The Book of Elves and Fairies for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own Reading
PART ONE
FAIRY-LORE AND ELFIN LEGENDS
AROUND! AROUND! IN FAIRY RINGS!
“IN THE GLOWING LIGHT OF A SUMMER SKY,” _William Jones_ 8
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN GOODFELLOW, _Old English_ 9
THE POTATO SUPPER, _Irish_ 15
THE MILK-WHITE CALF AND THE FAIRY RING, _Irish_ 20
THE WOOD-LADY, _Bohemian_ 26
THE DANCE OF THE FAIRIES, _From The Maydes Metamorphosis_ (1600) 32
ELFIN MOUNDS AND FAIRY HILLS
“’TIS THE MIDNIGHT HOUR” 34
MONDAY! TUESDAY! _Irish_ 35
THE GREEDY OLD MAN, _Cornish_ 39
LEGEND OF BOTTLE HILL, _Irish_ 44
THE BROWN DWARF, _John Greenleaf Whittier_ 53
LITTLE MEN AND TREASURES OF GOLD
“AND WILL YOU COME AWAY, MY LAD?” 62
THE BOY WHO FOUND THE POTS OF GOLD, _Irish_ 63
THE RAGWEED, _Irish_ 66
THE BAD BOY AND THE LEPRECHAUN, _Irish_ 70
TOM AND THE KNOCKERS, _Cornish_ 73
THE KNOCKERS’ DIAMONDS, _Cornish_ 77
SKILLYWIDDEN, _Cornish_ 79
THE LEPRECHAUN, OR FAIRY SHOEMAKER, _William Allingham_ 84
GLAD LITTLE, SAD LITTLE, BAD LITTLE ELVES
“SAINT FRANCIS AND SAINT BENEDICT,” _William Cartwright_ (1635?) 90
LITTLE REDCAP, _Irish_ 91
THE CURMUDGEON’S SKIN, _Irish_ 97
JUDY AND THE FAIRY CAT, _Irish_ 103
THE BOGGART, _English_ 105
OWNSELF, _English_ 107
THE SICK-BED ELVES, _Chinese_ 109
HOW PEEPING KATE WAS PISKEY-LED, _Cornish_ 111
ONE-EYED PRYING JOAN’S TALE, _Cornish_ 121
THE FAIRY FOLK, _William Allingham_ 128
FAIRY SERVANTS IN THE HOUSE
“THEIR DWELLINGS BE,” _From the Hierarchie of the Blessed Angells_ (1635) 132
THE FAIRY’S SERVANTS, _Basque_ 133
THE PIXIES, _English_ 138
THE BROWNIE OF BLEDNOCH, _Scottish_ 142
ELSA AND THE TEN ELVES, _Swedish_ 145
PISKEY FINE! AND PISKEY GAY! _Cornish_ 149
THE FAIRY WEDDING, _Swedish_ 151
THE TOMTS, _Swedish_ 155
SONG OF THE ELFIN MILLER, _Allan Cunningham_ 157
FAYS OF WATER, WOOD, AND MEADOW
“OVER HILL, OVER DALE,” _Shakespeare_ 160
KINTARO THE GOLDEN BOY, _Japanese_ 161
THE FLOWER FAIRIES, _Chinese_ 166
THE FAIRY ISLAND, _Cornish_ 169
THE FOUR-LEAVED CLOVER, _Cornish_ 171
THE GILLIE DHU, _Scottish_ 174
HOW KAHUKURA LEARNED TO MAKE NETS, _New Zealand_ 176
ECHO, THE CAVE FAIRY, _From the Island of Mangaia_ 179
THE ISLES OF THE SEA FAIRIES, _Mary Howitt_ 182
AWAY! AWAY! TO FAIRYLAND
“BUT WE THAT LIVE IN FAIRYLAND,” _Old Ballad_ 188
THE MAGIC FERNS, _Cornish_ 189
THE SMITH AND THE FAIRIES, _Scottish_ 194
THE COAL-BLACK STEED, _English_ 198
THE GIRL WHO WAS STOLEN BY THE FAIRIES, _Irish_ 201
THE GIRL WHO DANCED WITH THE FAIRIES, _Irish_ 203
ELIDORE AND THE GOLDEN BALL, _Welsh_ 206
AT THE COURT OF FAIRYLAND, _Selections from Ben Jonson, Michael Drayton, Joseph Rodman Drake, Shakespeare, and Old Ballads_ 209