nights, until she
died, she would wander on to the Lady Downs to look for her master.[36]

The earliest writer who mentions a story of this type is Gervase of
Tilbury, marshal of the kingdom of Arles, who wrote about the beginning
of the thirteenth century. He professes to have himself met with a woman
of Arles who was one day washing clothes on the banks of the Rhone, when
a wooden bowl floated by her. In trying to catch it, she got out of her
depth and was seized by a Drac. The Dracs were beings who haunted the
waters of rivers and dwelt in the deep pools, appearing often on the
banks and in the towns in human form. The woman in question was carried
down beneath the stream, and, like Cherry of Zennor, made nurse to her
captor's son. One day the Drac gave her an eel pasty to eat. Her fingers
became greasy with the fat; and she happened to put them to one of her
eyes. Forthwith she acquired a clear and distinct vision under the
water. After some years she was allowed to return to her husband and
family; and going early one morning to the market-place of Beaucaire,
she met the Drac. Recognizing him at once, she saluted him and asked
after the health of his wife and child. "With which eye do you see me?"
inquired the Drac. The woman pointed to the eye she had touched with the
eel-fat; and thrusting his finger into it, the Drac vanished from
sight.[37]

The only punishment suffered in these cases is the deprivation of the
power of seeing fairies, or banishment from their society. This seems
mild enough: much more was generally inflicted. The story first quoted
relates what seems to be the ordinary form of vengeance for disregard of
the prohibition to use the fairy eye-salve, namely, loss of sight in the
offending eye. Spitting or striking is usually the means adopted by the
elves to effect this end. Sometimes, however, the eye is torn from its
socket. Whether there is much to choose between these different ways of
undergoing the punishment is doubtful; but it should be noted that the
last-mentioned mode is a favourite one in Brittany, and follows not so
much on recognition as on denunciation by the virtuous mortal of the
elf's thieving propensities. "See what thieves these fairies are!" cried
a woman who watched one of them putting her hand into the pocket of a
country woman's apron. The fairy instantly turned round and tore out her
eye. "Thieves!" bawled another on a similar occasion, with the same
result. In a Cornish t