The Hedley Kow
An old woman found a pot of gold by the road. As she carried it home, it turned to silver, then iron, then a stone. Then it jumped up and ran off, laughing.
What was reported
The Hedley Kow was a shapeshifting bogie of the village of Hedley on the Hill in Northumberland, famous for playing tricks. It might appear as a bundle of straw, a horse, or a beautiful woman, and lead people on, then vanish with a shout of laughter.
In the best-known tale, a cheerful old woman finds a pot of gold. As she drags it home, it turns into a lump of silver, then iron, then a big stone, and each time she decides she's lucky anyway. At her door, the stone grows legs and ears, and the Kow runs off laughing. She's simply delighted to have seen it.
Explanations offered
The tale was collected by Joseph Jacobs in his English Fairy Tales of 1894. It's a gentle story about contentment, and the Kow is a typical northern English 'bogie', more mischievous than dangerous.
- When
- Told since at least the 1800s
- Where
- Hedley on the Hill, Northumberland, England, UK
- Witnesses
- Northumberland folklore
- Status
- Legend
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