An unusual Orcadian tale, collected by D.J.Robertson and published in Folk-Lore (September 1890). It is a tale of enchantment and disenchantment, and the fairy power to draw humans into their hills and to wear out their lives with dancing.

Once upon a time there was a king and a queen, and they each had a daughter called Kate. But the king's Kate was far bonnier than the queen's Kate, and the queen was jealous of her stepdaughter's beauty and determined to spoil it, but the two Kates loved each other dearly. So the queen went to the hen-wife, her wicked crony, and took council with her.

'Send the bonny burd to me one morning, first thing', said the henwife, 'and I'll spoil her beauty for her'.

So next day the queen sent the king's Kate down to the hen-wife to fetch a basket of eggs for their breakfast. It happened that Kate was hungry, and as she passed the kitchen she snatched up a bannock and munched it on her way. She came to the hen-wife's, and asked for the eggs.

'Go in hen and lift the lid of the pot while I get them', said the hen-wife.

The king's Kate lifted the lid, and a great steam rose up, but she was none the worse for that.

'Go home to your minnie', said the hen-wife, 'and tell her to keep her larder door better snibbit'.

Next day the queen saw Kate as far as the palace door; but on the way to the hen-wife's she spoke to some reapers in the field, and they gave her some ears of corn, which she ate as she went. Again she went home scatheless, and the hen-wife said: *Tell your minnie that the pot winna boil if the fire's away'.

The third day the queen went with her to the hen-wife's, and when Kate lifted the lid of the pot, a sheep's head rose out of it and fastened on her shoulders, covering her own pretty head.

The queen was delighted, but the queen's Kate was very angry. She wrapped her sister's head in a linen cloth, and took her by the hand, and they went out together to seek their fortunes. They walked until they got to the next kingdom, and the queen's Kate went to the palace, and got work as a kitchen-maid, and leave to keep her sick sister in the attic. The eldest son of the king was very ill. No one knew what ailed him, and all who watched by his bed at night disappeared. When the queen's Kate heard this she offered to watch by his bed for a peck of silver. All was quiet till midnight; then the prince rose and dressed like one in a daze, and went out and mounted on his horse. Kate followed him, and jumped up behind him. They rode through a close wood of hazels, and Kate picked the nuts as she passed. Soon they came to a fairy mound, and the prince said:

'Let the prince in with his horse and hound',

and Kate said:

'And his fair lady him behind'.

And a door opened in the hillside and let them in. Kate slipped off and hid behind the open door, but the prince went in and danced till he fainted with weakness. When dawn came he mounted his horse, and Kate climbed up behind him. Next night she offered to watch again for a peck of gold, and followed the prince as before. That night a little fairy boy was playing about among the dancers, astride of a silver wand. One of the dancers said to him:

'Tak' tent o' that wand, for one stroke of it would give back the king's Kate her ain heid again'.

When the queen's Kate heard that she began to roll the nuts she had gathered out, one by one, from behind the door, till the fairy child laid down the wand and went after them. Then she snatched it, and carried it with her when she rode back behind the prince. When the day came, and she could leave the prince, she ran up to her attic and touched the king's Kate with the wand, and her own looks came back to her, bonnier than ever. The third night Kate watched; but this night she must marry the prince for her reward. She followed the prince again, and this time the fairy child was playing with a little dead bird.

'Now mind', said one of the dancers, 'not to lose that birdie; for three tastes of it, and the prince would be as well as ever he was'.

When Kate heard that, she rolled out the nuts faster than before, and the fairy boy laid down the bird and went after them. As soon as they got home Kate plucked the bird and set it down to the fire to roast. At the first smell of it the prince sat up in bed and said:

'I could eat that birdie'.

At the third mouthful he was as well as ever he had been; and he married Kate Crackernuts, and his brother married the king's Kate, and

They lived happy, and they died happy,

And they never drank from a dry cappie.

[Motifs: D683.2; D764; D771.4; D1766.8; F211; F302.3.4; F302.3.4.2; F370; P284; S31]