Stories
& Legends of Ireland
THE
BEWITCHED BUTTER, pt. 6
John Keegan
"Now,"
said she, "You both must churn, make fast the door and windows,
and let there be no light but from the fire; do not open your lips until
I desire you, and by observing my directions, I make no doubt but, ere
the sun goes down, we will find out the infernal villain who is robbing
you."
Bryan
secured the doors and windows, and commenced churning. The old sorceress
sat down by a blazing fire which had been specially lighted for the
occasion, and commenced singing the same wild song which she had sung
at the pulling of the cow-hairs, and after a little time, she cast one
of the nine hairs into the fire, still singing her mysterious strain,
and watching, with intense interest, the witching process.
A loud
cry, as if from a female in distress, was now heard approaching the
house; the old witch discontinued her incantations, and listened attentively.
The crying voice approached the door.
"Open
the door quickly,"' shouted the old charmer.
Bryan
unbarred the door, and all three rushed out in the yard, when they heard
the same cry down the boreheen, but could see nothing.
"It
is all over," shouted the old witch; "something has gone amiss,
and our charm for the present is ineffectual."
They now
turned back quite crestfallen, when, as they were entering the door,
the sybil cast her eyes downwards, and perceiving a piece of horse-shoe
nailed on the threshold, she vociferated -
"Here 1 have it; no wonder our charm was abortive. The person that
was crying abroad is the villain who has your cattle bewitched; i brought
her to the house, but she was not able to come to the door on account
of that horse-shoe. Remove it instantly, and we will try our luck again."
Bryan
removed the horse-shoe from the doorway, and by the hag's directions
placed it on the floor under the churn, having previously reddened it
in the fire.
They again
resumed their manual operations. Bryan and his wife began to churn,
and the witch again to sing her strange verses, and casting her cow-hairs
into the fire until she had them all nearly exhausted. Her countenance
now began to exhibit evident traces of vexation and disappointment.
She got quite pale, her teeth gnashed, her hand trembled, and as she
cast the ninth and last hair into the fire, her person exhibited more
the appearance of a female demon than of a human being.
Once more
the cry was heard, and an aged red-haired woman was seen approaching
the house quickly.
"Ho,
ho!" roared the sorceress, "I knew it would be so; my charm
has succeeded; my expectations are realized, and here she comes, the
villain who has destroyed you."
"'What are we to do now?" asked Bryan.
"Say nothing to her," said the hag; "give her whatever
she demands, and leave the rest to me."
The woman
advanced screeching vehemently, and Bryan went out to meet her. She
was a neighbour, and she said that one of her best cows was drowning
in a pool of water - that there was no one at home but herself, and
she implored Bryan to go rescue the cow from destruction.
Bryan
accompanied her without hesitation; and having rescued the cow from
her perilous situation, was back again in a quarter of an hour.
It was
now sunset, and Mrs. Costigan set about preparing supper. During supper
they reverted to the singular transactions of the day. The old witch
uttered many a fiendish laugh at the success of her incantations, and
inquired who was the woman whom they had so curiously discovered.
Bryan
satisfied her in every particular. She was the wife of a neighbouring
farmer; her name was Rachel Higgins; and she had been long suspected
to be on familiar terms with the spirit of darkness. She had five or
six cows; but it was observed by her sapient neighbours, that she sold
more butter every year than other farmers' wives who had twenty. Bryan
had, from the commencement of the decline in his cattle, suspected her
for being the aggressor, but as he had no proof, he held his peace.
"Well,"
said the old beldame, with a grim smile, "it is not enough that
we have merely discovered the robber; all is in vain, if we do not take
steps to punish her for the past, as well as to prevent her inroads
for the future."
"And how will that be done?" said Bryan.
" I will tell you; as soon as the hour of twelve o'clock arrives
to-night, do you go to the pasture, and take a couple of swift-running
dogs with you; conceal yourself in some place convenient to the cattle;
watch them carefully; and if you see any thing, whether man or beast,
approach the cows, set on the dogs, and if possible make them draw the
blood of the intruder; then ALL Will be accomplished. If nothing approaches
before sunrise, you may return, and we will try something else.
Convenient
there lived the cow-herd of a neighbouring squire. He was a hardy, courageous
young man, and always kept a pair of very ferocious bull-dogs. To him
Bryan applied for assistance, and he cheerfully agreed to accompany
him, and, moreover proposed to fetch a couple of his master's best grey-hounds,
as his own dogs, although extremely fierce and blood-thirsty, could
not he relied on for swiftness. He promised Bryan to be with him before
12 o'clock, and they parted.
