of their origin to himself. At last, however, in consequence of
repeated inquiries, he told her all about the silver pieces, which daily
he had picked up from the green plot. The next day he passed the place,
but there was no silver, as in days gone by, and he never discovered
another shilling, although he looked for it every day. The poor man did
not live long after he had informed his wife whence he had obtained the
bright silver coins.

_The Fairies and their Chest of Gold_.

The following tale I obtained from the Rev. Owen Jones, Vicar of
Pentrevoelas. The scene lies amongst the wildest mountains of
Merionethshire.

David, the weaver, lived in a house called Llurig, near Cerniogau Mawr,
between Pentrevoelas and Cerrig-y-Drudion. One day David was going over
the hill to Bala. On the top of the Garn two Fairies met him, and
desired him to follow them, promising, if he would do so, that they would
show him a chest filled with gold, and furthermore, they told him that
the gold should be his. David was in want of money, and he was therefore
quite willing to follow these good natured Fairies. He walked many miles
with them across the bleak, bare mountain, and at last, descending from
the summit, they reached a deep secluded glen, lying at the foot of the
mountain, and there the Fairies exposed to his view a chest, which had
never before been seen by mortal eye, and they informed him that it was
his. David was delighted when he heard the good news, and mentally bade
farewell to weaving. He knew, though, from tradition, that he must in
some way or other, there and then, take possession of his treasure, or it
would disappear. He could not carry the chest away, as it was too heavy,
but to show his ownership thereto he thrust his walking stick into the
middle of the gold, and there it stood erect. Then he started homewards,
and often and again, as he left the glen, he turned round to see whether
the Fairies had taken his stick away, and with it the chest; but no,
there it remained. At last the ridge hid all from view, and, instead of
going on to Bala, he hastened home to tell his good wife of his riches.
Quickly did he travel to his cottage, and when there it was not long
before his wife knew all about the chest of gold, and where it was, and
how that David had taken possession of his riches by thrusting his
walking stick into the middle of the gold. It was too late for them to
set out to carry the chest ho