BROWNIE ELF

A brownie is a small, hardworking elf approximately three feet high. They typically have brown faces and scraggly hair. He is said to live in houses and barns and he only comes out at night to finish any work that didn't get done during the day.

In return, a brownie will accept gifts of food - cream, bread or milk may be left for him, but other gifts offend him. If clothes are left out for him, he will put them on and vanish, never to return. This is what happens in the Grimm fairytale The Elves and the Shoemaker.

A brownie is rarely seen, though he can often be heard cleaning and scrubbing. A mischievous brownie could sometimes disarrange rooms and furniture, and make an untidy clutter.

Brownies occur mainly in the folklore of England and Scotland. The boggarts of Yorkshire and the bogles of Scotland are wicked mischievous brownies, a bit like poltergeists.

There are both Scottish Lowland Brownies and Scottish Highland Brownies. It is highly improbable, though certainly not impossible, to find an English Brownie.

Happy Brownies are very helpful and do all manners of work around and inside the house. They are especially helpful in brewing beer. If a Brownie is not happy, it will make everyone miserable.