A priest named Father Cassidy travels a lonely path in Ireland, reflecting on the fairies and their banishment from heaven. During his journey, his horse, Terror, casts a shoe, leaving them stranded. Suddenly, Brian Connors, the King of the Fairies, appears and offers assistance. He sends for Shaun Rhue, a fairy blacksmith, to fix the horse. While waiting, the two engage in conversation about the fairies' past and their fall from grace. The king recounts how the fairies were once angels in heaven, living harmoniously until a conflict arose between black and white angels. Thaddeus Flynn, a spirited fairy, was persuaded by the devil to join the fight against the white angels. The battle resulted in the defeat of the black angels, leading to the fairies' expulsion from heaven. The king describes how he and his subjects fell to Earth, eventually settling in Ireland, specifically in the mountain Sleive-na-mon. As the fairy blacksmith works on the horse, Father Cassidy becomes engrossed in the king's story. The king expresses his disdain for the foolishness of humans, particularly their tendency to mislabel women as angels. The conversation shifts to the nature of the fairies and their desire for a peaceful existence, free from the troubles of the world. After the horse is repaired, the king offers Father Cassidy a gift of bacon, which the priest refuses, citing moral concerns. The king insists on sending it to a family in need, the Healys, and the priest reluctantly agrees to let fate decide. He drops the reins, allowing Terror to choose the path home. The story concludes with the priest bidding farewell to the king, who promises to send the bacon to the Healys, emphasizing the fairies' mischievous yet benevolent nature. The narrative explores themes of morality, the nature of good and evil, and the complexities of human and fairy interactions, ultimately highlighting the fairies' longing for acceptance and understanding in a world that often misunderstands them.
By Herminie Templeton Kavanagh · First published 1910 · Genre: Fantasy, Folklore, Adventure