Storybook Guide/Key

Author: Sarah Tucker

"The Council has made its decision regarding the accused crimes of the pixies Nyx and Brucie. Nyx, because the crimes against the human children were premeditated, your punishment is to be six months of Déan Cúlghairm ar Reiligiúnacha , banned from Religious Rites. Brucie, because the crimes were premeditated and you have a previous record of using magic for malevolent purposes, your punishment is twelve months of Déan Cúlghairm ar Reiligiúnacha ," announced Head Elder Titania.

"Radella, please remove Nyx and Brucie from the Council Chambers," requested Elder Oberon.

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"Radella, please bring in the final case of the season," asked Head Elder Titania, "and Orin, please introduce the case."

Orin begins, "The Brownie Alberich is accused of exposing the magical world to humans. While Brownies are allowed under the decree forbidding the exposure of the magical world to humans to be in contact with humans, the charges are being brought against the accused because of the blatant disregard for secrecy about the magical world.

Brownie Alberich lived with the human Maxwell family in the Scottish village of Dumfrieshire. Alberich was especially attached to the youngest daughter, Nara, of Laird of Dalswinton, head of the Maxwell family. The Brownie Alberich stayed with Nara throughout her childhood, after she was wed, and during the pregnancy of her first child. All of this is acceptable, given that Brownies are such a subservient race and enjoy helping human families as long as the Brownies are not acknowledged. It is because of their lack of acknowledgment that they able to be in contact with humans and not break the decree forbidding the exposure of the magical world to humans.

While Nara was with child she became very ill, and Alberich went to find a doctor for his favorite human. This is where the investigators believe that Alberich broke the decree forbidding the exposure of the magical world to humans. Instead of alerting one of the Maxwells, who already knew about Brownies and had some knowledge about the magical world, Alberich left the Maxwell home and went into town to find a doctor for Nara. Then Alberich asked a young man loitering in town about where he could find a doctor for Nara. And when the young man did not know where the doctor might be found, Alberich asked another person. This time it was a Miller's wife, and she was able to tell Alberich where Nara's doctor was located.

The contact with the young man and the Miller's wife would only be a minor infraction of the degree forbidding the exposure of the magical world to humans if that is where the story ended. The Miller's wife was known as the town busybody, who for clarification is a person who enjoys talking about other creatures' problems, and she informed the local priest of the "ghastly creature" associated with the Maxwell family. The priest and the Miller's wife informed the town about the creature that was haunting the Maxwells and the town came in mass to capture the Brownie. Alberich, through the use of magic, was able to escape the townspeople but with his escape he also allowed the town to become knowledgeable about the magical world."

"Thank you, Orin, for your recounting of the circumstances of the assumed infraction. The Council will review the case and return with the sentencing," said Head Elder Titania.

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"The Council has decided that the Brownie Alberich's actions were not meant to expose the magical world and has thus reduced the sentence for the crime of exposing the magical world to humans. Alberich will serve ten hours of Státseirbhís," announced Head Elder Titania.

"Radella, please remove Alberich from the Council Chambers," said Elder Oberon.

"There is one final order of business," Head Elder Titania said. "The Council session is now officially concluded for the season."

"Finally," exclaimed Elder Luella.

Author's Note:

There are five different stories about Brownies that are in Thomas Keightley's "The Brownie." I chose the forth story because I felt it had the most detail and the most potential for expanding the story. I did change the story a substantial amount. I did not like the ending of the story; the Brownie was exorcized and then disappeared forever. I felt that if I kept the ending the same there would not be a case for the Council to decide upon. I also switched the order that the townspeople appear. In the original story, the young man was able to point the Brownie in the direction of the doctor.

Image Information:

"Wah Sing" by Palmer Cox (c) 1840-1924
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Biblography:

Title: The Brownie
Author: Thomas Keightley
Book and Year: The Fairy Mythology (1870)
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