A CAPFUL of MOONSHINE
by Laurence Housman · from The Blue Moon
Adapted Version
Once there was a man, Toonie. He lived near Drundle Head hill. Fairies danced there. Toonie wanted to see them. He asked the Wise Old Man. The old man gathered sticks. He told Toonie three things. Be brave. Be quiet. Have special thinking in your head. "Try only two times," he said. "Fairies will keep you forever after three."
Toonie wanted to see fairies. He went up Drundle Head hill. He met a Man on a Donkey. "Good evening," Toonie said. He talked to the man. Toonie forgot his special thinking. His magic light was gone. He could not see the fairies. He went home sad.
Toonie tried again. He went up the hill. He saw an Old Man. The old man asked for directions. Toonie talked to him. He talked too much. He forgot to be quiet. He could not see the fairies. He went home sad again.
Toonie tried one last time. Toonie's Wife helped him. She tied his cap tight. She helped him be quiet. He went up the hill. A little Old Man waved a stick. Toonie got scared. He ran away fast. He could not see the fairies. He went home sad. The fairies took Toonie away.
His wife was very sad. She had a baby boy. She called him Little Toonie.
Little Toonie grew up. He was quiet. He did not speak words. By day, he thought slowly. At night, his mind was clear. He was very strong. He worked hard on a farm.
One night, the moon called him. He left the farm. He walked to Drundle Head hill.
On the hill, he saw an old man. The old man waved his hands. He tried to say, 'Go back!' But Little Toonie did not speak. He did not understand.
The old man saw a special light. It was in Little Toonie's head. He tried to stop him. He waved a stick. But Little Toonie was strong. He kept walking up the hill.
The old man was very scared. He held Little Toonie's hand. He asked him to stop. He was afraid of the fairies.
Little Toonie was very kind. He picked up the old man. He carried him gently. He went to the fairies. They were dancing there.
The fairies saw Little Toonie. They knew he was special. They knew he was brave. They said, 'You get one wish! What do you want?'
The fairies gave him magic dew. Suddenly, he could speak words! He asked, 'What can I wish for?'
The old man cried, 'Little Toonie! I am your father! I am Toonie! Please choose me! Do not wish for other things!'
Little Toonie looked at his father. His special thinking helped him. He told the fairies, 'I wish for my father to be free!'
The fairies were a little cross. But they let Toonie go. Father and son walked down the hill. Toonie was so happy to be free! He was proud of his kind son. And so, Little Toonie learned that loving your family is the best wish of all.
Original Story
A CAPFUL OF MOONSHINE
On the top of Drundle Head, away to the right side, where the track crossed, it was known that the fairies still came and danced by night. But though Toonie went that way every evening on his road home from work, never once had he been able to spy them.
So one day he said to the old faggot-maker, “How is it that one gets to see a fairy?” The old man answered, “There are some to whom it comes by nature; but for others three things are needed—a handful of courage, a mouthful of silence, and a capful of moonshine. But if you would be trying it, take care that you don’t go wrong more than twice; for with the third time you will fall into the hands of the fairies and be their bondsman. But if you manage to see the fairies, you may ask whatever you like of them.”
Toonie believed in himself so much that the very next night he took his courage in both hands, filled his cap with moon-shine, shut his mouth, and set out. Just after he had started he passed, as he thought, a priest riding by on a mule. “Good evening to you, Toonie,” called the priest.
“Good evening, your reverence,” cried Toonie, and flourished off his cap, so that out fell his capful of moonshine. And though he went on all the way up over the top of Drundle Head, never a fairy did he spy; for he forgot that, in passing what he supposed to be the priest, he had let go both his mouthful of silence and his capful of moonshine.
The next night, when he was coming to the ascent of the hill, he saw a little elderly man wandering uncertainly over the ground ahead of him; and he too seemed to have his hands full of courage and his cap full of moonshine. As Toonie drew near, the other turned about and said to him, “Can you tell me, neighbour, if this be the way to the fairies?”
“Why, you fool,” cried Toonie, “a moment ago it was! But now you have gone and let go your mouthful of silence!”
“To be sure, to be sure—so I have!” answered the old man sadly; and turning about, he disappeared among the bushes.
As for Toonie, he went on right over the top of Drundle Head, keeping his eyes well to the right; but never a fairy did he see. For he too had on the way let go his mouthful of silence.
Toonie, when his second failure came home to him, was quite vexed with himself for his folly and mismanagement. So that it should not happen again, he got his wife to tie on his cap of moonshine so firmly that it could not come off, and to gag up his mouth so that no word could come out of it. And once more taking his courage in both hands, he set out.
For a long way he went and nothing happened, so he was in good hopes of getting the desire of his eyes before the night was over; and, clenching his fists tight upon his courage, he pressed on.
He had nearly reached to the top of Drundle Head, when up from the ground sprang the same little elderly man of the evening before, and began beating him across the face with a hazel wand. And at that Toonie threw up both hands and let go his courage, and turned and tried to run down the hill.
When her husband did not return, Toonie’s wife became a kind of a widow. People were very kind to her, and told her that Toonie was not dead—that he had only fallen into the hands of the good-folk; but all day long she sat and cried, “I fastened on his cap of moonshine, and I tied up his tongue; and for all that he has gone away and left me!” And so she cried until her child was born and named Little Toonie in memory of his lost father.
After a while people, looking at him, began to shake their heads; for as he grew older it became apparent that his tongue was tied, seeing that he remained quite dumb in spite of all that was done to teach him; and his head was full of moonshine, so that he could understand nothing clearly by day—only as night came on his wits gathered, and he seemed to find a meaning for things. And some said it was his mother’s fault, and some that it was his father’s, and some that he was a changeling sent by the fairies, and that the real child had been taken to share his father’s bondage. But which of these things was true Little Toonie himself had no idea.
After a time Little Toonie began to grow big, as is the way with children, and at last he became bigger than ever old Toonie had been. But folk still called him Little Toonie, because his head was so full of moonshine; and his mother, finding he was no good to her, sold him to the farmer, by whom, since he had no wits for anything better, he was set to pull at waggon and plough just as if he were a cart-horse; and, indeed, he was almost as strong as one. To make him work, carter and ploughman used to crack their whips over his back; and Little Toonie took it as the most natural thing in the world, because his brain was full of moonshine, so that he understood nothing clearly by day.
But at night he would lie in his stable among the horses, and wonder about the moonlight that stretched wide over all the world and lay free on the bare tops of the hills; and he thought—would it not be good to be there all alone, with the moonbeams laying their white hands down on his head? And so it came that one night, finding the door of his stable unlocked, he ran out into the open world a free man.
A soft wind breathed at large, and swung slowly in the black-silver treetops. Over them Little Toonie could see the quiet slopes of Drundle Head, asleep in the moonlight.
Before long, following the lead of his eyes, he had come to the bottom of the ascent. There before him went walking a little shrivelled elderly man, looking to right and left as if uncertain of the road.
As Little Toonie drew near, the other one turned and spoke. “Can you tell me,” said he, “if this be the way to the fairies?”
Little Toonie had no tongue to give an answer; so, looking at his questioner, he wagged his head and went on.
Quickening his pace, the old man came alongside and began peering; then he smiled to himself, and after a bit spoke out. “So you have lost your cap, neighbour? Then you will never be able to find the fairies.” For he did not know that Little Toonie, who wore no cap on his head, carried his capful of moonshine safe underneath his skull, where it had been since the hour of his birth.
The little elderly man slipped from his side, disappearing suddenly among the bushes, and Toonie went on alone. So presently he was more than halfway up the ascent, and could see along the foot-track of the thicket the silver moonlight lying out over the open ahead.
He had nearly reached to the top of the hill, when up from the ground sprang the little elderly man, and began beating him across the face with a hazel wand. Toonie thought surely this must be some carter or ploughman beating him to make him go faster; so he made haste to get on and be rid of the blows.
Then, all of a sudden, the little elderly man threw away his hazel stick, and fell down, clutching at Little Toonie’s ankles, whining and praying him not to go on.
“Now that I have failed to keep you from coming,” he cried, “my masters will put me to death for it! I am a dead man, I tell you, if you go another step!”
Toonie could not understand what the old fellow meant, and he could not speak to him. But the poor creature clung to his feet, holding them to prevent him from taking another step; so Toonie just stooped down, and (for he was so little and light) picked him up by the scruff, and carried him by his waistband, so that his arms and legs trailed together along the ground.
In the open moonlight ahead little people were all agog; bright dewdrops were shivering down like rain, where flying feet alighted—shot from bent grass-blades like arrows from a drawn bow. Tight, panting little bodies, of which one could count the ribs, and faces flushed with fiery green blood, sprang everywhere. But at Toonie’s coming one cried up shriller than a bat; and at once rippling burrows went this way and that in the long grass, and stillness followed after.
The poor, dangling old man, whom Toonie was still carrying, wriggled and whined miserably, crying, “Come back, masters, for it is no use—this one sees you! He has got past me and all my poor skill to stop him. Set me free, for you see I am too old to keep the door for you any longer!”
Out buzzed the fairies, hot and angry as a swarm of bees. They came and fastened upon the unhappy old man, and began pulling him. “To the ant-hills!” they cried; “off with him to the ant-hills!” But when they found that Toonie still held him, quickly they all let go.
One fairy, standing out from the rest, pulled off his cap and bowed low. “What is your will, master mortal?” he inquired; “for until you have taken your wish and gone, we are all slaves at your bidding.”
They all cringed round him, the cruel little people; but he answered nothing. The moonbeams came thick, laying their slender white palms graciously upon Toonie’s head; and he, looking up, opened his mouth for a laugh that gave no sound.
“Ah, so! That is why—he is a mute!” cried the fairies.
Quickly one dipped his cap along the grass and brought it filled with dew. He sprang up, and poured it upon Toonie’s tongue; and as the fairy dew touched it, “Now speak!” they all cried in chorus, and fawned and cringed, waiting for him to give them the word.
Cudgelling his brain for what it all meant, he said, “Tell me first what wish I may have.”
“Whatever you like to ask,” said they, “for you have become one of our free men. Tell us your name?”
“I am called Little Toonie,” said he, “the son of old Toonie that was lost.”
“Why, as I live and remember,” cried the little elderly man, “old Toonie was me!” Then he threw himself grovelling at his son’s feet, and began crying: “Oh, be quick and take me away! Make them give me up to you: ask to have me! I am your poor, loving old father whom you never saw; all these years have I been looking and longing for you! Now take me away, for they are a proud, cruel people, as spiteful as they are small; and my back has been broken twenty years in their bondage.”
The fairies began to look blue, for they hate nothing so much as to give up one whom they have once held captive. “We can give you gold,” said they, “or precious stones, or the root of long living, or the waters of happiness, or the sap of youth, or the seed of plenty, or the blossom of beauty. Choose any of these, and we can give it you.”
The old man again caught hold of his son’s feet. “Don’t choose these,” he whimpered, “choose me!”
So because he had a capful of moonshine in his head, and because the moonbeams were laying their white hands on his hair, he chose the weak, shrivelled old man, who crouched and clung to him, imploring not to be let go.
The fairies, for spite and anger, bestowed every one a parting pinch on their tumble-down old bondsman; then they handed him to his son, and swung back with careless light hearts to their revels.
As father and son went down the hill together, the old man whistled and piped like a bird. “Why, why!” he said, “you are a lad of strength and inches: with you to work and look after me, I can keep on to a merry old age! Ay, ay, I have had long to wait for it; but wisdom is justified in her children.”
Story DNA
Moral
Sometimes, the greatest reward comes from choosing love and family over material wealth or personal gain.
Plot Summary
Toonie attempts to see fairies but fails three times, leading to his capture and bondage by them. Years later, his simple-minded, mute son, Little Toonie, born with a 'capful of moonshine', escapes his harsh life and is drawn to Drundle Head. There, he encounters his own father, now a fairy bondsman, who tries to deter him. Little Toonie, due to his unique nature, overcomes the obstacles and reaches the fairies. When offered a wish, he chooses to free his long-lost father over any material wealth, and they descend the hill together, reunited.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects common folk beliefs about fairies in British Isles, where they could be benevolent or cruel, and often captured mortals.
Plot Beats (16)
- Toonie learns from an old faggot-maker that seeing fairies requires courage, silence, and 'moonshine', but warns of bondage after three failures.
- Toonie's first attempt fails when he speaks to a 'priest' and loses his 'moonshine'.
- Toonie's second attempt fails when he speaks to an old man asking for directions to the fairies, losing his 'silence'.
- For his third attempt, Toonie's wife gags him and ties his cap, but he loses his courage when attacked by the old man with a hazel wand.
- Toonie is taken by the fairies, and his wife becomes a 'widow', later giving birth to Little Toonie.
- Little Toonie grows up dumb and simple-minded by day, but with clarity at night, and is sold to a farmer who treats him like a beast of burden.
- One night, Little Toonie escapes the stable, drawn by the moonlight to Drundle Head.
- He encounters the same elderly man (his father) who tries to deter him from reaching the fairies, but Little Toonie cannot speak or fully understand.
- The old man, realizing Little Toonie has 'moonshine' in his head, tries to physically stop him with a hazel wand, but Little Toonie, mistaking it for a farmer's whip, presses on.
- The old man, in desperation, clings to Little Toonie's feet, begging him to stop, fearing the fairies' wrath.
- Little Toonie picks up the old man and carries him to the fairy gathering.
- The fairies, seeing Little Toonie, acknowledge him as a 'free man' and offer him a wish.
- They restore Little Toonie's speech with fairy dew, and he asks what wish he may have.
- The old man reveals himself as Toonie's father, begging his son to choose him over any other wish.
- Little Toonie, guided by his 'moonshine' and the moonbeams, chooses to free his father.
- The fairies, in anger, pinch the old man before releasing him, and father and son descend the hill together, the father joyful and planning for his future with his strong son.
Characters
Toonie ★ protagonist
A man of average build, likely a laborer given his work, with a strong desire to prove himself. His specific height and build are not detailed, but he is later contrasted with his son, Little Toonie, who grows to be 'bigger than ever old Toonie had been'.
Attire: Simple, practical working clothes suitable for a laborer, likely made of sturdy linen or wool in muted colors, perhaps a smock or tunic over trousers, and a cap.
Wants: To see the fairies and ask for a wish, driven by a belief in himself and a desire for something extraordinary.
Flaw: Lack of self-control, easily startled, forgets instructions, overconfidence leading to carelessness.
Fails three times to see the fairies due to his own mistakes, ultimately falling into their hands and becoming their bondsman, disappearing from his family.
Overconfident, impulsive, easily distracted, somewhat foolish, determined (initially).
Image Prompt & Upload
A rural working man in his late 20s, average height and build, with a determined expression. He has short, practical brown hair and a clean-shaven face. He wears a sturdy, earth-toned linen tunic, simple wool trousers, and worn leather boots. A plain, dark cap is on his head. He holds his hands clenched, as if holding courage. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Faggot-Maker ◆ supporting
An old man, likely stooped from years of collecting faggots (bundles of sticks for fuel). His face would be weathered and lined from outdoor work.
Attire: Rough, patched, and practical clothing made of coarse wool or linen, suitable for a faggot-maker, likely in muted, earthy tones. Perhaps a worn smock and trousers, with sturdy boots.
Wants: To share ancient wisdom and warn others of the dangers of the fairy world.
Flaw: None explicitly shown, but his age might imply physical frailty.
Serves as a dispenser of wisdom and a warning figure; does not change.
Wise, knowledgeable, cryptic, cautious, observant.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly man, stooped with age, with a deeply wrinkled face, kind eyes, and a sparse grey beard. He wears a patched, dark brown wool smock over simple trousers, and worn leather boots. A large bundle of faggots is strapped to his back. He leans slightly on a gnarled walking stick. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Priest (Fairy Illusion) ○ minor
Appears as a human priest, riding a mule. No specific details are given beyond his clerical appearance.
Attire: Traditional priestly vestments of the era, likely a dark cassock or habit, perhaps a simple clerical hat, appropriate for a rural priest.
Wants: To prevent Toonie from seeing the fairies by making him break the rules.
Flaw: None, as it's an illusion designed for a specific purpose.
Appears once to trick Toonie and then vanishes.
Deceptive, cunning, designed to trick.
Image Prompt & Upload
A man in his 40s, with a kind, round face and short dark hair, dressed in a simple, dark grey cassock and a black clerical hat. He is seated on the back of a small, sturdy brown mule, looking over his shoulder with a friendly smile. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Little Elderly Man (Old Toonie) ◆ supporting
Small, shrivelled, and light, indicating years of hardship and perhaps a diminished physical state due to his bondage. His ribs are visible when he is a fairy bondsman.
Attire: When first encountered, he appears to be a wanderer, so his clothes would be simple and worn, perhaps similar to Toonie's but more tattered. As a bondsman, his clothing would be minimal and ragged, reflecting his servitude.
Wants: To escape his bondage to the fairies, to be reunited with his family, to be saved.
Flaw: Fear, physical frailty, inability to escape the fairies on his own.
Initially a mysterious figure, he is revealed to be Toonie, suffering under fairy bondage. He is eventually rescued by his son, Little Toonie, and regains his freedom and a new lease on life.
Foolish, desperate, fearful, whiny, manipulative (in his desperation), loving (towards his son).
Image Prompt & Upload
A very small, shrivelled elderly man with a deeply wrinkled, fearful face and sparse grey hair. His body is thin, with visible ribs. He wears ragged, simple brown linen clothing that is tattered and ill-fitting. He is often seen clutching at someone's ankles or being carried by his waistband, with a desperate, pleading expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Toonie's Wife ◆ supporting
Not explicitly described, but would be a woman of the rural working class, likely strong and practical. Her appearance would reflect the hardships of her life after her husband's disappearance.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing: a linen smock, a wool apron, perhaps a headscarf, in muted, natural colors. Her clothes would become more worn after her husband's disappearance.
Wants: To help her husband, to care for her child, to understand her husband's fate.
Flaw: Her sorrow and inability to understand the supernatural events.
Starts as a supportive wife, becomes a grieving single mother, and eventually sells her son due to his perceived lack of wits.
Practical, concerned, sorrowful, maternal, somewhat resentful (of her husband's disappearance).
Image Prompt & Upload
A rural woman in her late 20s, with a kind but careworn face, fair skin, and long brown hair tied back in a simple bun. She wears a practical cream linen smock, a dark blue wool apron, and sturdy leather shoes. Her expression is one of quiet sorrow and resignation. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Little Toonie ★ protagonist
Born with a tied tongue (mute) and a head 'full of moonshine' (mentally slow by day). He grows to be exceptionally large and strong, 'bigger than ever old Toonie had been' and 'almost as strong as a cart-horse'.
Attire: Initially, simple child's clothes. As he grows, he wears rough, durable peasant clothing, likely ill-fitting and worn from his work as a farm laborer, similar to a carter or ploughman's attire.
Wants: Initially, to simply exist and endure. Later, driven by an innate connection to the moonlight and a desire for freedom, which leads him to the fairies. Ultimately, to save his father.
Flaw: His muteness, his mental slowness by day, his inability to articulate his thoughts.
Starts as a mute, mentally slow child, grows into a powerful but abused young man. He escapes his bondage, finds the fairies, gains the ability to speak, and ultimately rescues his long-lost father, becoming a free man.
Dumb (mute), mentally slow by day, observant and thoughtful by night, strong, resilient, accepting of hardship, compassionate (choosing his father over riches).
Image Prompt & Upload
A very tall, exceptionally strong young man in his early 20s, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. He has a simple, somewhat vacant expression on his face by day, but his eyes hold a deep, quiet intelligence at night. His hair is dark and unkempt. He wears rough, patched, and oversized brown linen trousers, a simple, torn grey tunic, and no shoes. His posture is powerful but often hunched from labor. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Fairies ⚔ antagonist
Little people, with 'tight, panting little bodies, of which one could count the ribs, and faces flushed with fiery green blood'. They are described as small and light, capable of springing from grass-blades.
Attire: No specific clothing is mentioned, implying they are either naked or wear very minimal, natural coverings that blend with their environment. Their appearance is more about their bodies and 'fiery green blood'.
Wants: To maintain their secrecy and power, to punish those who trespass or fail them, to enjoy their revels.
Flaw: Bound by their own rules regarding mortals who successfully see them and make a wish.
They are initially a mysterious, unseen force. They are revealed as cruel captors, then forced to grant Little Toonie's wish, showing their begrudging adherence to their own laws.
Cruel, spiteful, proud, angry, cunning, demanding, easily vexed, yet bound by their own rules (granting wishes).
Image Prompt & Upload
A group of tiny, ethereal figures, no taller than a human hand. Their bodies are slender and almost translucent, with visible ribs. Their faces are small, sharp, and flushed with a vibrant, glowing green hue. They have wild, wispy hair. They are posed in mid-air, buzzing and agitated, with expressions of anger and cunning. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Drundle Head
The top of a prominent hill, specifically the right side where a track crosses. It is a bare, open area exposed to moonlight.
Mood: Mysterious, magical, exposed, later becomes a place of reunion and freedom.
The primary location where both Toonie and Little Toonie attempt to see the fairies; Little Toonie succeeds and frees his father here.
Image Prompt & Upload
A wide, exposed hilltop under a full moon, with a faint, winding track visible across the sparse, short grass. Clusters of low, wind-swept bushes are scattered around the edges, casting soft, elongated shadows. The moonlight bathes the entire scene in a cool, silver glow, highlighting the gentle undulations of the terrain. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Toonie's Stable
A stable where horses are kept, with an unlocked door leading to the outside world. It is a place of rest and contemplation for Little Toonie.
Mood: Confined, reflective, a place of awakening and longing for freedom.
Little Toonie, after a day of labor, contemplates the moonlight and decides to escape his bondage.
Image Prompt & Upload
Inside a rustic, timber-framed stable at night, with a heavy wooden door slightly ajar, allowing a sliver of bright moonlight to cut across the straw-covered floor. The rough-hewn wooden beams and posts are visible, and the air is still and cool. Shadows are deep, but the moonlight illuminates dust motes in the air and the texture of the straw. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
