fairytale friday with the witches' excursion

The Witches' Excursion
from Legends of Irish Witches and Fairies
written by Patrick Kennedy 1866-1870
Shemus Rua was awakened from his sleep one night by noises in his kitchen.  Stealing to the door, he saw half a dozen old women, sitting round the fire, jesting, and laughing, his own old housekeeper, Madge, quite frisky and gay, helping her sister crones to cheering glasses of punch.  He began to admire the impudence and imprudence of Madge, displayed in the invitation and the riot, but recollected on the instant her officiousness in urging him to take a comfrotable posset, which she had brought to his bedside just before he fell asleep.  Had he drunk it he would have been just now deaf to the witches' glee.  He heard and saw them drink his health in such a mocking style as nearly to tempt him to charge them, besom in hand, but he restrained himself.  The jug being emptied, one of them cried out, "It is time to be gone," and at the same moment, putting on a red cap, she added
By yarrow and rue,
And my red cap too,
Hie over to England.

Making use of a twig which she held in her hand as a steed, she gracefully soared up the chimney, and was rapidly followed by the rest.  But when it came to the housekeeper's turn, Shemus interposed.  "By your leave, ma'am!" said he, snatching twig and cap, "Ah, you desateful ould crocodile!  If I find you here on my return, there'll be wigs on the green."
By yarrow and rue,
And my red cap too,
Hie over to England.
The words were not out of his mouth when he was soaring above the ridge-pole, and swiftly ploughing the air.  He was careful to speak no word (being somewhat conversant in witch lore), as the result would be a tumble, and immediate return of the expedition.  In a very short time they had crossed the Wicklow hills, the Irish Sea, and the Welsh mountains, and were charging at whirlwind speed the halldoor of a castle.  Shemus, only for the company in which he found himself, would have cried out for pardon, expecting to be mummy against the hard oak door in a moment, but all bewildered he found himself passing through the keyhole, along a passage, down a flight of steps, and through a cellar door keyhole, before he could form any clear idea of his situation.
Waking to the full consciousness of his postion, he found himself sitting on a stillion, plenty of lights glimmering round, and he and his companions, nobbing and drinking helths as jovially and recklessly as if the liquor was honestly come by, and they were sitting in Shemus's own kitchen.  The red birredh had assimilated Shemus's nature for the time being to that of his unholy companions.  The heady liquors soon got in their brains, and a period of unconsciousness succeeded the ecstasy, the headache, the turning round the barrels, and the scattered sight of poor Shemus.  He woke up under the impression of being roughly seized, and shaken and dragged upstairs, and subjected to a disagreeable examination by the lord of the castle, in his state parlour.  There was much derision and laughter among the whole company, gentle and simple, on hearing Shemus's explanation; and as the thing occurred in the dark ages, the unlucky Leinsterman was sentenced to be hung as soon as the gallows could be prepared for the occasion.
The poor Hibernian was in the cart proceeding on his last journey, with a label upon his back, and another on his breast, announcing him as the remorseless villain who for the last month had been draining casks in my lord's vaults every night.  He was striving to say a prayer, when he was surprised to hear himself addressed by his name, and in his native tongue, by an old woman in the crowd.  "Ach, Shemus, alanna! is going to die, you are in a strange place, without your cappeen dearg!"  These words infused hope and courage into the victim's heart.  He turned to the lord, and humbly asked leave to die in his red cap, which he supposed had dropped from his head in the vault.  A servant was sent for the headpiece, and Shemus felt lively hope warming his heart while placing it on his head.  On the platform he was graciously allowed to address the spectators, which he proceeded to do in the usual formula composed for the benefit of flying stationers:  "Good people all, a warning take by me;" but when he had finished the line, "My parents reared me tenderly," he unexpectedly added,  
By yarrow and rue,
And my red cap too,
Hie over to England.
and the disappointed spectators saw him shoot up obliquely through the air in the style of a skyrocket that had missed its aim.  
It is said that the lord took the circumstance muchto heart, and never afterwards hung a man for twenty-four hours after his offence.

the stars in the sky

The Stars In The Sky adapted by Ethel Johnston Phelps in her book The Maid of the North

There once was a girl who wanted to touch the stars in the sky.
On clear nights, when she looked through her bedroom window, the stars twinkled and glittered in the velvet blackness of the sky above.  Sometimes the stars seemed like diamonds, sometimes like tears, and sometimes like merry eyes.
One summer evening the lass set off to seek the stars.  She walked and walked until she came to the dark, satiny surface of a millpond.
"Good evening," said she.  "I'm seeking the stars in the sky.  Can you help me?"
"They're right here," murmured the pond.  "They shine so brightly on my face that I can't sleep nights.  Jump in, lass.  See if you can catch one."
The lass jumped into the pond and swam all around it.  But never a star did she find.
She walked on across the fields until she came to a chattering brook.
"Good evening," said she.  "I'm off to find the stars in the sky.  Do you know how to reach them?"
"Yes, yes.  They're always dancing about on the stones and water here," chattered the brook.  "Come in and catch one if you can."

The lass waded in, but not a star could she find in the brook.
"I don't think the stars come down here at all!" she cried.
"Well, they look as if they're here," said the brook pertly.  "And isn't that the same thing?"
"Not the same thing at all," said the girl.
She walked on until she met a host of Little Folk dancing on the grass.  No taller than herself, they seemed very elegant in their clothes of green and gold.
"Good evening to you, Little Folk of the Hill," she called, taking care to be polite.  "I'm seeking the stars in the sky."
High, silvery voices rang out.  "The shine on the grass here at night.  Come dance with us if you want to find one."
The lass joined the round ring dance of the Little Folk and danced and danced.  But although the grass twinkled and gleamed beneath their fee, not a star did she find.
She left the dancers and sat down beyond the ring.  "I've searched and searched, but there are no stars down here," she cried.  "Can't you tell me how to reach the stars?"
The dancers simply laughed.  Then one of the company came over to her and said, "Since you're so set on it, I'll give you this advice.  If you won't go back, go forward.  Keep going forward; and mind you take the right road.  Ask Four-Feet to carry you to No-Feet-At-All.  Then tell No-Feet-At-All to carry you to the Stairs Without Steps.  If you can climb them."
"If I can, will I be up among the stars in the sky at last?" she asked.
"If you're not there, you'll be somewhere else," said the Little Man, and he ran back to join the dancers.
With a light heart, the lass stood up and went forward.  Just as she was beginning to doubt that she was on the right road, she came to a silver-gray horse beneath a rowan tree.
"Good evening," said the lass.  "I'm seeking the stars in the sky and my feet are weary.  Will you carry me along the way?"
"I know nothing about stars in the sky," said the horse, "I am here to do the bidding of the Little Folk only."
"I've just been dancing with them, and I was told to ask Four-Feet to carry me to No-Feet-At-All."
"In that case, climb on my back," said the horse.  "I am Four-Feet, and I will take you there."

They rode on and on until they left the woods behind and came to the edge of the land.  Before them on the water, a wide, gleaming path of silver ran straight out to sea.  And in the distance, a wonderful arch of brilliant colors rose from the water and went right up into the sky.
"I've brought you to the end of land," said the horse.  "That's as much as Four-Feet can do for you.  Climb down now; I must be off."
The lass slid from the horse and stood on the shore, looking about her.  A large fish swam in from the sea.
"Good evening, fish," she called.  "I'm looking for the stars in the sky.  Can you show me the way?"
"Not unless you bring the word of the Little Folk," said the fish.
"I can indeed," she answered.  "Four-Feet brought me here, and I was told No-Feet-At-All would carry me to the Stairs Without Steps."
"In that case," said the fish, "I will take you.  Sit on my back and hold tight."
Off he swam with the girl on his back, straight along the silver path toward the bright arch of many colors.  As they came to the foot of it, she saw the broad stairs of color rising steeply into the sky.  At the far end of it were the merry, glittering stars.
"Here you are," said the fish.  "These are the Stairs Without Steps.  They're not easy to climb.  Climb if you can, but mind you hold fast and don't fall!"

So she started off.  It was not easy at all to climb the bright-colored light.  She climbed on and on, and it seemed she moved very slowly.  Although she was high above the sea, the stars were still far away.
She was very weary but she thought, "I've come this far.  I won't give up now."
On and on she went.  The air grew colder, the light more brilliant, until at last she reached the top of the arch.  All about her the stars darted, raced, and spun in dazzling flashes of light.  Below her, stretching down into darkness, were the brilliant colors of the Stairs Without Steps.
She had reached the stars in the sky at last, and she stood transfixed with joy at the sheer wonder of it all.
After a time she became aware that the air was icy cold, and the hard, brilliant light of the spinning stars made her dizzy.  Shading her eyes with her hand, she tried to see the earth below, but all was in darkness.  No warm flicker of hearth or candlelight could be seen.
Then, in one last yearning effort, she stretched out her hand to touch a flashing star.  She reached farther, farther--until suddenly she lost her balance.  With a sigh--half of regret, half of contentment--she slid down, down, faster and faster into the darkness below, and all sense left her.
When she opened her eyes it was morning.  The sun shone warm and golden on her bed.
"I did reach the stars!" she thought with joy.  But in the safe stillness of her room she wondered, "Or did I dream it?"
Then she opened her tightly curled right hand, and on her palm lay a brilliant speck of stardust.

two above image credits:  vintage pegasus print and star illustration found at a wonderous shop online by missquitecontrary