But in the morning what was their surprise to find not a poor three parts starved cow, but a plump well fed animal, and with a bag full of milk, it indeed gave more milk than any cow they had ever known or heard of, their hay had also during the night grown to be quite a huge stack.

It was soon found that their butter was the best in all the dales, and was sought after far and wide, so that the old people were gradually filling their stocking with money.  Added to this it was presently discovered that all who drank of the white cow’s milk were cured, almost instantly, of a dreadful plague, which in the dales at that time was sending many young folk to an early grave.  The fame of this wonderful cow soon spread.  The old couple had given the milk to all those who fell ill of the plague, and people came to them from far off places.

It was then that their landlord determined by wicked arts to gain possession of this wonderful white cow, and sell the milk at a great price.  His own child, his youngest daughter, falling ill of the plague determined him to carry out his evil design, and it was with sorrow and tears that the old folk watched their landlord lead their cow away.

When half way over the moor he was met by an old dame, “Where drivest thou my cow?” she demanded.  Getting but a surly reply, and a threat to drive over her, she cried, “Let me teach thee how to milk my cow.”  So saying she seized hold of the cow’s udder, crying out, “There’s death in thee, there’s death in thee,” and then ran away.  The landlord on reaching home was taking a cupful of the magic milk to his daughter, but setting it down for a moment a cat unseen commenced to lap from the cup and died instantly.  The landlord then saw that in his greed he had outwitted himself.  The good dame was brought to milk it under a promise of restoration, and all ended well.

The other story is known as “The Legend of Elphi.”  Elphi the Farndale dwarf was doubtless at one time the central figure of many a fireside story and Elphi’s mother was almost equally famous.  The most tragic story in which they both play their leading parts is that of Golpha the bad Baron of Lastingham and his wicked wife.  The mother helped in hiding some one Golpha wished to torture.  In his rage he seized the mother, and sentenced her to be burnt upon the moor above Lastingham.

Elphi to save his mother, called to his aid thousands of dragon-flies, and bade them carry the news far and wide, and tell the fierce adders, the ants, the hornets, the wasps and the weasels, to hurry early next day to the scene of his mother’s execution and rescue her.  Next morning when the wicked Golpha, his wife, and their friends gathered about the stake and taunted the old dame, they were set upon and killed, suffering great agonies.  But Elphi and his mother were also credited with all the power of those gifted with a full knowledge of white magic, and their lives seem to have been spent in succouring the weak.  Mr Blakeborough tells me that the remembrance of these two is now practically forgotten, for after most careful enquiry during the last two years throughout the greater part of Farndale, only one individual has been met with who remembered hearing of this once widely known dwarf.