Food For Thought

Traditionally, Hallowe'en was the day of the fairies. If you were out on that evening, even if you saw nothing, you would hear the sound of the wee folk singing or chanting melodies. So people were advised to be very careful in case any harm befell them. However, not all fairies were to be feared. If you were generous to them, they would treat you likewise.

In the district of Ballyliffin, one family had experienced many sightings of fairies at the end of one of their fields, close to the house, in what was known locally as gentle ground. One Hallowe'en night, when the children were gathered for their dinner, they asked their mother about the wee folk. 'If you wait a bit, until the meal is ready, you will see for yourselves.' When their mother eventually began serving the food, the plates and cups on the dresser suddenly began to rattle and shake until it seemed the whole thing was swaying to and fro. This continued for several minutes and the children became slightly anxious.

I'll go and give them a wee bit of supper now,' said the mother to the relief of the children, and sure enough, as soon as she had put some spuds out for them, the noisy rattling stopped. 'You should always be good to the wee folk,' warned their mother, 'no matter what, you should be generous with whatever you have. Do you believe me now?

The children readily agreed and every Hallowe'en after that they would recall in hushed voices the fairies mysteriously moving the crockery and the dresser.

On another Hallowe'en one of the boys from a neighbouring house was out for a walk and happened to be eating an apple. He was passing an area that was renowned as gentle ground when, unexpectedly, a group of what he thought were ordinary people gathered around him. He began to run but they followed until finally, in rage, he threw the apple at them. Once they had the apple they disappeared.

It seems that the boy had never left anything aside for the fairies so they decided to 'persuade' him to be a lot more generous. They took the apple to be a gift and from then on the boy made sure that he kept something for the fairy folk at Hallowe'en.

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