A Cruel Man And A Fairy Dog

: FAIRY MONEY TURNEN TO DROSS.
: Welsh Folk-lore

The person from whom the following tale was derived was David Roberts,

Tycerrig, Clocaenog, near Ruthin.



A Fairy dog lost its master and wandered about here and there seeking

him. A farmer saw the dog, and took it home with him, but he behaved

very unkindly towards the wee thing, and gave it little to eat, and

shouted at it, and altogether he showed a hard heart. One evening a

little old man called at t
is farmer's house, and inquired if any stray

dog was there. He gave a few particulars respecting the dog, and

mentioned the day that it had been lost. The farmer answered in the

affirmative, and the stranger said that the dog was his, and asked the

farmer to give it up to him. This the farmer willingly did, for he

placed no value on the dog. The little man was very glad to get

possession of his lost dog, and on departing he placed a well filled

purse in the farmer's hand. Some time afterwards the farmer looked into

the purse, intending to take a coin out of it, when to his surprise and

annoyance he found therein nothing but leaves.



Roberts told the writer that the farmer got what he deserved, for he had

been very cruel to the wee dog.



Another tale much like the preceding one, I have heard, but I have

forgotten the source of the information. A person discovered a lost

Fairy dog wandering about, and took it home, but he did not nurse the

half-starved animal, nor did he nourish it. After a while some of the

Fairy folk called on this person to inquire after their lost dog, and he

gave it to them. They rewarded this man for his kindness with a pot

filled with money and then departed. On further inspection, the money

was found to be cockle shells.



Such lessons as these taught by the Fairies were not without their effect

on people who lived in days gone by.



More

;