No sooner was it out of his hand than he received such a blow that it dashed him to the ground, insensible. When he came to himself, the sun was shining, and where should he be but near his own house with the cow grazing beside him? Billy Thompson could hardly believe his eyes, and thought it was all a dream, till he saw the rope hanging to his cow’s leg.
And that was a lucky rope for him! For, from that day out, his cow gave more milk than any six cows in the parish, and Billy began to look up in the world. He took farms, and purchased cattle till he became very rich. But no one could ever get him to go to the Horses’ Glen. And to-day he never passes an old fort, or hears a blast of wind, without taking off his hat in compliment to the Good People; and ’tis only right that he should.
JUDY AND THE FAIRY CAT
From Ireland
Late one Hallowe’en an old woman was sitting up spinning. There came a soft knock at the door.
“Who’s there?” asked she.
There was no answer, but another knock.
“Who’s there?” she asked a second time.