| Betty
Stogs was a very lazy girl indeed. Married a year, with her own
cottage and a new born to nurse, she spent little time at home.
The baby's most constant companion was the cat, which shared its
cradle and its food. It upset everyone except Betty to see the
baby so dirty.
"Towednack
is a windy place an' cold", she always said. "A
good layer of dirt will keep 'n warm." One evening Betty
was particularly late home. Entering the dark cottage, she
could see no baby in the cradle, and no cat. Frantically
Betty searched all over, well aware that, her husband, was
due home from the mine and would be very angry. Indeed, he
was, shouting and flinging her out of the house to tell the
neighbours.
The
search went on throughout the night, everyone joining in. Each
croft, hedge, bush and bank was carefully checked. Towards dawn,
Betty saw the cat walking towards her. It led her to a thicket
of fern and furze. To her great relief, upon the grass lay the
baby fast asleep. It was naked, pink and clean, smelling sweetly
of herbs and flowers.
Some
said the Small People were responsible, but the dawn had surprised
them before they got the baby clean enough for their liking. They
told Betty that the next night the faeries would come back for
it, a warning which she took to heart. Thereafter, she cared for
the child as devotedly as the Small People would have done themselves.
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Good
story, better beer.
See
a nice pint of Betty's HERE
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