The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands

witch tales and the evil eye
The Fate of a Confiding Son.
Upon a time there stood on the moor between Dnnvegan
and Stein, in the Vaternish district of Skye, a haunted house,
with which is associated the following witch tale. In this
house there dwelt a woman and her son. One day, while the
woman was out at the peats and her son was snoozing on
the wooden settle that to this day forms so indispensable a
part of the furniture of an island home, three black cats
entered by the window, and immediately took the shape of
women. Their visit was with evil intent : they had made their
way into the house as cats, so as to conceal their identity.
There now followed a prolonged discussion; and it was
only when their deliberations were drawing to a close that
the witches realised the son on the settle had been feigning
sleep all the time, and had overheard their malevolent
scheme. Thereupon one of them addressed him sternly,
and warned him not to repeat a word they had uttered,
adding that, if he did so, he would suffer for it.
Immediately they had intimidated the boy into promising
that he would not give them away, the three witches again
assumed the
entered.
form of cats, and left the house as they had
Now, the boy, when he thought that all likelihood of the
witches carrying out their threat was passed, told their evil
secret to his mother, who in turn vowed that she would
never mention the matter to a soul. However, some time
afterwards a violent dispute ensued between the mother
and one of the witches, in the course of which the former
completely lost her head, and said something that convinced
the witch that the boy had broken his word.
That night the three witches met, and arranged to waylay
the boy in the dark. Their ambush was successful, and
there was found between the Faery Bridge and Stein the
lifeless body of the unhappy lad. " And, if you're not
believing me," emphasised the artless raconteur who gave
me this witch tale, " there's a. sign on the roadside between
"
the Faery Bridge and Stein to prove it !
Soon afterwards the folks of the neighbourhood raised a
cairn to mark the spot where
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the foul deed had been