The “Red-haired Man,” although he is considered very unlucky in actual
life, yet generally acts in the fairy world as the benevolent _Deus
ex machina_, that saves and helps and rescues the unhappy mortal, who
himself is quite helpless under the fairy spells.
There was a man in Shark Island who used to cross over to Boffin[5]
to buy tobacco, but when the weather was too rough for the boat his
ill-temper was as bad as the weather, and he used to beat his wife, and
fling all the things about, so that no one could stand before him. One
day a man came to him.
[5] The correct names for these islands are Innis-Erk (the Island of
St. Erk), and Innis-bo-finn (the Island of the White Cow).
“What will you give me if I go over to Boffin,” said he, “and bring you
the tobacco?”
“I will give you nothing,” said the other. “Whatever way you go I can
go also.”
“Then come with me to the shore,” said the first man, “and I’ll show
you how to get across; but as only one can go, you must go alone.”
And as they went down to the sea, they saw a great company of horsemen
and ladies galloping along, with music and laughter.
“Spring up now on a horse and you will get across,” said the first man.
So the other sprang up as he was told, and in an instant they all
jumped right across the sea and landed at Boffin. Then he ran to buy
the tobacco and was back again in a minute, and found all the same
company by the sea-shore. He sprang again upon a horse and they all
jumped right into the sea, but suddenly stopped midway between the two
islands, where there was a great rock, and beyond this they could not
force the horses to move. Then there was great disquietude amongst
them, and they called a council.
“There is a mortal amongst us,” they said. “Let us drown him.”
And they carried the man up to the top of the rock and cast him down;
and when he rose to the surface again they caught him by the hair, and
cried—
“Drown him! Drown him! We have the power over life and death; he must
be drowned.”
And they were going to cast him down a second time, when a red-haired
man pleaded for him, and carried him off with a strong hand safe to
shore.
“Now,” said he, “you are safe, but mind, the spirits are watching you,
and if ever again you beat your poor good wife, and knock about the
things at home just to torment her out of her life, you will die upon
that rock as sure as fate.” And he vanished.
So from that time forth the man was as meek as a mouse, for he was
afraid; and whenever he went by the rock in his boat he always stopped
a minute, and said a little prayer for his wife with a “God bless her.”
And this kept away the evil, and they both lived together happily ever
after to a great old age.
This is but a rude tale. Yet the moral is good, and the threat of
retributive justice shows a laudable spirit of indignation on the part
of the fairy race against the tyranny of man over the weaker vessel.