An unusual Orcadian tale, collected by D.J.Robertson and published in Folk-Lore (September 1890). It is a tale of enchantment and disenchantment, and the fairy power to draw humans into their hills and to wear out their lives with dancing.

Once upon a time there was a king and a queen, and they each had a daughter called Kate. But the king's Kate was far bonnier than the queen's Kate, and the queen was jealous of her stepdaughter's beauty and determined to spoil it, but the two Kates loved each other dearly. So the queen went to the hen-wife, her wicked crony, and took council with her.

'Send the bonny burd to me one morning, first thing', said the henwife, 'and I'll spoil her beauty for her'.

So next day the queen sent the king's Kate down to the hen-wife to fetch a basket of eggs for their breakfast. It happened that Kate was hungry, and as she passed the kitchen she snatched up a bannock and munched it on her way. She came to the hen-wife's, and asked for the eggs.

'Go in hen and lift the lid of the pot while I get them', said the hen-wife.

The king's Kate lifted the lid, and a great steam rose up, but she was none the worse for that.

'Go home to your minnie', said the hen-wife, 'and tell her to keep her larder door better snibbit'.

Next day the queen saw Kate as far as the palace door; but on the way to the hen-wife's she spoke to some reapers in the field, and they gave her some ears of corn, which she ate as she went. Again she went home scatheless, and the hen-wife said: *Tell your minnie that the pot winna boil if the fire's away'.