Women are turned into hares, and can only be shot with a silver sixpence.
A white lady was seen every night after dark; and one night, when all were in bed, a servant heard a knock at the door, put her head out of window, and saw a little doll hop round the house and knock three times; she was so frightened that she could not get her head in, till others pulled her. The house was then suddenly illuminated, and, when quite dark again, the bed-clothes pulled off.
The fairies are seen to hop from trees: a man took one home for a doll, and became very ill; but on the advice of a woman, he returned it where found, and then quite recovered.
Fairies change children; a woman had one for eighteen years, and could not make it walk or speak. A woman, shearing corn, laid her child down; a man saw a fairy come and change it: the fairy-child screamed, and the woman, going to take it up, was prevented by the man. The fairy seeing that no one touched it, returned the woman's child.
People are pulled off horses by black dogs. Three stone coffins were lately dug up, and the place not since haunted.
Our woman servant told me that her father (who used to drink), and others, chased a black dog, which kept howling and screaming round the town, up as far as the gallows post; but did not dare to go beyond, and came back as fast as they could.
A tradesman told me that lying on a sofa at an inn, a white lady whispered and told him where some money was to be found; he fell off the sofa, was ill for six months, and has been lame ever since. The owner of the house would give him half if he tells; but he will not tell, or the white lady would haunt him.
They say that fairies are the fallen angels.
A. C.