School: Clochar na Trócaire, Béal Átha 'n Fheadha (roll number 5215)
- Location:
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: John McGee
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0146, Page 159
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- There was a child born in a certain house and when it was a few months old the mother noticed it was very old fashioned and queer. She thought the child was a fairy, and she went to a wise woman in the village to ask her advice. The advice she got was to put the tongs in the fire and keep it there until it was red hot. In the meantime if the child spoke it was a fairy.
The woman did as she was told. When the child saw her it spoke and said, "Mammy what are you doing?"
"I am only warming the tongs son" the mother answered.
When the tongs was red hot, the woman said to the fairy, "I will stick this down your throat if you don't tell me where my child is." The fairy began shouting "Don't do it and I will get you back your child"
The mother did not go near him and so she got back her child.
- Collector
- M Jordan
- Address
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
