Herla--The Adalantado of the Seven Cities--The Seven
Sleepers--King Wenzel and the smith--Lost brides and
bridegrooms--The Monk Felix--Visits to Paradise--A Japanese tale.

In previous chapters we have seen that human beings are sometimes taken
by fairies into Fairyland, and that they are there kept for a longer or
shorter period, or, it may be, are never permitted to return to earth at
all. We have noted cases in which they are led down for temporary
purposes and, if they are prudent, are enabled to return when those
purposes are accomplished. We have noted other cases in which babes or
grown women have been stolen and retained until their kindred have
compelled restoration. The story cited in the last chapter from Giraldus
describes a seduction of a different kind. There the visit to Fairyland
was of a more voluntary character, and the hero was able to go to and
fro as he pleased. We have also met with tales in which the temptation
of food, or more usually of drink, has been held out to the wayfarer;
and we have learned that the result of yielding would be to give himself
wholly into the fairies' hands. I propose now to examine instances in
which temptation of one kind or other has been successful, or in which
a spell has been cast over man or woman, not merely preventing the
bewitched person from regaining his home and human society, but also
rendering him, while under the spell, impervious to the attacks of time
and unconscious of its flight.

These stories are of many types. The first type comes, so far as I know,
only from Celtic sources. It is very widely known in Wales, and we may
call it, from its best-known example, the "Rhys and Llewelyn type." A
story obtained between sixty and seventy years ago in the Vale of Neath
relates that Rhys and Llewelyn were fellow-servants to a farmer; and
they had been engaged one day in carrying lime for their master. As they
were going home, driving their mountain ponies before them in the
twilight, Rhys suddenly called to his companion to stop and listen to
the music. It was a tune, he said, to which he had danced a hundred
times, and he must go and have a dance now. So he told his companion to
go on with the horses and he would soon overtake him. Llewelyn could
hear nothing, and began to remonstrate; but away sprang Rhys, and he
called after him in vain. Accordingly he went home, put up the ponies,
ate his supper and went to bed, thinking that Rhys had only m