The following story is from the Irish, as told by a native of one of
the Western Isles, where the primitive superstitions have still all the
freshness of young life.
One evening late in November, which is the month when spirits have
most power over all things, as the prettiest girl in all the island
was going to the well for water, her foot slipped and she fell. It was
an unlucky omen, and when she got up and looked round it seemed to her
as if she were in a strange place, and all around her was changed as
if by enchantment. But at some distance she saw a great crowd gathered
round a blazing fire, and she was drawn slowly on towards them, till at
last she stood in the very midst of the people; but they kept silence,
looking fixedly at her; and she was afraid, and tried to turn and leave
them, but she could not. Then a beautiful youth, like a prince, with a
red sash, and a golden band on his long yellow hair, came up and asked
her to dance.
“It is a foolish thing of you, sir, to ask me to dance,” she said,
“when there is no music.”
Then he lifted his hand and made a sign to the people, and instantly
the sweetest music sounded near her and around her, and the young man
took her hand, and they danced and danced till the moon and the stars
went down, but she seemed like one floating on the air, and she forgot
everything in the world except the dancing, and the sweet low music,
and her beautiful partner.
At last the dancing ceased, and her partner thanked her, and invited
her to supper with the company. Then she saw an opening in the ground,
and a flight of steps, and the young man, who seemed to be the king
amongst them all, led her down, followed by the whole company. At
the end of the stairs they came upon a large hall, all bright and
beautiful with gold and silver and lights; and the table was covered
with everything good to eat, and wine was poured out in golden cups for
them to drink. When she sat down they all pressed her to eat the food
and to drink the wine; and as she was weary after the dancing, she took
the golden cup the prince handed to her, and raised it to her lips to
drink. Just then, a man passed close to her, and whispered—
“Eat no food, and drink no wine, or you will never reach your home
again.”
So she laid down the cup, and refused to drink. On this they were
angry, and a great noise arose, and a fierce, dark man stood up, and
said—
“Whoever comes to us must drink with us.”
And he seized her arm, and held the wine to her lips, so that she
almost died of fright. But at that moment a red-haired man came up, and
he took her by the hand and led her out.
“You are safe for this time,” he said. “Take this herb, and hold it in
your hand till you reach home, and no one can harm you.” And he gave
her a branch of a plant called the _Athair-Luss_ (the ground ivy).[4]
[4] In Ancient Egypt the ivy was sacred to Osiris, and a safeguard
against evil.
This she took, and fled away along the sward in the dark night; but all
the time she heard footsteps behind her in pursuit. At last she reached
home and barred the door, and went to bed, when a great clamour arose
outside, and voices were heard crying to her—
“The power we had over you is gone through the magic of the herb; but
wait—when you dance again to the music on the hill, you will stay with
us for evermore, and none shall hinder.”
However, she kept the magic branch safely, and the fairies never
troubled her more; but it was long and long before the sound of the
fairy music left her ears which she had danced to that November night
on the hillside with her fairy lover.