Mallie and The Trow

The story of Mallie and The Trow comes from the Shetland Isles and is one of my personal favourites. As well as just a really good story about a mythical creature, Mallie and the Trow teaches an important lesson. I hope you enjoy me telling the tale in the video but if you need to translate what I’m saying then you’ll find the text below. Enjoy!

The Story of Mallie and the Trow

There was once a woman called Mallie who lived with her husband and two wee bairns in Shetland. Her husband was only really there for half the year though. Every summer he would head off to sea and work on the ships. He returned at the start of winter with enough money to fill their chest with flour and their barrel with salted herring. She did a wee bit of work on the side but generally, that would do Mallie and the kids throughout the year. 

But then one winter, Mallie’s husband didn’t come home. She waited and waited but news eventually came that the ship had gone down and with it, the money they needed to fill their bellies. 

Mallie looked in the chest, it was empty apart from a few spiders webs. Peeking into the barrel, just some salty water and a few scales at the bottom. There was no other option, she would have to go and beg for the charity of her neighbours. 

There weren’t very many houses within easy walking distance and most people had little to spare anyway. But Mallie and her oldest son went up a wee hill to the cottage of an old woman who had always done very well for herself. 

When she opened the door, Mallie explained that her husband had been lost at sea and she didn’t have any money to feed the two bairns. Her son was peering through the door having a wee nosey and he saw the pantry door was open. Inside there was bread, ham, cheese, and jars filled with jam. He was in danger of creating a puddle on the doorstep with how much he was drooling at the sight. 

But the lady said “Oh no, I’m just a poor old woman! I can barely afford to feed myself never mind beggars like you.” And with that she shut the door in their face. 

Well, the wee boy was close to tears. “Mum, did you see all the food she had back there! Why would she not want to help us?!” 

Mallie replied “That’s just how some people are lad. Not everybody wants to share what they have but remember, that’s not our way. We’re better than that and we always help anybody in need.” 

They trudged on home and got set for another hungry evening. When things were dark, and it gets dark very early in the Shetland winter, Mallie heard a knock at the door. 

Bit odd. She didn’t have many neighbours, but maybe the old woman had changed her mind! Opening the door, there was a strange looking wee man in front of her. 

“Very sorry to bother you, but I’ve been walking all day and I was wondering if you maybe had a bite to eat?” 

Mallie sighed “I wish I could help you, but we’ve got nothing to eat ourselves. Honestly, I’m so sorry but you might have better luck if you carried on down the road.” 

“Och I couldn’t go another step; my feet are worn out. Any chance I could kip here just for the night?” 

“Of course, certainly! In you come and get warmed up by the fire!” 

The wee man settled into a chair by the fire and took in the room around him, spying a couple of hungry faces watching from the boxbed. 

“Come on now” said the visitor “you must have something to eat here surely?” 

Mallie had her suspicions as to who their guest was and she didn’t want to disappoint a Trow so she went to double check. Opening the chest, she used a wee knife to scrape off any little crusty bits that were caked into the corners but in reality, it was mostly dust and spiderwebs. Then taking some of the salty, scaly water from the fish barrel, she mixed it all together and made a kind of pasty gruel. 

Four bowls were handed out and Mallie and the bairns slurped this stuff down like it was Michelin Star dining. The wee man on the other hand sniffed it and asked what exactly was this “meal”. 

“It’s the only thing we’ve eaten for two days! You’re very welcome to it though.” Not wanting to be rude, he forced it down his throat. 

When it was time for bed Mallie told the man “The one thing we have plenty of is peat for burning so you keep the fire going strong and have a good night’s sleep”. 

In the morning, Mallie found the wee man all ready to leave. As he opened the door he said “Mallie, it takes a special kind of person to share the only food they have in the world with a complete stranger. For that, I give you my blessing”. 

If she wasn’t sure that this was a Trow before, then it was pretty clear now. Pleased with her good deed but aware that blessings didn’t fill bellies, Mallie was wondering what she would do today to fix their problem. 

The basket of peat was getting low, so she filled it up from the outside store and set to work getting the fire going. First things first, she needed small bits so she didn’t smother the fire, so Mallie picked up a chunk of peat and snapped it in half. 

Ting. Something fell out. 

Well, what were the chances, it was a gold coin! 

Mallie picked up another chunk of peat and ting, another coin! Every piece she broke there was a coin hiding inside. She called her son over and handed him the money. 

“Run to the store with the basket and bring back bread and cheese, some meat, bacon – definitely bacon – we could do with some veg and fruits, just anything you want. Anything!” 

Mallie had never eaten so well and she gave a little prayer of thanks to the Trow. 

The old lady up the hill wasn’t so happy though. Days ago, Mallie was at her door begging and now she’s got gold coins coming out her ears?! She was going to find out where this cash was coming from. 

That night she crept outside Mallie’s window and inside saw one gold coin after another popping out of the chunks of peat. “Aha, that’s her trick is it. Must have stashed it all away so nobody would find it.” Thought the woman. “I deserve some of that gold just as much as her”. 

Throughout the depth of night, the little old lady filled a cart with all of the peat from Mallie’s shed and brought it back to her cottage. There she had a big grin on her face as she broke a chunk in half. 

Squeak. It wasn’t a coin that fell out, it was a mouse. 

Ok that one must have been duff. Next piece. Squeak! 

That’s really strange. The old woman kept breaking pieces of peat and mice kept popping out until she wasn’t even thinking anymore just furiously ripping at the chunks. She took a breath and looked up….oh no. She’d created an army of mice and almost in unison they all turned and looked towards her pantry. 

“No, no, no, no.” There was nothing she could do as hundreds of mice swarmed over the food. They didn’t stop until every last crumb was gone. Now it was her turn to pick up her basket and go begging. 

When she arrived at Mallie’s door, it was the wee boy who answered. “Please” she said “I’ve had a terrible mouse infestation and they’ve eaten all my food. Could you spare anything for a wee old woman?” 

The boy looked her dead in the eye and said “how about I give you exactly what you gave us? Absolutely nothing!”

But before he could close the door, Mallie was behind him. “What did I tell you son? We’re not like that. No matter who it is, we always share with those in need.” 

She invited the old woman in and told her “Take whatever you can carry, and if you need any more when you’re finished you only have to ask. As long as I’m alive, you won’t go hungry”.

If you enjoyed this tale then have a look at The Fiddlers of Tomnahurich next?

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