"THE FOLK-LORE OF HEREFORDSHIRE."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In your• review of " The Folk-lore of Herefordshire," by Ella Mary Leather, a quotation from the book is given,
containing the story of a changeling who disclosed his real nature on seeing his brother• brewing beer in an eggshell. May I point out that a similar story is found among the popular songs of Brittany in the "Barzaz-Briez " of M. de Villemarque? The poem " Ar Hugel Laec'hiet" relates how the fairies have stolen a baby from its mother•, and left in its place a hideous dwarf who never• utters a sound. The mother prays to the Virgin, who directs her to make a pretence of cooking a meal for ten labourers in an eggshell, upon which the dwarf will speak.
" When speaking, beat him lustily ; When beaten, loudly crieth he
When heard, he hence will carried be."
the mother follows this advice, and the dwarf, in amazement, asks what she is doing. On being informed he replies
"In one eggshell, a meal for ten ! I've seen the egg before the hen,
The seed which doth the tree contain The acorn and the willow green ; Beneath the British oak I've been : But nought like this I've ever seen !"
The woman beats the dwarf soundly, upon bearing whose cries the fairy reappears, claims the dwarf, and restores the human child to its mother.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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