86

86

Distant Voices

87

87

The Ballad of the Fairy Thorn-Tree

89

89

The Suicide’s Grave

95

95

p. 1THE FAIRY CHANGELING

p. 1

Dermod O’Byrne of Omah town In his garden strode up and down; He pulled his beard, and he beat his breast; And this is his trouble and woe confessed:

“The good-folk came in the night, and they Have stolen my bonny wean away; Have put in his place a changeling, A weashy, weakly, wizen thing!

“From the speckled hen nine eggs I stole, And lighting a fire of a glowing coal, I fried the shells, and I spilt the yolk; But never a word the stranger spoke:

“A bar of metal I heated red To frighten the fairy from its bed, To put in the place of this fretting wean My own bright beautiful boy again.

“But my wife had hidden it in her arms, And cried ‘For shame!’ on my fairy charms; p. 2She sobs, with the strange child on her breast: ‘I love the weak, wee babe the best!’”

p. 2

To Dermod O’Byrne’s, the 

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