The
abducted children were not assumed dead but living in a timeless fairy place exiled from
the mortal realm. Sometimes a lactating woman was also abducted to suckle these
kidnapped mortals and sometimes to suckle fairy babies.
Sometimes the changeling would procure a musical instrument such as a fiddle and play
it wildly; forcing everyone in the house to dance against their will until exhaustion set
in.
The changeling was an unwelcome addition to any household and an
attempt was always made at ejecting him, one method was to throw him across a fire, he
would then vanish up the chimney cursing all those he'd left behind.