Changelings

OK, people.  I want to know who started the whole changeling rumor!  Today in Ancient Lore we discussed the beliefs humans have about fairies and why so many of them are rubbish.  The changeling story is my absolute favorite.  Really well thought-out!

According to humans, fairies will sometimes steal a human baby, substituting a fairy baby, or sometimes even just a baby made of wood.

Now, I like humans, I really do, but sometimes I have to ask myself:  Are you completely insane!?   Leaving aside the whole question of why, let's focus on the how for a moment.  Your average adult fairy only weighs about an ounce (except for old Mrs. Elderberry.  I'm pretty sure she weighs two.)  How on earth is a fairy supposed to lift a human baby?  We're not that magic! 

Even a batallion of fairies would have trouble moving a baby, and then they'd be faced with the dilemma of where to put it.  I doubt if even the California  Redwoods contain a hollow tree big enough to raise a human.  And how would we feed it?  We're talking mountains of food here, every single day!  More than most fairies (again, except for Mrs. Elderberry) can eat in an entire year. 

And good lordy lord, what about the diapers?  I'm not even going to go there.  Really.  Not to mention that a baby's screams can break fairy eardrums from fifty yards away.  Our own babies are loud enough, thank you.  Let me tell you, your babies are safe from us!  We don't want them!!!

Along with these logistical problems, don't you think even the most dim-witted human mother is going to notice that her baby has shrunk to the size of her thumb overnight?  Or is suddenly made of wood?  Honestly. 

Here's what I think:  I think some long-ago human got sick of listening to his neighbors' baby yell all night long, and made the whole thing up to get them to start shutting their windows.  I mean, think about it!  What other explaination can there be?