Shield me from ill, shame, and teen;
Shield me, Lady, from villainy
And from all wicked company!"
Speculum Christiani.

Here is a little story I found one day among the legends of the
Cornish Saints, like a chip in porridge. If you love simplicity, I
think it may amuse you.

Lovey Bussow was wife of Daniel Bussow, a tin-streamer of Gwithian
Parish. He had brought her from Camborne, and her neighbours agreed
that there was little amiss with the woman if you overlooked her
being a bit weak in the head. They set her down as "not exactly."
At the end of a year she brought her husband a fine boy. It happened
that the child was born just about the time of year the tin-merchants
visited St. Michael's Mount; and the father--who streamed in a small
way, and had no beast of burden but his donkey, or "naggur"--had to
load up panniers and drive his tin down to the shore-market with the
rest, which for him meant an absence of three weeks, or a fortnight
at the least.

So Daniel kissed his wife and took his leave; and the neighbours, who
came to visit her as soon as he was out of the way, all told her the
same story--that until the child was safely baptised it behoved her
to be very careful and keep her door shut for fear of the Piskies.
The Piskies, or fairy-folk (they said), were themselves the spirits
of children that had died unchristened, and liked nothing better than
the chance to steal away an unchristened child to join their nation
of mischief.