School: Cooley

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1. The White Trout

   

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   A long time ago there lived a beautiful lady in a castle.[?] She was to marry a kings son but he was drowned and she pined away for him then the fairies took her. Sometime later a white trout was seen in the river and it stayed there for many years. None would touch it because they thought it was a fairy. Then some men came to live in the village and one of the men said he would catch the trout and eat it. He did catch it and put it on to fry but it would not fry. Every time he turned it, it was still white. The then took a knife and stuck it into the fish. There was a loud scream and the fish jumped out of the frying pan into the fire and a lovely lady stood there and blood was running down her arm. "Look where you cut me" she said. "Could you not have left me in the river and not taken me away from my duty". The man got afraid and said he didn't know she was on duty. "I was on duty" said the lady. "I was watching for my true love and if he is away since you took me you shall die." The fairy told him to put her back in the water. She turned into a fish again and he put her back. To this day the the trout has a red spot on its side.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Ruby Gibson

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Gulladoo, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   William Thompson

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Gulladoo, Co. Donegal