'One of the last of the fairies'

[wolfinthewood]

Another day I went with one of my brothers over to Llanbedr to take a message to Llandeviron Farm, about seed wheat. On our way back we went bird-nesting, and at last found ourselves among the rocks of Blaencwm – a famous place for fairies. We poked about among the rocks till we came to a place where two crags made an arch, and on looking through the arch, I saw a sight I shall never forget. There were docks growing about among the stones, and on a large dock leaf sat a very little old woman. I knew at once she was a fairy. She was dressed in a tall black hat, a white cap, white apron, and black gown with very short petticoats, and she had buckles on her shoes. She did not move or say anything, but sat and looked at us. Then my brother poked his stick through the arch to make her move; she did not get up, but drew up her lip and grinned at us most horribly. I saw she had very long  teeth. She looked so savage that we were frightened and ran away – we were afraid to go back afterwards, and never saw the fairy or anything like her again. People told us afterwards that passing by the Blaencwm Rocks at night they often heard sweet music and saw lights twinkling up among the crags where it was most unlikely people would be. Other persons tried to make me believe I had seen a rabbit, but when my impressions were fresh, and therefore most to be trusted, I was fully convinced that on that day I saw one of the last of the fairies.

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As told by an old woman to Francis Kilvert, the diarist, at some point between 1865 and 1872 while he was curate of Clyro, Radnorshire. The manuscript in which Kilvert recorded his folklore collections is lost, apparently, but selections were quoted by his niece Essex Smith in a couple of articles published in The Occult Review. This story comes from 'Fairies and Witches in Old Radnorshire', Occult Review, vol 33, June 1921, pp. 352–359.