Storynory : Try these Halloween stories from our archive

Down in Fannest, in times by, lived Jamie Freel and his mother. jamie was the widow's sole support, hist strong arm worked for her untiringly, and as each Saturday night came round, he poured his wages into her lap, thanking her dutufully for the halfpence which she returned him. 

He was praised by his neighbours as the best son ever known or heard of. But he had neighbours, of whose opinion he was ignorant–neighbours who lived pretty close to him, whom he had never seen, who are, indeed, rarely seen by human beings, except on May eves and Halloweens.

An old ruined castle, about a quarter of a mile from his cabin, was said to be the abode of the “wee folk”. Every Halloween were the ancient windows lighted up, and passers-by saw little figures flitting to and fro inside the building, while they heard the music of pipes and flutes.

It was well known that they were fairy parties; but nobody had the courage to intrude on them.

Jamie had often watched the little figures from a distance, and listened to the charming music, wondering what the inside of the castle was like; but on one Halloween he got up and took his cap, saying to his mother, “I’m away to the castle to seek my fortune.”

“What!” cried she, “would you venture there? you that’s the poor widow’s one son! They’ll kill you, Jamie, n’ then what’ll come of me?”

‘Never fear, mother; no harm ‘will happen me, but I must go.”

He set out, and as he crossed the potato-field, came in sight of the castle, whose windows were ablaze with light, that seemed to turn the russet leaves, still clinging to the crabtree branches, into gold.

Halting in the grove at one side of the ruin, he listened to the elfin revelry, and the laughter and singing made him all the more determined to proceed.

Numbers of little people, the largest about the size of a child of five years old, were dancing to the music of flutes and fiddles, while others drank and feasted.

“Welcome, Jamie Freel! welcome, welcome, Jamie!” cried the little folk when they saw their visitor. The word “Welcome” was caught up and repeated by every voice in the castle. ( repeat welcome a few times for fx)

Time flew, and Jamie was enjoying himself very much, when his hosts said, “We’re going to ride to Dublin tonight to steal a young lady. Will you come too, Jamie Freel?”

“Aye, that will I!” cried the rash youth, thirsting for adventure.

A troop of horses stood at the door. Jamie mounted and his steed rose with him into the air. He was presently flying over his mother’s cottage, surrounded by the elfin troop, and on and on they went, over bold mountains, over little hills, over the deep Lough Swilley, over towns and cottages, when people were burning nuts, and eating apples, and keeping merry Halloween. It seemed to Jamie that they flew all round Ireland before he heard the silvery voices cry, “This is Dublin! Dublin!”

It was no mean dwelling that was to be honoured by the fairy visit, but one of the finest houses in Stephen’s Green.

The troop dismounted near a window, and Jamie saw a beautiful face, on a pillow in a splendid bed. He saw the young lady lifted and carried away, while the stick which was dropped in her place on the bed took her exact form.

The lady was placed before one rider and carried a short way, then given another, and then another.

“You’ve all had your turn at carrying the young lady,”said he. “Why wouldn’t I get her for a wee piece?”

“Ay, Jamie,” replied they, pleasantly, “you may take your turn at carrying her.”

Holding his prize very tightly, he dropped down near his mother’s door.

“Jamie Freel, Jamie Freel! is that the way you treat us?” cried they, and they too dropped down near the door.

Jamie held fast, though he knew not what he was holding, for the little folk turned the lady into all sorts of strange shapes. At one moment she was a black dog, barking and trying to bite; at another, a glowing bar of iron, which yet had no heat; then, again, a sack of wool.

But still Jamie held her, refusing to let her go, and the baffled elves were turning away, when a tiny woman, the smallest of the party, exclaimed, “Jamie Freel has taken her off our hands, but he shall have no good of her, for I’ll make her deaf and dumb,” and she threw something over the young girl.

While they rode off disappointed, Jamie lifted the latch and went in.

“Jamie, man!” cried his mother, “You’ve been away all night; what have they done on you?”

“Nothing bad, mother; I’ve had the very best of good luck. Here’s a beautiful young lady I have brought you for company. A pack of elves stole her from her bed in Dublin, but I have rescued her and I shall look after her always.”

“Bless us an’ save us!” exclaimed the mother, and for some minutes she was so astonished that she could not think of anything else to say.

Jamie told his story of the night’s adventure, ending by saying, “Surely you wouldn’t have allowed me to let her go with them to be lost forever?”

“But a lady, Jamie! How can a lady eat our poor diet, and live in our poor way? I ask you that, you foolish fellow?”

“Well, mother, sure it’s better for her to be here and not over there,” and he pointed in the direction of the castle.

Meanwhile, the deaf and dumb girl shivered in her light clothing, stepping close to the humble turf fire.

“Poor creature, she’s delicate and handsome! No wonder they set their hearts on her,” said the old woman, gazing at her guest with pity and admiration. “We must dress her first; but what, in the name o’ fortune, have I fit for the likes o’ her to wear?”

She went to her press in “the room”, and took out her Sunday gown of brown cloth. She then opened a drawer and drew forth a pair of white stockings, a long snowy garment of fine linen, and a cap, her best clothes, but she was willing to give even these to the fair trembling visitor, who was turning in dumb sorrow, her gaze moving from her to Jamie, and from Jamie back to her.

The poor girl, when she had dressed, sat down on a “creepie” stool in the chimney corner, and buried her face in her hands.

“What’ll we do to keep up a lady like you?” cried the old woman.

“I’ll work for you both, mother,” replied the son.

“An’ how could a lady live on our poor diet?” she repeated.

“I’ll work for her,” was all Jamie’s answer.

He kept his word. The young lady was very sad for a long time, and tears stole down her cheeks many an evening while the old woman spun by the fire, and Jamie made salmon nets, a new skill with which he hoped to make money.

But she was always gentle, and tried to smile when she noticed them looking at her; and bit by bit she adapted herself to their ways and mode of life. It was not very long before she began to feed the pig, mash potatoes and meal for the fowls, and knit blue worsted socks.

So a year passed, and Halloween came round again. “Mother,” said Jamie, taking down his cap, “I’m off to the old castle to seek my fortune.”

“Are you mad, Jamie?” cried his mother, in terror; “sure they’ll kill you this time for what you done on them last year.”‘

Jamie made light of her fears and went his way.

As he reached the crab-tree grove, he saw bright lights in the castle windows as before, and heard loud talking. Creeping under the window, he heard the wee folk say, “That was a poor trick Jamie Freel played us this night last year, when he stole the nice young lady from us.”

“Ay,” said the tiny woman, “and I punished him for it, for there she sits, a dumb image by his hearth; but he does not know that three drops out o’ this glass I hold in my hand would give her her hearing and her speeches back again.”

Jamie’s heart beat fast as he entered the hall. Again he was greeted by a chorus of welcomes from the company–“Here comes Jamie Freel! welcome, welcome, Jamie!”

THE little woman said, “Drink to our health, Jamie, out of this glass in my hand.”

Resource : http://www.storynory.com/2017/10/17/halloween-at-the-castle/