DAME PRIDGETT and the FAIRIES
by Katharine Pyle · from Tales of Folk and Fairies
Adapted Version
Dame Pridgett was a kind nurse. She liked to help people. One day, a strange man came. He rode to her door. He rode a big black horse. The Fairy Man did not get off. He asked for Dame Pridgett. "My wife is sick," he said. "Come with me." Dame Pridgett felt a pull. She went with him.
The Magic Horse flew fast. Dame Pridgett held on tight. They stopped at an old house. It looked quiet and strange. Inside, a woman lay in bed. This was the Fairy Mother. A small baby was with her. Dame Pridgett was a nurse. She helped the Fairy Mother. She cared for the Baby Fairy.
The Baby Fairy was weak. Its eyes looked dull. The Fairy Mother had a special cream. "Put this on its eyes," she said. She warned: 'Eyes strong, not for you!' Dame Pridgett listened well.
Dame Pridgett put on the cream. The baby's eyes grew bright. They sparkled like small jewels. Dame Pridgett felt wonder. Her own eyes were not good. She could not see very well. She thought about the cream. What if she used it? She made a small plan.
One day, she dropped a bowl. It was not a real mistake. She touched her right eye. A little cream went on it. Then everything changed. The room was not old. It was bright and golden. The Fairy Mother was beautiful. Her hair was like gold. The children wore fine clothes. They played with bright jewels. Dame Pridgett saw magic.
Dame Pridgett kept her secret. She did not tell anyone. She acted like before. She helped the Fairy Mother. She cared for the baby. The Fairy Mother got better. She grew strong again. Dame Pridgett finished her work.
The Fairy Man came back. He gave her gold coins. "You did well," he said. He put her on his horse. The Magic Horse rode fast. Dame Pridgett closed her eyes. She was home very soon. She felt a little lost. But she had the gold.
Dame Pridgett saw new things. Her right eye saw magic. She saw little fairies. They danced in her garden. They played in the woods. She saw them every day. She kept her secret safe. She did not talk to them. It was her special sight.
One day, Dame Pridgett went out. She went to the market. Many people were there. She saw the Fairy Man. He was taking some food. Other people did not see him. He was invisible to them. But Dame Pridgett saw him. Her magic eye saw him.
Dame Pridgett felt upset. "Stop that," she told him. The Fairy Man looked up. "You see me?" he asked. "Yes, I do," she said. "I put cream on my eye. It was the special cream. Now I see you clearly. She told her secret.
The Fairy Man was not mad. "Which eye sees me?" he asked. "My right eye," she said. He moved very fast. He blew into her right eye. It was a strong puff. Her special eye felt strange. It could not see magic now. The Fairy Man was gone.
Dame Pridgett blinked her eye. She could not see fairies. Her magic sight was gone. She felt a little sad. But she still had her gold. The gold made her feel good. She had a nice reward. She lived a happy life. She remembered the magic.
Original Story
DAME PRIDGETT AND THE FAIRIES
Dame Pridgett was a fat, comfortable, good-natured old body, and her business in life was to go about nursing sick folk and making them well again.
One day she was sitting by the window, rocking herself and resting after a hard week of nursing. She looked from the window, and there she saw a queer-looking little man come riding along the road on a great fiery, prancing black horse. He rode up to her door and knocked without getting off his horse, and when Dame Pridgett opened the door he looked down at her with such queer pale eyes he almost frightened her.
“Are you Dame Pridgett?” he asked.
“I am,” answered the dame.
“And do you go about nursing sick people?”
“Yes, that is my business.”
“Then you are the one I want. My wife is ill, and I am seeking some one to nurse her.”
“Where do you live?” asked the dame, for the man was a stranger to her, and she knew he was not from thereabouts.
“Oh, I come from over beyond the hills, but I have no time to talk. Give me your hand and mount up behind me.”
Dame Pridgett gave him her hand, not because she wanted to, but because, somehow, when he bade her do so she could not refuse. He gave her hand a little pull, and she flew up through the air as light as a bird, and there she was sitting on the horse behind him. The stranger whistled, and away went the great black horse, fast, fast as the wind;—so fast that the old Dame had much ado not to be blown off, but she shut her eyes and held tight to the stranger.
They rode along for what seemed a long distance, and then they stopped before a poor, mean-looking house. Dame Pridgett stared about her, and she did not know where they were. She knew she had never seen the place before. In front of the house were some rocks with weeds growing among them, and a pool of muddy water, and a few half-dead trees. It was a dreary place. Two ragged children were playing beside the door with a handful of pebbles.
The little man lighted down and helped the old dame slip from the horse; then he led the way into the house. They passed through a mean hallway and into a room hung round with cobwebs. The room was poorly furnished with a wooden bed, a table and a few chairs. In the bed lay a little, round-faced woman with a snub nose and a coarse, freckled skin, and in the crook of her arm was a baby so small and weak-looking the nurse knew it could not be more than a few hours old.
“This is my wife,” said the stranger. “It will be your duty to wait on her and to wash and dress the child.”
The baby was so queer looking that Dame Pridgett did not much care to handle it, but still she had come there as a nurse, and she would do what was required of her.
The little man showed her where the kitchen was, and she heated some water and then went back to the bedroom and took up the baby to wash it. But so strange it all seemed, and she felt so shaken up by her ride that she was awkward in handling the child, and as she bent her head over it, it lifted its hand and gave her such a box on the ear that her head rang with it.
The old dame cried out and almost let the babe fall, she was so thunderstruck.
“What is the matter?” asked the woman from the bed. Then she slipped her hand under her pillow and drew out a box of salve. “Here! Rub the child’s eyes with a bit of this,” she said, “but be sure you do not get any of it on your own eyes, or it will be a bad thing for you,—scarce could be a worse.”
The nurse took a bit of the salve on her forefinger and rubbed the baby’s eyes with it, and then the mother bade her go and wash off any particle of salve that might be left on her finger.
All day Dame Pridgett waited on the mother and child, and when night came she was shown into a room next to theirs where she was to sleep.
The following day the dame was again kept busy with the mother and child. She washed the baby and rubbed the salve on its eyelids as before, and again the mother warned her not to let the least particle of salve touch her own eyes, or it would be the worse for her.
Food was set out for the nurse in a small room beyond her own. She did not know whence it came, nor who prepared it, but she was hungry and ate heartily of it, though it had a strange taste she did not like. The two ragged children came in and ate with her. They did not speak, but stared at her from under their matted hair. The little man she did not see again for some time.
So day followed day, and it was always the same thing over and over for Dame Pridgett, and every day after she had washed the child she rubbed salve on its eyelids. Soon its eyes, that had at first been dull, grew so bright and strong they sparkled like jewels. Dame Pridgett thought it must be a very fine salve. She would have liked to try some of it on her own eyes, for her sight was somewhat dim, but the mother watched her so closely that she never had a chance to use it.
Now, every day, after Dame Pridgett had washed the baby, she left the basin on a chair beside her while she rubbed the salve on the child’s eyes. One day she managed to upset the basin with her elbow as though by accident, though really by design. She gave a cry and bent over to pick up the basin, and as she did so, unseen by her mistress, she rubbed her right eye with the finger that still had some salve left on it.
When Dame Pridgett straightened up and looked about her she could hardly keep from crying out again at what she saw. The room and everything in it looked different. Instead of being poor and mean, it was like a chamber in a castle. Where there had been cobwebs were now shimmering silken hangings. The bed and all the furniture was of gold, magnificently carved. The sheets and pillow cases were of silk, and instead of a coarse, snub-nosed little woman, there among the pillows lay the most exquisite little lady the old dame had ever set eyes on; her skin was as fine as a rose leaf, her hair like spun gold, her lips like coral, and her eyes as bright as stars. The babe, also, from being a very ordinary looking child, had become the most exquisite little elfin creature that ever was seen.
Dame Pridgett managed somehow to keep quiet and hide her amazement, but now she knew very well that it was to fairyland she had come, and that these were fairy folk.
She made some excuse to go to the window and look out. The change outside was no less wonderful than that within. The muddy pool she now saw was a shining lake; the rocks were grottoes; the trees were covered with leaves and shining fruit, and the weeds were beds of flowers of wondrous colors, such as she had never seen before. As for the ragged children, she saw them now as fairy children clothed in the finest of laces and playing, not with pebbles, but with precious jewels so brilliant that they fairly dazzled the eyes.
Dame Pridgett managed to keep her mouth shut and acted in such a way that the fairies never suspected she had used the magic ointment, and could now see them as they were. But it was only with the right eye, the one she had touched with the salve, that she could see thus. When she closed that eye and looked with the other, everything was just as it had been before, and seemed so mean and squalid it was difficult to believe it could appear otherwise.
So time went on until the fairy lady was well again and had no need of a nurse to care for her. Then one day the little man came again on his black steed and called the old dame out to him.
“You have served us well,” said he, “and here is your reward,” and he placed a purse of gold pieces in her hand. Then he caught hold of her and lifted her up behind him on to the horse, and away they went, swifter than the wind. Dame Pridgett had to shut her eyes to keep from growing dizzy and falling off. So it was that when she reached home she knew no more of the way she had come than she knew of the way she had gone.
But this was not the last Dame Pridgett saw of the fairy folk. The little man on the black steed came to her house no more, but there were other little people about in the world who were now visible to her salve-touched eye. Sometimes as she came through the wood she would see them busy among the roots of the trees, setting their houses in order, or bartering and trading in their fairy markets; or on moonlight nights she would look out and see them at play among the flowers in her garden; or she would pass them dancing in fairy rings in the pastures or meadow lands, but she never told a soul of what she saw, nor tried to speak to the wee folk, and they were so busy about their own affairs that they paid no attention to her and never guessed she could see them.
And then at last came a day (and a sad day it was for Dame Pridgett) when she again met the little man who had come for her on the great black horse.
She had gone to market to buy the stuff for a new apron and was walking along, thinking of nothing but her purchase, when suddenly she saw the little man slipping about among the market people, never touching them and unseen by any. He was peeping into the butter firkins, smelling and tasting, and wherever he found some very good butter he helped himself to a bit of it and put it in a basket he carried on his arm.
Dame Pridgett pressed up close to him and looked into his basket, and there in it was a dish almost full of butter. When the good dame saw that, she was so indignant that she quite lost all prudence.
“Shame on you,” she cried to the little man. “Are you not ashamed to be stealing butter from good folk who are less able to buy than yourself.”
The little man stopped and looked at her. “So you can see me, can you?” he said.
“Yes, to be sure I can,” said the old dame boldly.
“And how does that happen?” asked the little man smoothly, and without any show of anger.
“Oh, when I was nursing your good lady, I managed to rub a bit of her salve on one of my eyes, and that is how I can see you.”
“And which eye did you rub with the salve?”
“My right eye.”
“And it is only with your right eye you see me?”
“Only with my right eye.”
When the little man heard that, quick as a flash he pursed up his lips and blew into her right eye, and he blew so hard he blew the sight right out of it. The old dame blinked and winked and rubbed her eye with her fingers. The little man had vanished from before her. She could see everything else, but what she saw was with her left eye only, and she could see no fairies with it for it had not been touched with salve.
So that was the end of it for Dame Pridgett, as far as the wee folk were concerned, for she never got back the sight of her right eye; only she still had the purse of gold pieces left, and that was enough to comfort the old dame for a great deal.
Transcriber's Note:
The page numbers numbers in the list of (#illus) have been changed to match their position in this ebook.
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Story DNA
Moral
Do not meddle in affairs that do not concern you, especially those of magical beings, or you may face irreversible consequences.
Plot Summary
Dame Pridgett, a kind nurse, is mysteriously summoned by a fairy man to care for his wife and newborn. Despite warnings, she secretly applies a magic salve to her eye, gaining the ability to see the true, magnificent fairy world hidden beneath its squalid appearance. After her service, she is rewarded with gold and returns home, now able to see fairies everywhere. However, when she confronts the fairy man for stealing at the market, he blinds her magic-seeing eye, ending her connection to the fairy world, though she keeps her gold.
Themes
Emotional Arc
comfort to wonder to loss, tempered by reward
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common folk beliefs in the existence of a hidden fairy world and the dangers of interacting with it.
Plot Beats (12)
- Dame Pridgett, a good-natured nurse, is approached by a strange little man on a black horse who demands her services for his ill wife.
- She is magically transported to a desolate, unfamiliar house and begins nursing the peculiar fairy mother and her newborn baby.
- The mother provides a special salve for the baby's eyes, repeatedly warning Dame Pridgett not to get any on her own eyes.
- Dame Pridgett observes the baby's eyes improving and, curious about the salve's power, devises a plan to apply it to her own eye.
- She feigns an accident, rubbing her right eye with the salve-covered finger, and immediately perceives the true, magnificent fairy nature of her surroundings and the fairy folk.
- Dame Pridgett pretends not to see the true forms, continuing her nursing duties until the fairy mother recovers.
- The fairy man rewards her with a purse of gold and magically transports her home, leaving her disoriented about the journey.
- With her salve-touched eye, Dame Pridgett can now see fairies in her everyday life, but she keeps her secret and does not interact with them.
- One day at the market, she sees the fairy man stealing butter, invisible to others.
- Outraged, Dame Pridgett confronts him, revealing that she can see him and how she gained this ability.
- The fairy man, without anger, asks which eye she used, and upon learning it was her right eye, he blows into it, blinding it.
- Dame Pridgett loses her ability to see fairies but retains the purse of gold, which comforts her for her loss.
Characters
Dame Pridgett ★ protagonist
A stout, comfortable, and good-natured elderly woman of average height with a sturdy build. Her skin is likely fair and somewhat wrinkled from age, with a warm, inviting complexion.
Attire: Practical and modest, typical of a working nurse in a rural European setting (likely 19th century, given the author). She would wear a long, dark wool or linen skirt, a simple white or cream linen blouse, and a sturdy, dark apron. Her shoes would be comfortable, low-heeled leather or wooden clogs. Later, she considers buying fabric for a new apron, implying a continued simple, domestic style.
Wants: To fulfill her duties as a nurse, to understand the strange circumstances she finds herself in, and later, to improve her own failing eyesight and perhaps gain a bit of comfort in her old age.
Flaw: Curiosity and a lack of prudence. Her desire to see better and understand the fairy world leads her to defy explicit warnings, ultimately costing her the magical sight.
She is initially a mundane human who is thrust into the fairy world. Through her actions, she gains the ability to see fairies, which enriches her life with wonder and a secret. Her imprudence leads to the loss of this magical sight, but she retains a financial reward, returning to a comfortable, if less magical, existence.
Good-natured, diligent, curious, practical, and a bit bold. She is dedicated to her work as a nurse and is not easily deterred, even by strange circumstances. Her curiosity leads her to defy warnings.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly, stout woman with a kind, round face and rosy cheeks, fair skin, and white hair pulled back in a neat bun. She wears a dark blue linen skirt, a cream-colored linen blouse, and a sturdy dark green wool apron tied at her waist. Her hands are clasped gently in front of her, and she has a warm, slightly curious expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Little Man ⚔ antagonist
A small, queer-looking man, suggesting a non-human, possibly elfin or goblin-like stature. He is nimble and quick, despite his small size.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but inferred to be simple yet functional for riding. Perhaps dark, close-fitting garments of a natural fabric like wool or leather, suitable for a swift rider. He carries a basket when stealing butter, suggesting a common, unassuming appearance to blend in.
Wants: To ensure the well-being of his fairy wife and child, to maintain the secrecy of the fairy world from humans, and to punish those who breach their rules.
Flaw: None explicitly shown, but his reliance on magic to conceal his true nature implies a vulnerability if that magic is circumvented.
He remains largely unchanged, serving as a catalyst for Dame Pridgett's journey. He is a constant, enigmatic figure representing the boundary and rules of the fairy world.
Mysterious, commanding, cunning, and ultimately punitive. He is efficient in his tasks and shows no overt emotion, even when Dame Pridgett confronts him.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, slender man with sharp features and unsettlingly pale, almost glowing eyes. He has short, dark, slightly disheveled hair. He wears a dark grey tunic of rough woven wool, dark brown leather breeches, and tall, soft leather boots. He stands with a slight lean, a subtle smirk on his lips. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Fairy Lady ◆ supporting
Initially appears as a 'little, round-faced woman with a snub nose and a coarse, freckled skin.' When seen through the magic salve, she is an 'exquisite little lady' with skin 'as fine as a rose leaf.' She is delicate and beautiful in her true form.
Attire: Initially, she appears to be in a simple, coarse nightgown in a poorly furnished room. In her true form, she is surrounded by 'shimmering silken hangings' and lies on a bed with 'sheets and pillow cases of silk,' implying her true attire would be equally luxurious and delicate, perhaps a gown of fine silk or lace, fitting for a fairy noble.
Wants: To recover from childbirth and protect her child, and to maintain the secrecy of the fairy world, particularly the magic salve.
Flaw: Her vulnerability during childbirth, requiring human assistance.
She recovers from her illness, and her true, beautiful form is revealed to Dame Pridgett, though she remains unaware of this revelation. She returns to her normal fairy life.
Mysterious, cautious, and protective of her secrets. She is observant, as she watches Dame Pridgett closely, and she is firm in her warnings about the salve.
Image Prompt & Upload
A delicate, exquisite young woman with skin as fine as a rose leaf. She has long, shimmering golden hair that cascades around her, and bright, star-like eyes. Her lips are a soft coral color. She wears a flowing gown of pale green silk, intricately embroidered with silver threads, and reclines gently. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Fairy Child ○ minor
Initially appears 'small and weak-looking,' 'queer looking.' After the salve is applied, its eyes grow 'bright and strong [and] sparkled like jewels.' This suggests a transformation from a sickly appearance to one of vibrant, magical health.
Attire: As an infant, it would be swaddled or dressed in simple baby clothes, likely of fine, soft fabric in its true fairy form, contrasting with its initial 'poor' appearance.
Wants: To grow strong and healthy, as any infant, but with a magical nature.
Flaw: Its initial weakness as a newborn, requiring care.
It grows stronger and healthier through the application of the magic salve, becoming a vibrant fairy child.
Mysterious and possessing surprising magical strength, even as a newborn. It is a catalyst for Dame Pridgett's discovery of the salve.
Image Prompt & Upload
A newborn infant with delicate features and surprisingly bright, jewel-like eyes that sparkle. It is swaddled in a soft, shimmering white silk blanket. Its tiny hand is raised slightly, as if in a gesture of unexpected power. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Black Horse ○ minor
A 'great fiery, prancing black horse.' It is exceptionally fast, 'fast as the wind' and 'swifter than the wind,' suggesting a powerful and spirited build, possibly with glowing eyes or nostrils to convey its 'fiery' nature.
Attire: Likely minimal tack, perhaps a simple, dark bridle and saddle, allowing its natural power and speed to be the focus.
Wants: To transport its master and Dame Pridgett swiftly and secretly between the human and fairy worlds.
Flaw: None shown.
Remains unchanged, serving as a magical mode of transport.
Wild, powerful, and obedient to its fairy master. It is a creature of magic and speed.
Image Prompt & Upload
A magnificent, powerful black horse with a muscular build, its mane and tail appearing to subtly flicker with a dark, fiery energy. Its eyes glow with a faint red light. It stands in a dynamic, prancing pose, ready for swift movement. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Fairy Children ○ minor
Initially appear as 'two ragged children' with 'matted hair.' When seen through the magic salve, they are 'fairy children clothed in the finest of laces' and are playing with 'precious jewels.' They are delicate and beautiful in their true form.
Attire: Initially, 'ragged.' In their true form, they are 'clothed in the finest of laces,' implying delicate, intricately made garments of high quality, perhaps in soft, ethereal colors.
Wants: To play and exist within their fairy realm.
Flaw: None shown.
They remain unchanged, serving to highlight the magical transformation of the fairy home.
Quiet and observant. They 'did not speak, but stared at her from under their matted hair,' indicating a cautious or shy demeanor.
Image Prompt & Upload
Two small, ethereal children with delicate features and shimmering, fine hair. They wear intricate gowns and tunics made of fine white lace and pale blue silk, adorned with tiny, sparkling beads. They are playing with handfuls of brilliantly colored, faceted jewels that catch the light. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Dame Pridgett's Cottage
A comfortable, modest cottage, likely a simple, sturdy dwelling typical of rural English folk, with a window overlooking a road.
Mood: Cozy, safe, familiar, domestic
Dame Pridgett is resting when the fairy man arrives to take her away.
Image Prompt & Upload
A warm, inviting interior of a 17th-century English cottage. Sunlight streams through a small, leaded-pane window, illuminating dust motes in the air. A well-worn wooden rocking chair sits beside the window, with a simple woven rug on the flagstone floor. A sturdy oak table with a ceramic jug and a few wildflowers sits in the background. The walls are plastered and whitewashed, with exposed timber beams across the low ceiling. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Fairy Dwelling (Squalid Appearance)
A poor, mean-looking house with a mean hallway and a room hung with cobwebs. Poorly furnished with a wooden bed, a table, and a few chairs. Outside, there are rocks with weeds, a muddy pool, and half-dead trees.
Mood: Dreary, squalid, unsettling, deceptive
This is the initial, perceived state of the fairy home before Dame Pridgett uses the salve.
Image Prompt & Upload
A desolate, squalid interior of a dilapidated, rough-hewn timber cottage. Thick, dusty cobwebs hang from the low, dark ceiling and across the rough, unplastered walls. A rickety wooden bed with coarse, stained linens sits against one wall, beside a small, wobbly wooden table and two mismatched chairs. Outside the grimy, small window, a muddy, stagnant pool reflects a dull, grey sky, surrounded by sparse, half-dead trees with bare branches. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Fairy Dwelling (True Appearance)
A chamber in a castle, with shimmering silken hangings instead of cobwebs. The bed and all furniture are of magnificently carved gold. Sheets and pillowcases are of silk. Outside, a shining lake replaces the muddy pool, grottoes replace rocks, trees are covered with leaves and shining fruit, and weeds are beds of wondrously colored flowers. Fairy children play with precious jewels.
Mood: Magical, opulent, beautiful, enchanting
Dame Pridgett sees the true, magical nature of the fairy world after applying the salve to her eye.
Image Prompt & Upload
An opulent, sun-drenched chamber within a fantastical, ancient castle. Walls are draped with shimmering, intricately embroidered silken hangings in jewel tones. A grand bed with a canopy of flowing silk is carved from gleaming gold, adorned with plush silk pillows and sheets. Outside a large, arched window, a crystal-clear lake sparkles under a brilliant sky, surrounded by lush grottoes and trees laden with glowing, jewel-like fruits. Vibrant, exotic flowers bloom in profusion, their petals shimmering with impossible colors. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Market
A bustling market square filled with people and stalls, where goods like butter firkins are sold.
Mood: Lively, busy, public, mundane (for most)
Dame Pridgett encounters the fairy man stealing butter and reveals her ability to see him, leading to her losing her magical sight.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vibrant, bustling 17th-century English market square. Sunlight illuminates a lively crowd of villagers in period attire, browsing wooden stalls laden with fresh produce, woven baskets, and ceramic goods. In the foreground, large wooden firkins of butter are displayed on a rough-hewn table. The ground is packed earth, with a few cobblestones visible. In the background, half-timbered buildings with thatched roofs line the square. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
