Contributed by Marilyn McPhie It was late in the afternoon on the last day of the year, when a man trudged through the snow into a small village in the highlands of Scotland. He was shabbily dressed in an old coat and a ragged hat and gloves, and he walked with a slow, tired …
Contributed by Marilyn McPhie It was December 25, 1914. World War I was five months old, and already there were more than a million casualties. There was fierce fighting everywhere, it seemed. Soldiers had spent their days surrounded by the sound of bullets. But it was Christmas. And that changed everything. Some have said that …
— Contributed by Marilyn McPhie What’s the difference between beginner and expert bagpipers? Nothing. Why do bagpipe players always walk when they play? To get away from the sound. My neighbors love my 3am bagpipe practice They even throw bricks through my window so they can hear it better. I received an award from the …
Contributed by Marilyn McPhie Dan Brown didn’t own the land he farmed. He leased it from a landlord he’d never met. Dan’s dealings were only with the land agent. Dan and his wife had lived on the land for more than twenty years, and things had been good. He kept the wee house in good …
–Contributed by Marilyn McPhie Many years ago, in a humble croft in Scotland, there lived an old woman with her son, Jack. Everyone in town knew about Jack. He was, everyone knew, a foolish boy Jack may not have been very smart, but he was strong, and cheerful, and willing to work, and he kept …
Contributed by Marilyn McPhie Long, long ago in the Shetland Islands, there was a woman named Mallie. Mallie’s husband had been lost at sea, so she was a widow, but she was not alone. She had three sons, who were all fine young men, teenagers. And like all teenagers, they seemed to always be hungry, …
Contributed by Marilyn McPhie Once upon a time there were seven brothers. They lived by themselves in a small cottage, for their parents were long gone. One day, weary of doing the household chores and dissatisfied with the routine of their lives, they realized that everything would be much improved if they were married. Alas, …
Contributed by Marilyn McPhie There was once a lass who went out at the cry of dawn to wash her face in the morning dew, for it was well known that the morning dew would make her skin soft and lovely. But the lass never came home again. Her father frowned and her mother wept, …
Contributed by Marilyn McPhie If you have ever been to Scotland, you know that legends and lore are everywhere to be seen and heard. They are as ubiquitous as the taste of haggis or the skirl of the bagpipes. It seems that every church, every crossroads, every ancient tree – and certainly every stone has …
Contributed by Marilyn McPhie In Scotland many centuries ago, there was a king. He sat on his fine throne in his fine castle, surrounded by riches beyond compare, and he was content – even proud. But one day there came a challenge. An English lord, with lands and warriors and gold of his own, sent …
