Welsh Fairy tales THE FAIRIES' MINT. Once
upon a time there was a miller, who lived in Anglesey. One day he
noticed that some of his sacks had been moved during the night. The
following day he felt sure that some of his grain had been disturbed,
and, lastly, he was sure someone had been working his mill in the night
during his absence. He confided his suspicions to a friend, and they
determined to go the next night and watch the mill. The following
night, at about midnight, as they approached the mill, that stood on a
bare stony hill, they were surprised to find the mill all lit up and at
work, the great sails turning in the black night. Creeping up softly to
a small window, the miller looked in, and saw a crowd of little men
carrying small bags, and emptying them into the millstones. He could
not see, however, what was in the bags, so he crept to another window,
when he saw golden coins coming from the mill, from the place where the
flour usually ran out. Immediately
the miller went to the mill door, and, putting his key into the lock,
he unlocked the door; and as he did so the lights went out suddenly,
and the mill stopped working. As he and his friend went into the dark
mill they could hear sounds of people running about, but by the time
they lit up the mill again there was nobody to be seen, but scattered
all about the millstones and on the floor were cockle-shells. After
that, many persons who passed the mill at midnight said they saw the
mill lit up and working; but the old miller left the fairies alone to
coin their money.
