Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/523

Rh (9) A man and woman on their way to Kensaleyre saw a strange-looking beast. "What beast is that?" asked the woman. "Leave the beast alone," advised the man, not liking the look of the creature. But the woman was not to be gain-said, so she went over to the beast, and said, "God bless you. What are you?" Immediately the beast changed into a woman, an acquaintance of their own, and they earnestly advised her to return home.

(10) The grandfather of Bella Nicolson, one of my servants, disappeared from his home quite suddenly. From some knowledge of one of his neighbours he was universally believed to have been bewitched and so drowned.

(11) A boy lying in bed saw two cats drinking from a dish of cream. As he watched them they changed into women. Suspecting him, they came up to his bedside and proceeded to stick darning needles into him to see if he were awake. But, Spartan-like, he feigned sleep. Speaking to each other and at the hearer, they agreed that if their escapade became known he alone must be the informant and he would instantly be killed. The boy made a confidante of his mother, and for a time all went well. But a quarrel arising between the mother and one of the witches, the former taunted the latter with her evil deeds. The mischief was out and the witches took their revenge. The boy was set running about the country with his tongue hanging out and could not stop till he died.

(12) A man made several unsuccessful attempts to shoot a hare but always failed. In his dilemma he consulted a wise man, who advised him to take a sixpence for the purpose. The man followed this advice and the next time he did not fail. But instead of a hare his own wife lay dead before him.

(13) Two sisters-in-law lived on very bad terms with each other. One of them bade her servant-girl take a cow bone, broken glass, and some flowers (species not known), and tie them up in a rag. This done, the small package was thrown into the byre, with the words "Another cow dead for you." Sure enough a cow died, and the blame was laid not on the sister-in-law but on two women, one of whom was a reputed witch, while their mother was also known to be one.