradles, leaving ugly change
lings in their places.
II spoken of disrespectfuIly, or even men
TONED by name, they take violent offense
Hence they are called 1.-THE Others" the
Small People in Green" or the Good
Folks At Germol is green lane well
known as a resort of fairies. Once on
at Croft Gothal mine hard by, were re-
turning late down this Bat lane aforesaid
and found 1t full from end to end Of the
little people holding high festival
Among the crowd one of the men recog-
nfzed his own child; for one evening the
boy had been as beautiful as could be seen
and next morning was ugly, weakened and
altered Therefore 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 misfortunes, exclaimed that
the pixies were taxin, tricksy DEVILS En-
stantiy she fell backward into the fire and
was burned severely, convincing proof
that these elves must not be trified with
AT Treonike. small hamlet in St Austell
parish, a boy was once beguiled away from
his home. lost for many days. and finally,
after all hope of finding him had been given
asleep on q tuft OF bracken, hard by his
fathers cottage door. His own story ran
that he had beeu p1ayfng near that spct on