School: Cnoc Rua

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1. Billy the Thief

   

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   There was a boy one time named Billy. He was 13 years of age. He and his father lived in a gatehouse belonging to a gentleman. His father used to work for the gentleman, and the boy used to help in the kitchen. The gentleman missing the knives and spoons so he told the father about it. The gentleman said he would have to send the boy away. But the father said he was to young to earn his liven.
   "He is not" said the gentleman. "He has his trade learned." "What trade" said his father. "A thief" said the gentleman. So that night the father went to find a thief for the boy. They walked along way, and they meet two men on horses. "Where are you going to, or where are you going with the boy" said the men. "I am looking for a master for him" said the father. "What kind of a master" said the men. "A thief" said the father. "That is the boy we want tonight" said the men. So he put the boy up on one of the horses and they rode away. At last they came to a house, and the ladder up to the chimney. They put a rope around the boy and let him down the chimney. They let down a bucket after him, and he went into the drawing room. He filled the bucket three times with the ornaments, and when he had them all put in he had to give a pull to the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT1525: The Master Thief

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Philomena Brady

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Trian na Graí, Co. Ros Comáin

   Informant

   Teresa Brady

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Trian na Graí, Co. Ros Comáin