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Then they all took fright an' vanished away in the twinkle of a eye. Which must be true, 'cause my awn gran'mother tawld it. But they ded'n leave the farm, though nobody seed 'em again, for arter that 'tis said as the cows gived a wonnerful shower o' milk, better'n ever was knawn before. An' I 'sure 'e I'd dearly like to be maiden to good piskeys if they'd let me work for 'em."

You see, the lil people takes all manner o' shaapes, Mister Jan; an' they chaanges 'em tu, but every time they chaanges they've got to alter into somethin' smaller than what they was before. An' so, in coorse of time, they do say they comes down into muryans an' such like insects." "Piskeys or no piskeys, I've caught several in a trap and killed them."

She remembered how black he looked when she lisped about the piskeys; and though to-day she half believed in demon and fairy, goblin and giant, and quite believed in the saints and their miracles, she kept this side of her intelligence close locked when at home, and only nodded very gravely when her father roared against the blighting credulity of men's minds and the follies for which fishers and miners, and indeed the bulk of the human family in Cornwall, must some day burn.

Theer's Robin o' the Carn as had a maiden to work for en. You may have heard the tale?" "No, never." "'Tis a fine tale; an' the gal had a braave time 'mongst the lil people till she disobeyed 'em an' found herself back 'mongst men folk agin. But in coorse some of them the piskeys, I mean works for men folk themselves.

"They'm gashly things, rats, an' I shouldn't think as no good piskeys would turn into varmints like them." "More should I. But something better than rats came to see me last night, Joan. Guess who it was." "I dunnaw." "Why, you came!" "Me, Mister Jan! You must a bin dreamin'!" "Yes, of course I was; but such a lovely dream, Joan!

I sleep well there, and the dawn comes in and wakens me." "You ban't feared o' piskeys nor nothin' in a lawnsome plaace like thicky byre?" "No, no the rats are rather intrusive, though." "But they'm piskeys or spriggans so like's not!

An' theer's another marvelous thing as washin' in thicky waters done: it kep' the fairies off the bad fairies, I mean. 'Cause theer'm gude an' bad piskeys, same as gude an' bad men folks." "You believe in fairies, Joan?" She looked at him shyly, but he had apparently asked for information and was not in the least amused. "I dunnaw. P'raps. Iss, I do, then! Many wiser'n me do b'lieve in 'em.

Then, arter a bit, they done the threshin' an' was kickin' the short straw out the grain, which riz a gert dust; an' the piskeys all beginned sneezin'. An' my gran'mother, as was peepin' through the door unbeknown to 'em, forgot you must never speak to a piskey, an' sez, 'God bless 'e, hi men! 'cause that's what us allus sez if a body sneezes.

Theer a used to lie in the corner, but now he'm outside, an' I doubt the piskeys, what they talks 'bout, be mighty savage wi' me for not buryin' the beast, 'cause all fairies is 'dicted to goats, they do say, an' mighty fond o' the milk of 'em." Farmer Ford soon cleared the place of potatoes, sacks, and tools. Then, taking his broom, he made a clean sweep of dust and dirt.