The Little People

Connacht

Also known as the Faery People, the Little People set up there homes close to the houses of humans. The Little People lived just below the surface of the ground, and whenever Irish women were throwing dirty water outside, they would often shout out a warning to the fairies.

The fairies were in their prime during Hallowe'en and May Eve. During this time, babies and newly married brides were particularly susceptible to their silent form of magic.

One May Eve, Mary, the new bride of Sean, was observing her mother-in-law cooking in the kitchen. Her mother-in-law asked Mary if she had proceeded in hanging the whin bushes out, in order to prevent the fairies from coming into the house. However, as soon as Mary had hung the whin out on the wall, a child had appeared from nowhere and taken it.

All of a sudden, the same little child appeared at the door holding a cup. As a presumption, Mary filled the cup with milk, and the child vanished just as she had appeared. Suddenly, a tiny man appeared at the door, asking for a light for his smoking pipe. Again, Mary helped out. She carried a lighted coal to the old man's pipe, then he also disappeared. Within moments of the old man disappearing, Sean came home, but had not seen the child not the little old man.

Sean's mother was certain that the Faery People had paid the house a visit, but was also livid that Mary had offered milk and fire on such a day as May Eve.

Sean gave Mary the ribbons he had acquired for her. As he was doing this, another child came in by the door. Yet this child was so gentle and polite, that Sean's mother warmly invited her into the house.

The child wanted to dance, so a space was cleared for her. Mary was tranced by the power of the dance. Sean and his mother became very concerned for Mary, as this was a faery child with obvious mystical powers.

In vain, Sean desperately attempted to get his wife away from the misgivings of the spell. But try as he might, the spell was more and more having an effect on Mary. The faery magic was luring Mary away to the charms of Fairyland.

For a split second, Mary saw the love in her husband's face, then she was lost. Mary left with the faery child, to never be seen or heard of again...