A "mighty big head," or
an abnormally thick head and neck, is in Germany deemed sufficient
credentials from Fairyland; while in a case from Lapland, where the hand
and foot grew so rapidly as to become speedily nearly half an ell in
length and the child was unable to learn to speak, whereas she readily
understood what was said to her, these deviations from the course of
nature were looked upon as conclusive evidence.[75] A reputed changeling
shown to Waldron in the Isle of Man early in the last century is thus
described: "Nothing under heaven could have a more beautiful face; but
though between five and six years old, and seemingly healthy, he was so
far from being able to walk, or stand, that he could not so much as move
any one joint; his limbs were vastly long for his age, but smaller than
an infant's of six months; his complexion was perfectly delicate, and he
had the finest hair in the world; he never spoke, nor cried, eat scarce
anything, and was very seldom seen to smile, but if any one called him a
fairy-elf, he would frown and fix his eyes so earnestly on those who
said it, as if he would look them through. His mother, or at least his
supposed mother, being very poor, frequently went out a-charing, and
left him a whole day together. The neighbours, out of curiosity, have
often looked in at the window to see how he behaved when alone, which,
whenever they did, they were sure to find him laughing and in the utmost
delight. This made them judge that he was not without company more
pleasing to him than any mortal's could be; and what made this
conjecture seem the more reasonable was, that if he were left ever so
dirty, the woman at her return saw him with a clean face, and his hair
combed with the utmost exactness and nicety."[76] Luther tells us that
he saw and touched at Dessau a changed child which was twelve years of
age. The account he gives of the child is that "he had his eyes and all
members like another child; he did nothing but feed, and would eat as
much as two clowns or threshers were able to eat. When one touched it,
then it cried out. When any evil happened in the house, then it laughed
and was joyful; but when all went well, then it cried and was very sad."
So much for the Reformer's testimony of what he saw and was told. His
theories and generalizations are in their way not less interesting than
his testimony: as might have been expected, they are an adaptation of
the ordinary superstitions to his ow