THE LITTLE SERVANT BOY AND THE BARM

An old woman known as Nancy of Pen Gwndwn, kept a little boy servant, whom she sent one evening to the neighbouring village with a bottle to get some barm for her, and as he had to pass through a field which was frequented by the Fairies, he was told by the old woman to keep away from their circles or rings.
The boy reached the village, got the barm, and in due time proceeded on his homeward journey, but did not reach home.
Search was made for him in all directions, and people were able to trace his steps as far as the Fairies’ field, but no further, so it was evident that the Fairies had seized him.
At the end of a year and a day, however, to the great surprise of everybody, the boy came home, entered the house, with the bottle of barm in hand, and handed it to the old woman as if nothing unusual had happened.
The boy was greatly surprised when he was told that he had been away for twelve months and a day. Then he related how he fell in with the Fairies, whom he found such nice little men, and whose society was so agreeable that he lingered among them, as he thought, for a few minutes.