Greer and the Merrow
Greer Dogherty lived on the edge of Tempe Town Lake in a little cottage next to those high-rise apartment buildings that blind you with glare. She owned her family’s oddity shop, as did her mother and grandmother before her. She lived all alone (but for her doting and timid husband, Jack). People often wondered why the family didn’t sell the spot to developers. They’d built that house there, far away from other neighborhoods, long ago, before the lake existed. The city crept up to them, yet they stayed, even as their views became crowded with restaurants, hotels, and innumerable noisy people. But they had their own good reasons for staying.
A circle of Chinese elms surrounded the cottage, and there was a neat little creek (illegally dug by Greerss enterprising mother and grandmother) where a boat might lie as snug as a grackle in her nest, and out from this creek, a ledge of sunken rocks ran into the lake.
Now, when the lake, according to local weather, was raging during a dust storm, and a good wind was blowing on the water, many an over-laden kayak or pedal boat went to pieces on these rocks, and then the fine array of iPhones and jewelry (not to mention the bottles of Malibu and Svedka that couldn’t be sold in the shop but served another purpose), and any other amount of oddities and valuables that came to shore! The family called it Dunbeg Bay on account of them never having to want for anything.
They were kind and humane to distressed folk, and if ever one had the good luck to get to land, Greer would lend a hand towards bringing a soaked and scared young frat boy in from a wreck. But when there was no frat boy, just his floating belongings, who would blame Greer for picking up all she could find?
‘And who is the worse of it?’ Said she. ‘His dad can get him another phone.’
You can assume that Greer saw many a strange sight, but nothing daunted her. So far was she from being afraid of Merrows, or such beings, that the very first wish of her heart was to meet with one. She had heard that they were very like Christians (but she didn’t let that deter her) and that luck always came from an acquaintance with them. Never, therefore, did she avoid seeing the Merrows moving along the face of the waters in their robes of mist, but she made direct for them, and many a scolding did Jack, in his own quiet way, bestow upon her for spending her whole day out at the lake, and bringing home no treasure. Little did poor old Jack know the treasure Greer was after!
She found it rather annoying to live in a place where the Merrows were as plentiful as rum bottles and yet never get a good view of one. What vexed her more was that both her mother and grandmother had often seen them. She remembered hearing how her grandmother had been so intimate with a Merrow that she was engaged to him but broke it off to appease the priest. However, Greer did not fully believe this.
Fortune, at length, began to think that it was only right that Greer should know as much as her mother and grandmother did. Accordingly, one day, when she had strolled a little farther than usual along the lake's edge, just as she turned a point, she saw something perched upon the underpinnings of the bridge. It looked green in the body, as well as she could discern at that distance, and she would have sworn that it had a tricorne hat in its hand. Greer stood for a good half-hour straining her eyes, and the thing did not stir all the time. At last, Greer's patience was quite worn out, and she gave a loud whistle and shout. Then, the Merrow (for such it was) started, put on the hat, and dived head foremost from under the bridge.
Greer’s curiosity was now in a frenzy, and she constantly directed her steps toward the bridge, but she could never get a glimpse of the sea-maiden with the hat, and with thinking and thinking about the matter, she began at last to fancy she had been dreaming. One very rough day, however, when the wind was blowing dust sideways, and the lake was running high, Greer determined to give a good look at the Merrow’s spot under the bridge, and then she saw the strange thing cutting capers upon the handrail of the bridge, and then diving down, and then coming up, and then diving down again.
All this, however, did not satisfy her. ‘Much will have more’, and she wished now to get acquainted with the Merrow. One day, while walking, the storm came on so furiously that Greer was obliged to take shelter in one of the enclosed benches atop the bridge, and there, to her astonishment, she saw sitting before her a woman with hair of green silk who had a fish’s tail, and with the hat under her arm seemed engaged thinking very seriously about something as she ran a coral comb through her locks.
Even with all her courage, Greer was a little daunted, but now or never, thought she; so up she went boldly to the sea woman and made her best curtsy.
‘Your servant, lady,’ said Greer, for her grandmother always said the Merrows liked the old manners.
‘Your servant, kindly, Greer Dogherty,’ answered the Merrow.
‘You know my name!’
‘Why, I knew your grandmother long before she married your grandfather! Ah, Greer, Greer, I was fond of that grandmother of yours; she was a mighty worthy woman in her time: I never met her match above or below, before or since, for sucking in a shellful of brandy. I hope, my girl,’ said the old lady, with a merry twinkle in her eyes, ‘You’re her own granddaughter!’
Greer was about to answer that she was and a half when she noticed a second hat on the bench beside them.
‘Might I ask why you’ve got two hats with you today? You wouldn’t give me one of them to keep for the curiosity of the thing?’
‘No, no, Greer,’ said she, ‘I don't get my hats so easily to part with them that way, but I want you to come down and dine with me.’
‘You want me to go down to the bottom of the lake?’ Greer said in amazement, ‘I’d drown! And what would poor Jack say?’
‘Who cares for Jack’s squalling? It’s long before your grandmother would have talked in that way. Many’s the time she stuck that same hat on her head and dived down boldly after me, and many’s the snug bit of dinner and good shellful of brandy she and I have had together below.’
‘You’re serious? Why, then, I’m as good as my grandmother. Here goes – but play fair now!’ cried Greer.
‘That’s your grandmother all over,’ said the Merrow. ‘So come along then and do as I do.’
They left the bench and climbed down to the bridge’s underbelly. The Merrow stood to the side, making room for Greer, and they balanced on the wet concrete arch. Below them, the water looked so deep that Greer was almost cowed.
‘Now, do you see, Greer?’ said the Merrow. ‘Just put this hat on your head and keep your eyes wide open. Take hold of my hand, and follow me, and you’ll see what you’ll see.’
In she dove, and in dove Greer with her boldly.
They went, and they went, and Greer thought they’d never stop going. Many a time did she wish herself sitting at home, watching Barefoot Contessa reruns with Jack. Yet where was the use of wishing now, when she was so many miles, as she thought, below the waves of the lake? She held hard by the Merrow’s hand, slippery as it was, and, at last, to Greer’s great surprise, they got out of the water, and she found herself on dry ground. They landed in front of a nice house with a roof slated very neatly with iPhones! The Merrow welcomed her down.
Greer could hardly speak, what with wonder, and being out of breath with traveling so fast through the water. She looked about and saw no living things, barring crabs and lobsters, of which there were plenty. Overhead was the sea like a sky, and the fishes like birds.
‘Come now, and I'll show you where I keep – you know what,’ said the Merrow.
Adapted from ‘The Soul Cages’ by T. Crofton Croker, in Fairy & Folk Tales of Ireland edited by WB Yeats (1888). This is an excerpt from Desert Pookas, a zine of Irish fairy tales adapted into current day Arizona accompanied by linocut print
A circle of Chinese elms surrounded the cottage, and there was a neat little creek (illegally dug by Greerss enterprising mother and grandmother) where a boat might lie as snug as a grackle in her nest, and out from this creek, a ledge of sunken rocks ran into the lake.
Now, when the lake, according to local weather, was raging during a dust storm, and a good wind was blowing on the water, many an over-laden kayak or pedal boat went to pieces on these rocks, and then the fine array of iPhones and jewelry (not to mention the bottles of Malibu and Svedka that couldn’t be sold in the shop but served another purpose), and any other amount of oddities and valuables that came to shore! The family called it Dunbeg Bay on account of them never having to want for anything.
They were kind and humane to distressed folk, and if ever one had the good luck to get to land, Greer would lend a hand towards bringing a soaked and scared young frat boy in from a wreck. But when there was no frat boy, just his floating belongings, who would blame Greer for picking up all she could find?
‘And who is the worse of it?’ Said she. ‘His dad can get him another phone.’
You can assume that Greer saw many a strange sight, but nothing daunted her. So far was she from being afraid of Merrows, or such beings, that the very first wish of her heart was to meet with one. She had heard that they were very like Christians (but she didn’t let that deter her) and that luck always came from an acquaintance with them. Never, therefore, did she avoid seeing the Merrows moving along the face of the waters in their robes of mist, but she made direct for them, and many a scolding did Jack, in his own quiet way, bestow upon her for spending her whole day out at the lake, and bringing home no treasure. Little did poor old Jack know the treasure Greer was after!
She found it rather annoying to live in a place where the Merrows were as plentiful as rum bottles and yet never get a good view of one. What vexed her more was that both her mother and grandmother had often seen them. She remembered hearing how her grandmother had been so intimate with a Merrow that she was engaged to him but broke it off to appease the priest. However, Greer did not fully believe this.
Fortune, at length, began to think that it was only right that Greer should know as much as her mother and grandmother did. Accordingly, one day, when she had strolled a little farther than usual along the lake's edge, just as she turned a point, she saw something perched upon the underpinnings of the bridge. It looked green in the body, as well as she could discern at that distance, and she would have sworn that it had a tricorne hat in its hand. Greer stood for a good half-hour straining her eyes, and the thing did not stir all the time. At last, Greer's patience was quite worn out, and she gave a loud whistle and shout. Then, the Merrow (for such it was) started, put on the hat, and dived head foremost from under the bridge.
Greer’s curiosity was now in a frenzy, and she constantly directed her steps toward the bridge, but she could never get a glimpse of the sea-maiden with the hat, and with thinking and thinking about the matter, she began at last to fancy she had been dreaming. One very rough day, however, when the wind was blowing dust sideways, and the lake was running high, Greer determined to give a good look at the Merrow’s spot under the bridge, and then she saw the strange thing cutting capers upon the handrail of the bridge, and then diving down, and then coming up, and then diving down again.
All this, however, did not satisfy her. ‘Much will have more’, and she wished now to get acquainted with the Merrow. One day, while walking, the storm came on so furiously that Greer was obliged to take shelter in one of the enclosed benches atop the bridge, and there, to her astonishment, she saw sitting before her a woman with hair of green silk who had a fish’s tail, and with the hat under her arm seemed engaged thinking very seriously about something as she ran a coral comb through her locks.
Even with all her courage, Greer was a little daunted, but now or never, thought she; so up she went boldly to the sea woman and made her best curtsy.
‘Your servant, lady,’ said Greer, for her grandmother always said the Merrows liked the old manners.
‘Your servant, kindly, Greer Dogherty,’ answered the Merrow.
‘You know my name!’
‘Why, I knew your grandmother long before she married your grandfather! Ah, Greer, Greer, I was fond of that grandmother of yours; she was a mighty worthy woman in her time: I never met her match above or below, before or since, for sucking in a shellful of brandy. I hope, my girl,’ said the old lady, with a merry twinkle in her eyes, ‘You’re her own granddaughter!’
Greer was about to answer that she was and a half when she noticed a second hat on the bench beside them.
‘Might I ask why you’ve got two hats with you today? You wouldn’t give me one of them to keep for the curiosity of the thing?’
‘No, no, Greer,’ said she, ‘I don't get my hats so easily to part with them that way, but I want you to come down and dine with me.’
‘You want me to go down to the bottom of the lake?’ Greer said in amazement, ‘I’d drown! And what would poor Jack say?’
‘Who cares for Jack’s squalling? It’s long before your grandmother would have talked in that way. Many’s the time she stuck that same hat on her head and dived down boldly after me, and many’s the snug bit of dinner and good shellful of brandy she and I have had together below.’
‘You’re serious? Why, then, I’m as good as my grandmother. Here goes – but play fair now!’ cried Greer.
‘That’s your grandmother all over,’ said the Merrow. ‘So come along then and do as I do.’
They left the bench and climbed down to the bridge’s underbelly. The Merrow stood to the side, making room for Greer, and they balanced on the wet concrete arch. Below them, the water looked so deep that Greer was almost cowed.
‘Now, do you see, Greer?’ said the Merrow. ‘Just put this hat on your head and keep your eyes wide open. Take hold of my hand, and follow me, and you’ll see what you’ll see.’
In she dove, and in dove Greer with her boldly.
They went, and they went, and Greer thought they’d never stop going. Many a time did she wish herself sitting at home, watching Barefoot Contessa reruns with Jack. Yet where was the use of wishing now, when she was so many miles, as she thought, below the waves of the lake? She held hard by the Merrow’s hand, slippery as it was, and, at last, to Greer’s great surprise, they got out of the water, and she found herself on dry ground. They landed in front of a nice house with a roof slated very neatly with iPhones! The Merrow welcomed her down.
Greer could hardly speak, what with wonder, and being out of breath with traveling so fast through the water. She looked about and saw no living things, barring crabs and lobsters, of which there were plenty. Overhead was the sea like a sky, and the fishes like birds.
‘Come now, and I'll show you where I keep – you know what,’ said the Merrow.
Adapted from ‘The Soul Cages’ by T. Crofton Croker, in Fairy & Folk Tales of Ireland edited by WB Yeats (1888). This is an excerpt from Desert Pookas, a zine of Irish fairy tales adapted into current day Arizona accompanied by linocut print