Dos and Don'ts

Never set both feet in a fairy ring (known
to fairies as "gallitraps"), for it can get
you lost in Fairyland. A fairy ring is a ring
of a mushrooms sometimes found on lawns or
fields, where fairies are said to dance. The
grass within the ring is an exceptionally
bright and lush shade of green. It seems to be
some sort of link with Fairyland itself. One
who steps in it will suddenly be able to see
them dancing there, where before they were
invisible, and to hear their sweet, exquisite
music where before there was but silence. The
music and dance can be so infectious that those
who experience it lose all sense of time and
will stay dancing with the Good People until
they are forcibly pulled away.

Never take their food, drink or flowers, no
matter how politely they are offered. Those who
do may remain captive in Fairyland forever.
If traveling at night (especially on foot) in a
place inhabited by fairies, you may become
Pixie-led. This is a particular kind of pixie
mischief, where the unwary may be misled by a
pixie and left stranded in the dark. One charm
against this trickery is to turn your coat
inside out.

Humans can also gain some power over fairies,
or even wield the power of glamour, by gaining
possession of objects belonging to fairies such
as articles of clothing or household items such
as combs or tools. The best way to gain power
over fairies is to learn their true names. This
is quite hard to do, as fairies are extremely
secretive, especially about their names. Some
fairies, though, behave quite strangely in this
regard. They zealously protect this secret if
they think there are humans around but, when
they believe they are unobserved, they cannot
resist repeatedly shouting out their names at
the top of their voices.

It is wise always to have the last word in a
conversation with them. Often, such talk ends
up becoming a rhyme, and if so, then you had
best rhyme your answers to each point they make.
They respect this sort of courage and cleverness.