Irish Fairy and Folk Tales
W. B. Yeats
Paperback
(Forgotten Books, June 12, 2012)
Bishop of Oxford and Norwich, lamented long ago the departure of the English fairies. "In Queen Mary's time" he wrote - "When Tom came liome from labor, Or Cis to milking rose, Then merrily, merrily went their tabor, And merrily went their toes" But now, in the times of James, they had all gone, for "they were of the old profession" and "their songs were Ave Maries" In Ireland they are still extant, giving gifts to the kindly, and plaguing the surly. "Have you ever seen a fairy or such like? I asked an old man in County Sligo. "Amn't I annoyed with tbem" was the answer. "Do the fishermen along here know anything of the mermaids" I asked a woman of a village in County Dublin. "Indeed, they don't like to see them at all" she answered, "for they always bring bad weather" "Here is a man who believes in ghosts" said a foreign sea-captain, pointing to a pilot of my acquaintance. "In every house over there" said the pilot, pointing to his native village of Rosses, "there are several" Certainly that now old and much respected dogmatist, the Spirit of the Age, has in no manner made his voice heard down there. In a little while, for he has gotten a consumptive appearance of late, he will be covered over decently in his grave, and another will grow, old and much respected, in his place, and never be heard of down there, and after him another and another and another. About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology. Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text.