Irish mythology holds that a child may be whisked away at birth, and a fairy changeling left in its place. The changeling will look just like the child, but will have no heart; it will want to be left alone, will hold on to a piece of wood that recalls its fairy home, and instead of speaking, it will croak and hum. If the mother tries to caress or love it, it will laugh and spit and take revenge with bizarre acts. The only solution is to throw it on a bonfire.
