people of faery in their journeys, and my mother brings Joseph down and
shows him, and he changes the foundations, the way he was bid, but
didn't bring it exactly to where was pointed, and the end of that was,
when he come to the house, his own wife lost her life with an accident
that come to a horse that hadn't room to turn right with a harrow
between the bush and the wall. The Wee Woman was queer and angry when
next she come, and says to us, 'He didn't do as I bid him, but he'll
see what he'll see."' My friend asked where the woman came from this
time, and if she was dressed as before, and the woman said, "Always the
same way, up the field beyant the burn. It was a thin sort of shawl she
had about her in summer, and a cloak about her in winter; and many and
many a time she came, and always it was good advice she was giving to
my mother, and warning her what not to do if she would have good luck.
There was none of the other children of us ever seen her unless me; but
I used to be glad when I seen her coming up the bum, and would run out
and catch her by the hand and the cloak, and call to my mother, 'Here's
the Wee Woman!' No man body ever seen her. My father used to be wanting
to, and was angry with my mother and me, thinking we were telling lies
and talking foolish like. And so one day when she had come, and was
sitting by the fireside talking to my mother, I slips out to the field
where he was digging. 'Come up,' says I, 'if ye want to see her. She's
sitting at the fireside now, talking to mother.' So in he comes with me
and looks round angry like and sees nothing, and he up with a broom
that was near hand and hits me a crig with it. 'Take that now!' says
he, 'for making a fool of me!' and away with him as fast as he could,
and queer and angry with me. The Wee Woman says to me then, 'Ye got
that now for bringing people to see me. No man body ever seen me, and
none ever will.'

"There was one day, though, she gave him a queer fright anyway,