The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends (27 page)

Now the
caillagh
had returned home and found that the cottage was empty. The girl was gone. She ran to the chimney and peered up. When she saw the long leather bag
had gone, she fell into a great rage and began to run in the direction Calybrid had taken.

When she met the horse she called: “Horse of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the horse. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

On she ran until she saw the sheep. “Sheep of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the sheep. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

Then the old woman met the goat: “Goat of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the goat. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

The old woman came to the lime-kiln. “Lime-kiln, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the kiln. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

Then she came to the cow. “Cow, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the cow. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

Finally, the old woman came to the mill. “Mill, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“She did not pass here, but is sleeping inside on a flour-sack,” replied the mill.

The old woman lifted the latch of the mill door and took out a hazel wand and tapped the sleeping Calybrid on the shoulder. The unfortunate girl was immediately turned into stone and the old
woman retrieved the long leather bag.

A year and a day passed and Iney MacKerron’s second eldest daughter, Calyphony, said to her mother: “Calybrid is not home. She must be making a great fortune. Shame on me for sitting
here doing nothing to help you or myself. Bake me a
soddag,
mother, and I will be off to seek my fortune.”

Iney MacKerron baked the
soddag,
which is an oat cake.

“You may have the whole and go without my blessing, or I must take a piece and give you a blessing for the journey.”

Calyphony said that she would take the whole
soddag
and be off, for she did not know when she might get food again. She added that if she was not back in a year and a day, it would mean
that she was doing well in life and making her fortune. Then off she went.

After a while, she came to a wooded glen and found a strange cottage with an old woman waiting outside the door.

“Whither are you off to, young girl?” she wheezed.

“I am away to make my fortune.”

“Are you looking for work?”

“That I am.”

“I am in need of a maid. Someone to wash and dress me, clean the cottage and sweep my hearth.”

“That work would suit me well.”

“There is one condition. When sweeping the hearth, you must not peer up the chimney.”

Now Calyphony was curious about this, but she agreed to the condition. It mattered not to her whether the old woman was crazy or not.

So the next day, Calyphony was up and washed the old woman and dressed her and the hag left the house. She cleaned the place and swept the hearth. Then she thought it would do no harm to have
one peek up the chimney. What did she see there, but her mother’s own long leather bag of gold? Down she took it and was away as fast as she could run back to her home.

As Calyphony hurried homewards she passed a horse in a field and the horse called to her: “Rub me down, young girl, for I haven’t been rubbed these seven years!”

But Calyphony was in such a hurry that she ignored the beast. Then she passed a sheep covered in a mass of wool. “Shear me, shear me, young girl, for I haven’t
had my fleece trimmed these seven years!”

But Calyphony was in such a hurry that she ignored the beast. As she hurried on she came across a goat on an ancient tether. “Change my tether, change my tether, young girl, for I
haven’t had it changed these seven years.”

But Calyphony was in such a hurry to return home, she ignored the beast.

Then along the road she passed a lime-kiln. The kiln cried out: “Clean me, clean me, young girl, I haven’t been cleaned these seven years.” But Calyphony was in such a hurry to
return home, she scowled at the kiln and passed by.

Then she saw a cow heavy with milk. “Milk me, milk me, young girl, for I haven’t been milked these seven years.” But Calyphony was in such a hurry to return home that she
ignored the beast.

By this time, Calyphony was so tired that she saw a mill and thought she would rest there for a while. The mill cried out: “Turn me, turn me, young girl. I haven’t been turned these
seven years!”

But Calyphony ignored the mill. Feeling tired, she went into the mill and lay down on a sack of flour and was soon fast asleep.

Now the old hag had returned home and found that the cottage was empty. The girl was gone. She ran to the chimney and peered up. When she saw the long leather bag had gone, she fell into a great
rage and began to run in the direction Calyphony had taken.

When she met the horse she called: “Horse of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the horse. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

On she ran until she saw the sheep. “Sheep of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the sheep. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

Then the old woman met the goat: “Goat of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the goat. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

The old woman came to the lime-kiln. “Lime-kiln, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the kiln. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

Then she came to the cow. “Cow, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“I did so,” agreed the cow. “She passed in that direction, not long since.”

Finally the old woman came to the mill.

“Mill, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“She did not pass here, but is sleeping inside on a flour-sack,” replied the mill.

The old woman lifted the latch of the mill door and took out a hazel wand and tapped the sleeping Calyphony on the shoulder. The unfortunate girl was immediately changed into stone and the old
woman retrieved the long leather bag and went home.

A year and a day passed and Iney MacKerron’s third daughter, Calyvorra, said to her mother: “Calybrid and Calyphony are not yet home. They must be making great fortunes. Shame on me
for sitting here, doing nothing to help you or myself. Bake me a
soddag,
and I will set off to seek my fortune.”

Iney MacKerron baked the
soddag,
the oatmeal cake, and said that her daughter could have the whole
soddag
but without her blessing or she would remove a piece of it and give her
the blessing.

“I will have your blessing, mother, and you remove a piece of it,” agreed Calyvorra. For she knew the old saying that a blessing will last longer than a morsel of food.

Then away she went and journeyed until she came to a wood in which was a strange house and an old woman hanging over the gate watching her.

“Whither away, young girl?”

“I am off to make my fortune,” replied Calyvorra.

“Is it work you want? I am in need of a maid to wash me, dress me, clean my cottage and sweep the hearth.”

“That should be good work for me,” replied Calyvorra.

“There is one condition, however. When you sweep my hearth you must not peer up the chimney.”

Well, this aroused Calyvorra’s curiosity but it was no concern to her if the old woman was peculiar or not. So she agreed to take the job.

The next morning, she rose, washed the old woman, dressed her and the
caillagh
took herself out. Then Calyvorra cleaned the cottage and swept the hearth. Now, as she
was doing so, she thought it would do no harm to take a quick peek up the chimney. And what should she see there? It was the long leather bag of gold which had belonged to her own mother. Down she
took it and, without more ado, she set off as fast as she could towards her home.

As she hurried homewards, she passed a horse in a field and the horse called to her: “Rub me down, young girl, for I haven’t been rubbed, these seven years!”

Calyvorra stopped immediately. “Oh, you poor horse, I’ll surely rub you down.” She laid down the long leather bag and gave the horse a rub.

After a while, she went on and saw a sheep covered in a mass of wool. “Shear me, shear me, young girl, for I haven’t had my fleece trimmed, these seven years.”

Calyvorra stopped immediately. “Oh, you poor sheep, I’ll surely cut your fleece.” She laid down the long leather bag and proceeded to shear the sheep.

On she went and came across a goat with an ancient tether. “Change my tether, change my tether, young girl, for I haven’t had it changed, these seven years.”

So Calyvorra stopped immediately. “You poor goat. Of course I’ll change it for you.” And she laid down her long leather bag and proceeded to change the goat’s tether.

Then along the road she came to a lime-kiln. The kiln cried out: “Clean me, clean me, young girl. I haven’t been cleaned these seven years.”

Calyvorra stopped immediately. “You poor kiln, of course I’ll clean you.” And she laid down her long leather bag and cleaned the kiln.

Then she saw a cow heavy with milk. “Milk me, milk me, young girl, for I haven’t been milked these seven years.”

Calyvorra stopped immediately. “Oh, poor cow, of course you shall be milked.” And she laid down her long leather bag and proceeded to milk the cow.

By this time, she was ever so tired. She saw a mill. The mill
cried out: “Turn me, turn me, young girl, for I haven’t been turned these seven years!”

“Oh, poor mill,” gasped Calyvorra, fighting off her tiredness, “of course I’ll turn you.” She laid down her long leather bag and proceeded to turn the mill and
then, eventually, she went inside, lay down on a flour-sack, and was soon fast asleep.

Now the
caillagh
returned home and found that the cottage was empty. The girl was gone. She ran to the chimney and peered up. When she saw that the long leather bag had gone, she flew
into a great rage and began to run in the direction Calyvorra had taken.

When she met the horse she called: “Horse of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“Have I nothing better to do than watch for young girls passing by?” replied the horse. “Seek elsewhere for your information.”

On she ran until she saw the sheep. “Sheep of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“Have I nothing better to do than watch for young girls passing by?” replied the sheep. “Seek elsewhere for your information.”

Then the old woman met the goat: “Goat of mine, did you see a young girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“Have I nothing better to do than watch for young girls passing by?” demanded the goat. “Seek elsewhere for your information.”

The old woman came to the lime-kiln. “Lime-kiln, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

“Have I nothing better to do than watch for young girls passing by?” replied the kiln. “Seek elsewhere for your information.”

Then she came to the cow. “Cow, did you see a girl with a long leather bag passing this way?”

“Have I nothing better to do than watch for young girls passing by?” replied the cow. “Seek elsewhere for your information.”

Finally, the old woman came to the mill.

“Mill, did you see a girl with a long leather bag pass this way?”

The mill said: “Come close,
caillagh,
so that I may hear clearly what you are asking. Come and whisper into my wheel, where I might hear the clearer.”

The old woman went up to the wheel and thrust her head forward to whisper into it and just then the mill wheel twisted round and dragged her into its cogs and stone pivots so that she was ground
right up and the tiny pieces were washed down the nearby hole in the ground where the water ran. And this hole was called the “Towl Creg y Vuggane” where, some say, you may hear the
hag’s cry even to this day.

The old witch had dropped her hazel wand and the mill called softly: “Calyvorra, Calyvorra, awake.”

When Calyvorra had awakened, the mill told her to pick up the wand and touch the two stones in the corner of the mill with it. She did so and no one was more surprised than she, when the stones
turned into Calybrid and Calyphony, her long-lost sisters.

The mill then told her to touch the long leather bag with the hazel wand and this she did.

“Now, no matter how much gold you take out of the bag,” said the mill, “it will never be empty.”

One more thing the mill told her to do, and that was to burn the hazel wand, so that no one else would grow unhappy by the use of its powers.

When that was done, Calybrid, Calyphony and Calyvorra set off home, laughing and celebrating their great good fortune.

At the gate of their home was Iney MacKerron, their mother, who had been crying in her loneliness; hearing their approach, she was waiting to greet them. Great was her joy when she saw her three
daughters with Calyvorra bringing with her such great good fortune. That is the story of
Poagey Liauyr jeh Caillagh
or the Hag’s Long Leather Bag.

12 The Lossyr-ny-Keylley

L
ong, long ago, there was a king of Ellan Vannin whose name was Ascon. Ascon was a fine, just and gentle king, but he was rather poor. He had three
fine sons and their names were Bris, Cane and Gil. In spite of his poverty, or perhaps because of it, the king ruled wisely and well and enjoyed the love and affection of his people. In return, he,
too, enjoyed life and was contented with his lot.

What he most enjoyed was the visit of a little bird which came from over the seas and alighted on his windowsill in spring, and sang until the little thing was fit to bust. It was a small golden
bird and the king called it
Lossyr-ny-Keylley,
which is the Manx name for a goldfinch. It came to the castle and stayed a short while, lifting the king’s spirits by its song, and then
flew away to the west. The king wished that the bird would stay longer. But it never did.