The household sprite Billy Blind tells him to make up a wax dummy of a baby and invite his mother to the christening.
The mother came to see and, on seeing the wax figure, burst into a rage, demanding to know who had undone each charm she had put.
[1][4] This ballad is found in several Scandinavian variants (TSB A 40), with various charms laid by the witch; sometimes she could not enchant one location in the house, and when the woman in labour is moved there, the baby is born.
[1][2] In Greek mythology, the birth of Heracles was similarly delayed, by the goddess of childbirth keeping her hands folded.
[1][5] Following are some of the notable recordings of the ballad, including the artists, titles, albums, and years: The melody used in most of these versions is that of Son ar chistr, a Breton song composed in 1929.