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Myths and legends - The Fairy Mythology - The birth of the Dwarf Prince
Identifier
027387
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
The Fairy Mythology - Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries by Thomas Keightley [1870]
A Dwarf came down one night from the chestnut woods on the side of the mountain over the village of Walchwyl, and enquired for the house of a midwife,- whom he earnestly pressed to come out and go with him. She consented, and the Dwarf, bearing a light, led the way in silence to the woods. He stopped at last before a cleft in a rock, at which they entered, and the woman suddenly found herself in a magnificent hall. She was thence led through several rich apartments to the chamber of state, where the queen of the Dwarfs, for whom her services were required, was lying. She performed her office, and brought a fair young prince to the light. She was thanked and dismissed, and her former conductor appeared to lead her home.
As he was taking leave of her, he filled her apron with something, bidding her on no account to look at it till she was in her own house. But the woman could not control her curiosity, and the moment the Dwarf disappeared, she partly opened the apron, and lo! there was nothing in it but some black coals. In a rage, she shook them out on the ground. but she kept two of them in her hands, as a proof of the shabby treatment she had met with from the Dwarfs. On reaching home, she threw them also down on the ground. Her husband cried out with joy and surprise, for they shone like carbuncles. She asserted that the Dwarf had put nothing but coals into her apron ; but she ran out to call a neighbour, who knew more of such things than they did and he on examining them pronounced them to be precious stones of great value. The woman immediately ran back to where she had shaken out the supposed coals, but they were all gone.
** Compare the narrative in the Swiss dialect given by Grimm, Deut. Mythol. p. 419. The same peasant of BeIp who related the first legend was Mr. 'Wyss's authority for this one.
** The vanishing of the Berguiinleinr" says Mr. Wyss, " appears to be a matter of importance to the popular faith. It is almost always ascribed to the fault of mankind-sometimes to their wickedness."