A fisherman and his wife had three daughters, Esnad, Niam, and Fionnuala. Esnad, the eldest, had locks of raven hair and eyes as green as emerald jewels. Niam, the second, had hair of fire and eyes like the sea in a raging storm. Fionnuala, the youngest, had hair like sunbeams and eyes like the afternoon sky. All three sisters were lovely to behold, though Fionnuala was considered fairest, and the three were lively of spirit, though Niam was considered most spirited of them all. But neither Niam nor Fionnuala could outdo Esnad in kindness and the willingness to help whenever she found a person in need. But they held no jealousy toward one another, and were considered the loveliest girls in all the countryside. They lived in a small cottage on the far side of Ireland, near the cliffs and the sea.

One day, Esnad, Niam and Fionnuala were preparing to go to town to buy some things for their mother. ‘Be quick now,’ their mother told them, ‘and mind you return before it’s dark! There’s many a strange creature out on the heath when the sun sets. And whatever you do, stay away from the little man on the hill. Has been said he’s a fairy. And no good thing came from speaking with the Good People!”

So the three sisters set out down the narrow road toward the market. By and by they heard a cry of distress, and they turned to look. There among the trees was a net, and in the net was a little thrush. He struggled to free himself, but no matter how hard he struggled, he could not get out.

Esnad turned to Fionnuala. “He is caught! We must free him.”

So Fionnuala bent down and undid the net.

The little thrush flew up to a branch above and sang out. “You have freed me, fair girls. One day I will repay you.” And with that, he flew off.

The three sisters, pleased with their act of kindness and the little thrush’s promise, continued down the lane. As they walked, they came upon a fox with his tail stuck under a log. He pulled and pushed, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not free himself.

Esnad turned to Niam. “He is stuck! We must help him.”

So Niam bent down and rolled the log away.

The fox sprang onto a stone and called out. “You have helped me, fair maidens. One day I will repay you.” And with that, he sprang away.

The three sisters, delighted with their act of kindness and the fox’s promise, strode happily down the lane once more. The sun was high in the sky at this time, and it was hot. After a little while, the three sisters saw an old woman, bent with age, carrying a heavy burden on her back.

Esnad turned to her sisters. “She is weary! We must give her relief.”

So the three sisters helped the old woman lay down her burden, and they sat her down in the shade of an old oak until the sun relented, and the day grew cooler.

The old woman took up her burden again. “You have given me relief, dear girls. One day, I will repay you.”

Esnad turned to her sisters. “We must get to the market, but this woman cannot carry this burden herself. You go to the market, and I will help the old woman home.”

So Niam and Fionnuala set out down the lane again, and Esnad helped the old woman across the heath to a small cottage where the woman lived. Esnad helped the old woman into her chair and stoked the fire. A small child in a strangely carven cradle began to cry.

The old woman cried in a sudden fit of anger, “Enough of your torments, devil! Leave me in peace!”

Esnad was surprised. “But why do you speak so to your own child?”

“He is not my child! He took the place of my own dear grandchild. A beautiful boy he was, a bright-eyed, fair-haired child. But one day the Little People stole him from me, and replaced him with this hideous, wailing changeling!”

Esnad looked into the cradle, and saw that the child was indeed hideous. Coarse, black hair stuck from his head and face like tufts of shriveled grass. His face was brown and wrinkled, and two large eyes stared at her with a numbing grin.

Esnad turned to the old woman. “Can you do nothing?”

The old woman shook her head. “I have tried, dear girl. Begged, entreated and threatened the Little People to try and get my own dear little boy. But they do not listen to an old woman. My poor grandson!” The old woman wept.

Esnad knelt in front of the old woman and took the old woman’s hands in hers. “Do not weep. I and my sisters shall help you.”

The old woman shook her head. “That is not possible.”

Esnad rose. “We shall see.” She said farewell to the old woman and struck out across the heath to the narrow lane which led to market. She walked quickly, watching the sun set in the west.

By and by, her sisters came down the lane toward her. She lifted her voice and cried aloud. “O sisters, sisters!”

Niam and Fionnuala ran to her. “What is the trouble, dearest sister?”

“O my sisters, the old woman’s grandson has been taken by the fairies, and in his cradle lies the most hideous changeling! We must find a way to get him back!”

“But how?” Asked Fionnuala. “Who would know such a secret?”

“The little man on the hill!” Cried Niam. “Surely a fairy knows a fairy’s secret!”

“But we cannot go there.” Fionnuala said. “Mother forbade us, for no good comes from speaking with the Good People.”

“Nevertheless,” Said Esnad, “As I gave my word, we must try.”

So the three sisters set out across the heath toward the hill. It was a large hill, covered with rocks and nooks and perfect places for the Little People to hide. The three sisters turned over every rock they saw, but they could find no sign of the little man. Finally, when they sat down on, discouraged and on the brink of giving up, Esnad heard a little noise. The tapping of a tiny hammer. She snuck to a large dock plant and turned over one of its leaves. Underneath it on a small wooden stool sat a little man, no taller than a foot, with a wizened face and a long, white beard. He wore a red vest and green jacket, and on his head was a tall green hat. Esnad laughed in spite of herself, and the little man looked up at her.

She smiled. “Many blessings on you, Sir!”

The little man smiled. “And many blessings in return, my dear little girls! I’ve been waiting a good deal for you. As pretty as you may be, your sight isn’t much to envy.”

“We need your help.”

“Many do! But you’ll never get it without first answering my riddle. And no one’s been able to do that.”

“Is it a long riddle?” asked Fionnuala, quite worried about the position of the sun. “We haven’t got long.”

The little man laughed with mischievous glee. “Oh, you’ll need all the time you can spare!” he rubbed his hands together with a mischievous grin. “Right! Well then, will you hear my riddle?”

Esnad turned to her sisters. “We don’t have a choice.” She turned to the little man. “We’ll hear.”

“Excellent choice!” He sat back and recited his riddle. “‘I give you a group of three. One is sitting down, and will never get up. The second eats as much as is given to him, yet is always hungry. The third goes away and never returns.’”

Fionnuala lifted her hands in despair. “We’ll never figure that out!”

The little man frowned at her. “You give up very easily.”

“No!” Cried Niam. “We’ll guess.”

The three sisters sat down to think, while the little man chuckled to himself. But no matter how hard the sisters thought or guessed, the little man’s bright, cheery voice always called out, “Wrong!” At last, the sun began to set behind the hills, and the three sisters knew it was time to return home.

Esnad turned to the little man. “We have not given up! We’ll return tomorrow to guess your riddle.”

The little man smiled cheerfully. “I’m always here!”

The three sisters started down the mountain, and reached their cottage just before the sun disappeared beyond the hills. Their mother was glad to see them, but scolded them on being so late. They ate their supper and went to bed.

The next morning, after breakfast, the mother went to visit a neighbor, and the three sisters were left to themselves. They locked up the house, slid the key under the mat, and set out to the hill where the little man waited. As they walked along, they heard a thrush singing in a tree, and Fionnuala stopped to listen. “It’s the thrush I freed from the net!” The three sisters looked up, and there, on a low bough, sat the little thrush, singing for joy at his freedom. He looked down at the three sisters and said, “You have helped me in my time of need. Someday, I will help you.”

“Can you help us now?” Asked Fionnuala. “We need to help an old woman get her grandson back, but first we must answer a riddle given us by the little man who lives on the hill.”

“The little man!” Cried the thrush. “Many have heard his riddle and left discouraged!”

“We are not giving up!” Said Niam.

“What is the riddle?” Asked the thrush. “I will see if I can answer.”

So Fionnuala told the thrush the riddle. The thrush laughed. “The first part I know very well! But to keep from cheating, I shall give it to you in a riddle of my own. ‘It keeps you warm and keeps you fed, a box of black and heat. Every house has it.’”

The three sisters pondered this for a moment. “Keeps you warm. Fire keeps you warm.” Said Fionnuala.

“But fire does not feed you.” Said Niam. “Food feeds you.”

“A box of black and heat.” Esnad thought. “Every house has it. A stove! Our stove is a box, and it is black. It keeps us warm, and we cook in it!”

Fionnuala turned to the thrush. “A stove?”

The thrush laughed. “A stove, a stove! I have paid you back, but our friendship shall live on.” And with that he flew away.

So the three sisters, delighted at the answer of the first part of the riddle, continued down the lane to the little man who waited for them. By and by, they saw a fox cross the lane ahead of them. Niam cried out. “Look! It is the fox that I freed from the log!”

The three sisters looked, and indeed it was the same fox. He looked at the three sisters and said, “You have helped me in my time of need. Someday, I will help you.”

“Help us now!” Said Niam. “We need to rescue a boy from the fairies, but first we must answer the riddle of the little man who lives on the hill.”

“The little man!” Cried the fox. “Many have heard his riddle and left without giving an answer.”

“But we cannot.” Said Esnad.

“Tell me the riddle.” Said the fox. “Perhaps I can help.”

So Niam told the fox the riddle. The fox laughed. “The second part I know! But I do not think the little man takes kindly to cheating, so I shall tell you the answer in a riddle of my own. ‘Give it food and it will live. Give it drink, and it will die.’”

The three sisters pondered this a while. “Give it food and it will live. People need food.” Said Fionnuala

“But they also need water.” Said Niam irritably. “What needs food but not water?”

“No.” Said Esnad pensively. “What needs fed but dies when you pour water on it?”

“Fire!” Cried Fionnuala.

The fox laughed. “Fire it is! I have helped you at last, and I hope we shall always be good friends.” And with that, he sprang away.

The three sisters, overjoyed at the answer of the second part of the riddle, started down the lane again towards the hill where the little man waited. At last, they came across the cottage of the poor woman. They heard the changeling wailing without mercy, but when they entered the house, the woman was not there. They found her sitting at the back of the house in an old chair.

The old woman smiled wearily at them. “You have helped me greatly, my dears.”

“And we will help you more.” Said Esnad. “But can you help us? To return your grandson, we must answer a riddle.”

“The riddle of the little man who lives on the hill?” Cried the woman. “I have heard it. But try as I might, I could not solve it.”

“But do you know any of it at all?” Fionnuala pleaded.

“I know the answer to the third part of the riddle.”

“Tell us!” Said Niam. “We have the first two parts of the riddle, we only have to find the last part!”

The woman shook her head. “The little man does not take kindly to cheating. So I must give it to you as a riddle of my own making. ‘It billows and it stings your eyes.’”

“Smoke!” cried the three sisters triumphantly.

“Yes!” Laughed the old woman. “It is smoke!”

“You have helped us.” Said Esnad. “Now we will help you.”

So the three sisters said their farewells, and struck off across the heath to the hill where the little man waited. He sat beneath his dock plant, hammering at a pair of shoes and humming to himself.

Esnad called out. “Many blessings be upon you!”

The little man looked surprised. “You don’t look very down! I thought you’d be discouraged.”

“We know the answer!” Said Niam.

The little man looked suspicious. “Who told you?”

“We guessed the riddles ourselves.” Said Fionnuala truthfully.

The little man grunted. “Well. Out with it, then!”

“A stove!” Cried Fionnuala happily.

“Fire!” Cried Niam delightedly.

“Smoke!” Cried Esnad triumphantly.

The little man sighed. “Yes! You’ve guessed my riddle. No one’s been able to do that. Now I suppose I’ll have to help you. What do you want?”

“Please,” Said Esnad very politely. “We need to return the old woman’s grandson to her. He’s been exchanged for a changeling!”

“Is that all!” Cried the little man. “You went through all that trouble for such a simple answer? Very well, then. I said I’d help you, and I will.” He got to his feet and started down the hill. The three sisters followed him all the way to the old woman’s cottage. When the little man entered, the old woman cried out and jumped to her feet. “Out you little devil!” She snatched up a broom to strike the little man, but Esnad stopped her. “He can help!”

The little man looked quite flustered. “I’ll help, but I’ll require payment from you for your insult!”

“We’ll pay it.” Said Niam. “But you must help us!”

“Very well!” Cried the little man, and he jumped forward, grabbed the changeling by the leg, and slung him into the fire. The three sisters cried out in horror as the changeling disappeared into the flames and the smoke.

“What have you done!” Asked Esnad.

“I’ve done as you asked!” Said the little man, irritated. “Now go to the fairy circle and demand to have the child back!”

The old woman led the three sisters to the fairy circle, which sat near the ruins of an old castle in the hilly countryside. The sun was beginning to set, and everything was dark. The old woman walked to a large circle of stones and called out, “Give him back to me! Give him back to me!”

A host of ugly creatures no bigger than Esnad’s hand appeared from the cracks and crevices of the rocks. They were all as ugly as the changeling, and they looked angry and afraid. They carried a little bundle and set him at the old woman’s feet, then retreated back into the nooks, calling out behind them, “Take him and leave! Take him and leave!”

The old woman took up her grandson in her arms, and she and the three sisters returned to the cottage.

They found the little man sitting on a stool in front of the fireplace, hammering at a pair of shoes. The old woman rocked her grandson in his cradle, and the three sisters sat beside the fireplace and watched the little man.

“Please, Sir.” Said Esnad politely. “What happened to the changeling?”

“Oh, he popped up the chimney and ran off!” Said the little man cheerfully. He seemed to have gotten over his irritation. “He won’t be seen any time soon.”

“What’s your pay?” Asked the old woman.

The little man smiled mischievously. “I was waiting for that. It must be given me every day if you’re to keep me from spilling the milk or upsetting the house!”

“What is it?” Asked the three sisters.

“I’ve always fancied a nice hot bowl of porridge!” Exclaimed the little man with glee in his eyes.

The three sisters laughed, and made him a bowl of porridge, with butter and cream. They set it before him on the hearth. He handed the shoes to the old woman. “Put these on the boy. As long as he keeps them on himself, whether on his feet or about his neck or in his pocket, the fairies won’t harm either of you, and they’ll leave your house and land alone.”

The old woman took the shoes and put them on her grandson’s little feet. The little man slurped up the porridge, then hopped down from the stool, and put the empty bowl on the stool. The three sisters thanked him ever so much, then turned to see the little boy. He was indeed a beautiful child, bright-eyed and fair haired, and he cooed and gurgled as a little child should.

Esnad turned to thank the little man again, but he had vanished from sight. The three sisters said their farewells to the old woman and her grandson, and set off down the lane to their cottage. When they got home, the sun had just begun to set. Their mother began to scold them for their naughty behavior, but when they explained what had happened, she was delighted and forgave them for going to the little man on the hill. “All’s well that ends well, I suppose. Even with the Little People.”

From that day on, Esnad, Niam and Fionnuala were very dutiful in sending the little man his porridge with butter and cream. The little boy grew to be a fine young man, handsome in bearing and countenance, and admired by all the girls, but he was always considered strange because he wore a pair of small shoes about his neck. He himself never discovered why, but the three sisters, who lived to a ripe old age and had many children, always smiled when they heard of the strange young man, for they knew that it was because of them, and the little man and the thrush and the fox and the young man’s grandmother, that he wore that small pair of shoes, and had good luck wherever he went.