The Fenoderee (1)

The Fenoderee (1)

  On the Isle of Man lived a fairy who had been sent out of fairyland because he had had a passion for a mortal girl.

  The fairy folk had found him dancing with his love in the merry Glen of Rushen.

  When the other fairies heard this, they cast a spell which sent him to the Isle of Man forever, and made him ugly and hairy.

  And the manx people called him the Fenoderee, which means " hairy one. "

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The Fenoderee (2)

The Fenoderee (2)

  Although his appearance was frightening, the Fenoderee was kind to humans, for he never forgot the girl he loved, and wanted to do what he could for her people.

  Sometimes he used what was left of his fairy magic to carry out tasks which even the strongest of men would have found exhausting.

  The Fenoderee liked to help the farmers in their fields. On one occation he mowed a meadow, but instead of being grateful, the farmer complained that grass was not short enough.

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The Fenoderee (3)

The Fenoderee (3)

  The Fenoderee still felt sad at losing his mortal love, and was angry the ungrateful farmer, so next year at mowing time, he let the farmer do the job himself.

  As the farmwer swished his scythe, the Fenoderee crept behind him, cutting up roots, and getting so close to the farmer that he risked having his feet cut off.

  When the farmer told this story, people knew they should be grateful when they were helped by the Fenoderee.

  So the custom arose of leaving the creature little gifts when he had been especially helpful.

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The Fenoderee (4)

The Fenoderee (4)

  Once, a man was building a house of stone.

  He paid some of the men of the parish to help him quarry it.

  But there was one large block of fine marble which was too heavy to be moved, even if all the men of the parish tried to shift it.

  Next day, to their surprise, the huge block had been carried to the huilding site, and all the other stone that the builder needed had been moved too.

  They wondered how it had happened, then someone said, " It must have been the Fenoderee, working for us in the night. "
  And the builder saw that this was must be true.

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The Fenoderee (5 完)

The Fenoderee (5)

  So as a reward, he took some clothes and left them for him.

  That night, the Fenoderee appeared and found the clothes.

  Those who watched him were surprised at his sadness as he lifted each item up in turn and said these words :
    Cap for the head, alas, poor head !
    Coat for the back, alas, poor back !
    Breeches for the breech, alas, poor breech !
    If these all be thine, thine cannot be the merry Glen of Rushen.

  With these words, the Fenoderee walked away.
  And he has never been seen since that neighborhood. 

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