Page:Ancient and modern history of Buck-haven in Fife-shire (4).pdf/23

23 with the wiſp, and the kelpy, fairies and maukens, and boggles of all ſorts. The ghoſts, like old horſes, go all night for fear they are ſeen, and be made to carry ſcate or fiſh or ; and witches are the warſt kind of devils, and make uſe of cats to ride upon, or kill kebbers, and, and ſail over ſeas in cockol-ſhells, and witches and laſſes, and diſable bridegrooms. As for willie and the wiſp, he is a fiery devil, and leads people off their road, in order to drown them, for he parks ſometimes at our feet, and then turns before us with his candle as if he were two or three  before us; many a good boat has ſpunkie drown'd; boats coming to land in the night time, they ſerve a light off the land, and ſet in upon it and drown.

The kelpy is a fly devil, he roars before a loſs at ſea and frights both young and old upon the ſhore. Fairies are terrible troubleſome, they go dancing round folks lums and rin through the houſes they, and play odd tricks, and lift new born bairns from their mothers, and none of them is ſafe to ly on their mothers, a night or two after they are born, unleſs the mother gets a pair of men's breeches o'er her head for the firſt three nights; when the fairies are frighted they will leave an auld ſtock with a woman, and whip away the child. One tried turn an old ſtock that the fairies left in a cradle; when the fire was put on, the old ſtock jumped upon a cat and up the lum. Maukens are moſt trouble, and have bad luck, none will go to ſea that they ſee a mauken, or if a wretched body put a mauken's fit in their creels, they need not lift on that day, as it will be bad luck, either broken, or legs, or arms, or hear bad accounts of the men at ſea.

They are terrifi'd for all ſorts of boggles both by and fea. The