The Piskie Threshers
Many an industrious farmer can speak of the assistance which hew has received
from the piskies. Mr T. Q. Couch tells a story of this kind so well that no
other is required. Long, long ago, before the threshing-machines were
thought of, the farmer who resided at C----, in going to his barn one day,
was surprised at the extraordinary quantity of corn that had been threshed
the previous night, as well as to discover the mysterious agency by which it
was effected. His curiosity led him to inquire into the matter; so at night,
when the moon was up, he crept stealthily to the barn-door, and looking
through a chink, saw a little fellow, clad in a tattered suit of green,
wielding the "dreshel" (flail) with astonishing vigour, and beating the floor
with blows so rapid that the eye could not follow the motion of the
implement. The farmer slunk away unperceived, and went to bed, where he lay
a long while awake, thinking in what way he could best show his gratitude to
the piskie for such an important service. He came to the conclusion at
length, that, as the little fellow's clothes were getting very old and
ragged, the gift of a new suit would be a proper way to lessen the
obligation; and, accordingly, on the morrow he had a suit of green made, of
what was supposed to be the proper size, which he carried early in the the
evening to the barn, and left for the piskie's acceptance. At night the
farmer stole to the door again to see how his gift was taken. He was just in
time to see the elf put on the suit, which was no sooner accomplished than,
looking down on himself admiringly, he sung--
"Piskie fine, and piskie gay,
Piskie now will fly away."
Return to Robert Hunt's Popular Romances
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