A Man Who Spent Twelve Months And A Day With The Fairies

: MEN CAPTURED BY FAIRIES.

A young man, a farm labourer, and his sweetheart were sauntering along

one evening in an unfrequented part of the mountain, when there appeared

suddenly before them two Fairies, who proceeded to make a circle. This

being done, a large company of Fairies accompanied by musicians appeared,

and commenced dancing over the ring; their motions and music were

entrancing, and the man, an expert dancer, by some irresistible power was

obliged to throw himself into the midst of the dancers and join them in

their gambols. The woman looked on enjoying the sight for several hours,

expecting every minute that her lover would give up the dance and join

her, but no, on and on went the dance, round and round went her lover,

until at last daylight appeared, and then suddenly the music ceased and

the Fairy band vanished; and with them her lover. In great dismay, the

young woman shouted the name of her sweetheart, but all in vain, he came

not to her. The sun had now risen, and, almost broken-hearted, she

returned home and related the events of the previous night. She was

advised to consult a man who was an adept in the black art. She did so,

and the conjuror told her to go to the same place at the same time of the

night one year and one day from the time that her lover had disappeared

and that she should then and there see him. She was farther instructed

how to act. The conjuror warned her from going into the ring, but told

her to seize her lover by the arm as he danced round, and to jerk him out

of the enchanted circle. Twelve months and a day passed away, and the

faithful girl was on the spot where she lost her lover. At the very

moment that they had in the first instance appeared the Fairies again

came to view, and everything that she had witnessed previously was

repeated. With the Fairy band was her lover dancing merrily in their

midst. The young woman ran round and round the circle close to the young

man, carefully avoiding the circle, and at last she succeeded in taking

hold of him and desired him to come away with her. Oh, said he, do

let me alone a little longer, and then I will come with you. You have

already been long enough, said she. His answer was, It is so

delightful, let me dance on only a few minutes longer. She saw that he

was under a spell, and grasping the young man's arm with all her might

she followed him round and round the circle, and an opportunity offering

she jerked him out of the circle. He was greatly annoyed at her conduct,

and when told that he had been with the Fairies a year and a day he would

not believe her, and affirmed that he had been dancing only a few

minutes; however, he went away with the faithful girl, and when he had

reached the farm, his friends had the greatest difficulty in persuading

him that he had been so long from home.



The next Fairy tale that I shall give akin to the preceding stories is to

be found in Y Brython, vol. iii., pp. 459-60. The writer of the tale

was the Rev. Benjamin Williams, whose bardic name was Gwynionydd. I do

not know the source whence Mr. Williams derived the story, but most

likely he obtained it from some aged person who firmly believed that the

tale was a true record of what actually occurred. In the Brython the

tale is called: Y Tylwyth Teg a Mab Llech y Derwydd, and this title I

will retain, merely translating it. The introduction, however, I will

not give, as it does not directly bear on the subject now under

consideration.



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