From Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Marie Borroff from Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas . People in the Dark Ages were very superstitious. They believed that while naughty chil- dren were [1] fairies could steal them out of their beds. Although legends [2] fairics some magical powers, they were by no means [3] People would [4] at natural wonders, such as icicles, spider webs, and dewdrops, convinced that faliries made them. Fairies were physically [5] but used their small size to travel unnoticed. They also developed spells as a means of self-protection. Anyone who came in contact with a fairy promptly (6) When the person awoke, he or she would believe that seeing the fairy had been just a dream. Artists' drawings show fairies as tiny people with dragonfly wings [7] on their backs. Of course, no one ever really saw fairies, not even a [8] living alone in the forest.