Farmer Mybrow And The Fairies

Farmer Mybrow was searching for a good piece of land to turn into a field. He wanted to grow corn and yams. He found a fine spot near a great forest, which was home to some fairies. He began at once to prepare the field.

Having sharpened his big knife, he started cutting down the bushes.

No sooner had he touched one than he heard a voice say, "Who is there, cutting down the bushes?" Mybrow was too astonished to answer. The question came again. This time the farmer realized it must be one of the fairies, so he replied, "I am Mybrow, come to prepare a field." Luckily for him, the fairies were in a very good mood. He heard one say, "Let us all help Farmer Mybrow cut down the bushes." The others agreed. To Mybrow's great delight, the bushes were all rapidly cut down with very little effort on his part. He returned home, very pleased with his day's work, and resolved to keep the field a secret even from his wife.

Early in January, when it was time to burn the dry brush, he set off to his field one afternoon with the means to make a fire. Hoping to have the fairies' help again, he intentionally struck the trunk of a tree as he passed. Immediately came the question, "Who is there, striking the stumps?" He promptly replied, "I am Mybrow, come to burn the brush." Accordingly, the dried bushes were all burned down, and the field was left clear in less time than it takes to tell.

The next day the same thing happened. Mybrow came to chop up the stumps for firewood and clear the field for digging. In a very short time his faggots and firewood were piled ready, and the field was bare.

So it went on. The field was divided into two parts—one for corn and one for yams. In all the preparations—digging, sowing, planting—the fairies gave great help. Still, the farmer had kept the whereabouts of his field a secret from his wife and neighbors.

The soil had been so carefully prepared that the crops promised very well. Mybrow visited them from time to time and congratulated himself on the splendid harvest he would have.

One day, while the corn and yams were still green and milky, Mybrow's wife came to him. She wanted to know where his field was so she could go and get some firewood from it. At first he refused to tell her. But she was very persistent, and finally succeeded in getting the information—on one condition. She must not answer any question that might be asked her. This she readily promised, and set off for the field.

When she arrived, she was utterly amazed at the wealth of the corn and yams. She had never seen such magnificent crops. The corn looked most tempting—still in the milky state—so she plucked an ear. As she did so, she heard a voice say, "Who is there, breaking the corn?" " she replied angrily, quite forgetting her husband's command. Going to the field of yams, she plucked one of them also. " came the question again. "It is I, Mybrow's wife. This is my husband's field and I have a right to pick." Out came the fairies. "Let us all help Mybrow's wife pluck her corn and yams," they said. Before the frightened woman could say a word, the fairies set to work with a will, and the corn and yams lay useless on the ground. Being all green and unripe, the harvest was now utterly spoiled. The farmer's wife wept bitterly, but to no avail. She returned slowly home, not knowing what to say to her husband about such a terrible catastrophe.

She decided to keep silent about the matter.

The next day, the poor man set off happily to his field to see how his fine crops were doing. His anger and dismay can be imagined when he saw his field in complete ruin. All his work and foresight had been absolutely ruined because of his wife's forgetfulness of her promise.