his woman had given birth to a healthy and vigorous child at the beginning of
the harvest, one wretched and inclement summer. As the homestead was a
considerable distance from church or chapel, and the weather so very rainy, it
was neglected to baptize the child at the usual time, that is to say, before
it was eight days old. One fine day, in the middle of this wretched harvest,
the mother went to the field with the rest of the family to try to save the
harvest, and left her baby sleeping in its cradle in its grandmother's charge,
who was so aged and decrepit as to be unable to go much about. The old woman
fell asleep, and, while she was in that state, the Tylwyth Teg came in
and took away the baby, placing another in its stead.Very shortly the latter began to whine and groan, so that the grandmother awoke: she went to the cradle, where she saw a slender, wizened old man moving restlessly and peevishly about. "Alas! alas!" said she, "the old Tylwyth have been here"; and she at once blew in the horn to call the mother home, who came without delay. As she heard the crying in the cradle, she ran towards it, and lifted the little one without looking at him; she hugged him, put him to her breast, and sang lullaby to him, but nothing was of any avail, as he continued, without stopping, to scream enough to break her heart; and she knew not what to do to calm him.
At last she looked at him: she saw that he was not like her dear little boy, and her heart was pierced with agony. She looked at him again, and the more she examined him the uglier he seemed to her. She sent for her husband home from the field, and told him to search for a skilled man somewhere or other; and, after a long search, he was told by somebody that the parson of Trawsfynyd was skilled in the secrets of the spirits; so he went to him. The latter bade him take a shovel and cover it with salt, and make the figure of the cross in the salt; then to take it to the chamber where the fairy child was, and, after taking care to open the window, to place the shovel on the fire until the salt was burnt. This was done, and when the salt had got white hot, the peevish abortion went away, seen of no one, and they found the other baby whole and unscathed at the doorstep.
