The Hedley Kow
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The Hedley Kow is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in More English Fairy Tales.
[edit] Synopsis
A poor woman found a pot on the road. She thought it must have a hole, to be discarded, but she might find a use for it. She discovered it was full of gold pieces. Finally, she decided to drag it, using her shawl. When she did so, she looked back after a time and saw it was a lump of silver. She looked at it, observed that it would be much better than gold, being less likely to be stolen, and went on. After a time, she found it turned into a chunk of iron, which she observed would be much easier to sell, and the penny pieces would be safer than the gold and silver. She went on. After a time, it turned to a rock, and she exclaimed how convenient it would be, to prop open her door.
When she reached home, the rock turned itself into the Hedley Kow in its own shape and trotted off, laughing. She stared after it and commented that it was quite a thing, to have seen the Hedley Kow herself, and went inside to think about her good luck.
[edit] Commentary
The Hedley Kow was a kind of elf noted for its mischievous habits of shapeshifting. The old woman's equinamity in face of its changes, however, distinguishes this tale.
