My mother has this superstitious Greek folk tale/practice that she does when something mysteriously vanishes.
For example she was writing a check and the check fell off the desk and vanished. She looked everywhere for it and could not find it. I helped. Nothing showed up.
So she took out a needle and said while nailing it down that she called out the goblin and she was pinning him down until it returned the check. I laughed. My mom and her silly beliefs.
The next day the check appeared. My mom out of spite kept the goblin/gremlin/fairy pinned a day longer and then let it go in agreement to the bargain.
True story.