Reproduction of the original: Brownies and Bogles by Louise Imogen Guiney

Brownie is a household spirit in English and Scottish folklore who is believed to help with household chores if satisfied with food or small gifts. Brownies were first mentioned in Scottish folk tales during the 16th century as small creatures with brown hair and clothing who inhabited houses and performed helpful tasks, such as mending clothes or preparing meals. They were said to be very shy and rarely seen by humans, but their presence could be felt through the completion of tasks left unfinished by household members. Over time, the depiction of brownies in folklore evolved to include magical abilities and a mischievous nature. It was believed they could cause harm to humans if displeased, but they could also use their powers to bring good fortune. The superstition surrounding brownies has become less prominent in modern times, but the concept of small household spirits who provide assistance still persists in various cultures around the world.

A fantastic YA tale of the demon-haunted forests of 13th C. Germany. In the Dale of the Dragon, or Der Tal des Drachen, lives a young man named Jerome, the hero of our story. In the surrounding forest lives the witch Martha and her twin ravens which speak of Satan, who even makes an appearance to tempt Jerome to the dark side of life. But what is a haunted forest if it doesn’t have robber barons and outlaws, and what would our story be without Agnes the maiden, who is, of course, in distress. Who is the mysterious Saint of the Dragon's Dale - a powerful, mysterious figure with a dark secret. Will he ride in to save the day, or will he be too late. To find the answers to these, and any other questions you may have, download this little book and find out for yourself. ============ KEYWORDS/TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, children, young adult, stories, bygone era, , Saint of the dragon’s dale, Abbess, abbey, Action, adventure, Agnes, Andreas, angel, Bamberg, Baron, basket, battlement, beasts, Beelzebub, blackened, burgomaster, castle, palace, Christ, Christian, Church, Clement, crucifix, Dale of the Dragon, Dale, Dame, Davis, demons, Devil, Dragon, dungeon, Eisenach, Emperor, forest, Franz, Franz-of-the-Ram’s-Pate, Frederick, Freiherr, Fritz, frowned, furze, gate, Gerda, Germany, glade, God, golden, Goslar, Graf, Count, greenwood, Gustav, Harun, Harz, heaven, helmet, Hems, herald, hermit, holy, Italy, Jerome, hero, heroine, in distress, Jesuit, Johann, Judgment, Kaiser, kiss, knight, lanzknecht, laugh, laughter, Lord, Ludwig, maid, maiden, Martha the Witch, Masterless, Mathilde, men-at-arms, Michael, midnight, moon, moonlight, Mordecai, noble, partridge, paynim, pixies, poacher, portcullis, postern, prayer, Priest, ransom, raven, Rome, rose, Rudolf, Saint, Satan, sheepskin, Sigismund, squire, sun, sword, temptation, Thuringerwald, Thuringia, turn to stone, Ulrich, Wartburg, wench, wicked, Witch, Wolf, Zebek, Zodok

A FAIRY is a humorous person sadly out of fashion at pre-sent, who has had, nevertheless, in the actors' phrase, a long and prosperous run on this planet. When we speak of fairies nowadays, we think only of small sprites who live in a kingdom of their own, with manners, laws, and privileges very different from ours. But there was a time when "fairy" suggested also the knights and ladies of romance, about whom fine spirited tales were told when the world was younger. Spenser's Faery Queen, for instance, deals with dream-people, beautiful and brave, as do the old stories of Arthur and Roland; people who either never lived, or who, having lived, were glorified and magnified by tradition out of all kinship with common men. Our fairies are fairies in the modern sense. We will make it a rule, from the beginning, that they must be small, and we will put out any who are above the regulation height. Such as the charming famous MELUSINA, who wails upon her tower at the death of a LUSIGNAN, we may as well skip; for she is a tall young lady, with a serpent's tail, to boot, and thus, alas! half-monster; for if we should accept any like her in our plan, there is no reason why we should not get confused among MERMAIDS and DRYADS, and perhaps end by scoring down great JUNO herself as a fairy! Many a DWARF and GOBLIN, whom we shall meet ANON, is as big as a child. "ELF" and "GOBLIN," too, are interesting to trace. There was a great Italian feud, in the twelfth century, between the German Emperor and the Pope, whose separate partisans were known as the GUELFs and the GHIBELLINEs. As time went on, and the memory of that long strife was still fresh, a descendant of the Guelfs would put upon anybody he disliked the odious name of Ghibelline; and the latter, generation after generation, would return the compliment ardently, in his own fashion. Both terms, finally, came to be mere catch-words for abuse and reproach. And the fairies, falling into disfavor with some bold mortals, were angrily nicknamed "elf" and "goblin"; in which shape you will recognize the last threadbare reminder of the once bitter and historic faction of Guelf and Ghibelline.