Margaret and the three gifts

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There was once a woman called Margaret who lived in Glenmore. She was born with three gifts: a light hand for baking, a light foot for dancing, and a light heart to get her through the day. One day Margaret took her small baby boy along a forest path for a picnic. Sitting down for a rest she pulled out a sandwich and a pint of milk. Before she started to eat, Margaret looked up to see a little old man briskly walking along the path. As he reached her, Margaret noticed how puffed out the old man was and offered him half her lunch. Together they each shared half the sandwich and half the pint of milk. The old man was very grateful but had nothing to offer Margaret in return for her kindness other than a rusty horseshoe nail. Margaret, ever-kind, took the nail and placed in into her apron pocket, and watched the old man carry on down the path.

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That evening as Margaret was settling her baby in his crib for bed she started to here laughter. Thinking it maybe some local children trying to play a trick she went out the front door to shoo them off. Suddenly behind her came the sound of crashing and Margaret turned to see her babies crib was on the ground. As she rushed over the sound of laughter grew stronger and inside the crib, wrapped in blankets, was not her baby boy, but a fairy changelling instead. Shocked and upset, Margaret picked up the changelling and headed out the house and in the direction of the fairy hill to get her baby boy back.

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Reaching the hill Margaret found the Queen of the fairies. Margaret thrust the changelling into the arms of the Queen and demanded her own baby boy back. The Queen had heard of Margaret and her three gifts and asked her if she would give up her light hand. Margaret without hesitation said yes - she could feed her baby more than just her baking and he would still grow up healthy - but the Queen did not give her back her baby. She felt her hand grown heavy. Then Queen asked if Margaret would give up her light feet and again Margaret said yes without hesitation - someone else could teach her boy to dance - but the Queen did not give her back her baby. She felt her feet grow heavy too. Finally, the Queen asked if Margaret would give up her light heart. At this Margaret paused - without a light heart how could she be the most caring and kind and loving mother to her son. But her son was more important to her than her gifts and again Margaret said yes. This time, before the Queen could react, Margaret jumped forward and grabbed her son from the Queen's arms and took off at a run.

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As she ran Margaret heard all the fairies after her, the Queen at the front demanding the baby boy back. Because she had given up her gifts Margaret ran slow and clumsily, tripping over rock and tree root and finding her baby boy more heavy now her gifts were gone, till eventually she fell. Holding tightly onto her baby Margaret heard the fairies getting closer when something in her apron fell against her leg. Reaching in she pulled up the rusty horseshoe nail the old man had given her. Seeing the nail the fairies stopped and began to panic - for there is nothing like iron to keep away the fairies. Realizing that they could not reach Margaret or her baby now that she was protected, the fairies fled back home leaving Margaret alone in the forest.

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Once they were gone Margaret stood and began to head for home again, her baby boy safe in her arms, thankful for sharing her lunch with the old man. As she walked she felt her gifts return and Margaret was never targeted by the fairies again.