judy and the cats, part 2

Continued from yesterday's post!

Then the black cat spoke at last:

'Judy, agrah, don't stay up so late again, for the fairies want to hold a council here tonight, and to have some supper, but you have prevented them: so they were very angry and determined to kill you, and only for myself and two daughters here you would be dead by this time. So take my advice, don't interfere with the fairy hours again, for the night is theirs, and they hate to look on the face of a mortal when they are out for pleasure or business. So I ran on to tell you, and now give me a drink of milk.' 

And after the milk was finished, the cat stood up and called her daughters to come away. 'Goodnight, Judy, agrah,' she said. 'You have been very civil to me, and I'll not forget it to you. Good-night, good-night!' With that the black cat and the two kittens whisked up the chimney: but Judy, looking down, saw something glittering on the hearth, and taking it up, she found it was a piece of silver, more than she could make in a month by her spinning, and she was glad in her heart and never again sat up so late to interfere with the fairy hours, but the black cat and her daughters came no more again to the house.

--Fletcher Bascom Dresslar, Superstition and Education (University of California Publications vol. 5 no. 1, 1907)  p. 155-6.