In the Baltic countries, there is a forest spirit called the leshy, which is very similar to the English pixie . It is a spirit which can be cruel or simply malicious. The leshy is that which you can feel watching you in the woods, but never manage to see. Its most common activity is to cause travelers to become lost in the forest. In the winter a leshy will brush away the footprints of travelers, so that they can not retrace their steps. During other times of the year they use Leprachaun-like abilities to make every tree and landmark look the same. The best way to thwart a leshy is to wear your shoes on the wrong feet and your clothes backwards. This confuses the leshy who will not be able to tell which way you are going, and will therefore be unable to keep you from your destination.

In Germany the river spirits are called nixies. Although rarely seen, the females are very beautiful with long blond hair and blue eyes. Nixie maidens usually disappear as soon as a mortal appears, leaving nothing but a ripple in the water. But if the man is very handsome, the nixie may lure him into the water, never to be seen again. Those who stalk nixies, will hear their strange singing, causing them to lose their minds.

In Lithuania, there is a strange, though helpful spirit. The Zaltys is a large black snake with a third eye between the two normal ones. The zaltys is a protector of both animals and men, and if one takes up residence in a farmstead, then good fortune will come to the family. The zaltys is rumored to have many magical abilities which it can use to defeat those who would cause unnecessary harm to animals. They are also believed to be appointed by the gods to keep an eye on the moral conduct of men.

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