Brownie

a Scotch fairy. In Scotland belief was strong in the existence of benevolent fairies who helped people out by working in the night. Sometimes a troop of brownies would cut or thresh grain, churn, guard the flock, etc. A prosperous farm was reputed to be guarded by the brownies. Brownies were never to be seen or spoken to. Palmer Cox has taken up the idea admirably in his "Brownie" pictures. See Fairy