HEDLEY KOW

[Folklore] The Hedley Kow was a naughty, shapechanging, playful elf who lived near the village of Hedley. His appearance was not scary and his tricks were usually harmless, which he always ended with a neighing laughter. A typical trick was to change himself into a bunch of straw. When an elderly woman gathering wood picked up the straw, it suddenly became so heavy she had to put it down. Immediately the straw became 'alive' and then it scuttled away laughing. Other tricks included imitating the voice of a lover, feeding cream to cats, and turning over a bowl of soup.