The Girl and the Dead Man is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands,[1] listing his informant as Ann Darroch, in Islay.
A poor woman's oldest daughter said she would go seek her fortune.
She found a place at a house, watching by night over the body of the housewife's brother, which was under spells, but she fell asleep the first night and the mistress hit her such a blow that she died.
The youngest also set out, but asked for the little one with her blessing, and shared it with the birds.
In the night, the body propped itself up on its elbow and grinned; she threatened to beat it.