On the way to Yagleah,you will pass a hawthorn tree on which mistletoe grows. The local people take care never to harm this tree, for it is believed that it is sacred to the fay. It is said that on Midsummer eve, the fay dance around the tree in the moonlight. A darker tale tells of a black dog that haunts the trackway close by the thorn. It is known hereabouts as the Shuck. Some people say it guards lonely travellers on their way through the forest, but others say that to see the Shuck is bad luck; those who look into this fearsome beast's burning red eyes will die within the year.
