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The Main Manuscript Collection

This collection includes every aspect of the Irish oral tradition. More information

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  1. (no title)

    “There was a king wan time and had three sons.”

    CBÉ 0221

    they mad to kill him. He just had time to take out the two loaves of bread and throw them at them before they were within a few feet of him. When they got the bread they lay down on the grass and started to eat it, and the kings son passed on in peace. It wasn't long until he was out of the wood and you may say he was glad. He travelled on a little farther and then he saw a house on the side of the road, and he went in, for it was now nearly night. When he went inside he saw a very old man sitting down by the fire. He seemed to be a lot older than the other old man, for he had a great white whisker down to his waist and it was as white as snow. The old man bid the king's son

  2. (no title)

    “I was comin' home another night and I had to cross a wet grassy field.”

    CBÉ 0221

    I was comin' home another night and I had to cross a wet grassy field I was nearly mucked to the head the field was so wet and muchy When I was in the middle of the field I met a man and he was dressed up in great style. I began to wonder at him for his shoes were shining, and I was mucked as I said before, but he was done up to kill with grand polished shoes and a grand suit of clothes of him and he walking along and not a speck of dirt on him. I spoke to him when he was passing me and he (?) made me an answer good or bad an I let him have it and he passed on and nothing else passed between us. When he was gone I felt a strange feeling going all through me and i was hardly able to walk

  3. (no title)

    “There was a king wan time and he had a beautiful daughter.”

    CBÉ 0221

    says Jack "you spoke too late I killed the ram just before I came here". Jack used to play any amount of tricks of that kind, and he always came out on top himself. He got sick at last through all his tricks and then the two brothers got very jealous of him. So they planned together that they would kill him. They knew the room where he slept and didn't they decide that they would go this night and stick him with a long sword through the body. Begor wasn't Jack listening to them and didn't he go home and and fixed up a false man in the bed, and then he got under it and when the two brothers came along with their long sword and drove it through the false man. Jack let a roar and a bawl and the two step-brothers outside began to laugh and to sing. But they soon hooked it, for they

  4. (no title)

    “There was a king wan time and he had a beautiful daughter.”

    CBÉ 0221

    in the least. They asked him how he was and why was it that he was in such good form. "Well" says Jack "I'll tell yous now why I'm in such good form. Last night my mother died in the bed, she was pierced the body with a sword or something of that kind. I took her up on my back and I went into the town and I called for the bodysnatchers saying that my mother died of a new disease. All the bodysnatchers came rushing out and offered me plenty of money for her and here is what I have got", so he showed them the two hundred pounds that he got from the bodysnatchers. "Begor" says the two brothers we will go home and we'll kill our ould aunt. So they went home and they each got a mallet and they got at each side of there aunt and they battered in her skull.

  5. (no title)

    “There was a king wan time and he had a beautiful daughter.”

    CBÉ 0221

    skin. Jack said he couldn't give it for that. Then a man came up and offered Jack one thousand pounds for the skin. Jack then sold the skin and went home and then he met his two step-brothers, and he put his hand in his pocket and he took out the thousand pounds. They asked him how in the name of wonder did he get all that money. He told them that he sold all the cattle skins and got a hundred pounds each for them. "Begor" says the two brothers "we will go home and we will kill all the cattle we have and sell all the cattle we have and we will make our fortune". So they went home and they killed all their cattle and then they skinned them and went to the fair and started asking one hundred pounds each for the skins. But if they were there until Tibb's Eve they

  6. (no title)

    “There was a boat load of fish came into Kilmore...”

    CBÉ 0221

    Then the hound started to kill the hare, and when he had it about half-killed what jumps out of it but a bird and flew across the country as hard as it could. It was not long until a hawk made his appearance on the scene and took after the bird, and he caught it and was just killing it, when a man saw him and took up a gun and fired at him and shot the hawk stone dead. The hawk then dropped the bird and what came along but a sea-gull and he picked up the bird and went off in the direction of the Saltee Island. When the seagull landed on the Saltee Islands he let the bird off and it lit on one of the rocks and there were some bird fanciers on the Island and they noticed the strange bird and they went up to it and found that it was real tame

  7. Jack the Giant Killer

    CBÉ 0265

    An old woman had one son who was an asley pen & after remaining at the corner for several years he got up & shook several stone of ashes out of himself. He went out to a heap of dung with a shovel & killed a whole lot of flies. He go it into his head that he was a great champion & that he could kill thousands with one blow & he went home & he told his mother that he was only losing his time that he would go off & seek for adventures & he got a sword made & he got it engraved on it "Brave champion that killed thousands with one blow" & he travelled great long distances until he came to a kings palace

  8. Jack the Giant Killer

    CBÉ 0265

    do that for me" "Oh yes" says Jack " I can easily" so Jack put his sword in the giants stomach & let his guts out. So he took off the giants scalp & he brought it home to the King & the young lady had a great welcome for him & praised him & was more attentive to him than ever but the king was in more trouble now to see how he would get rid of Jack so he went for his grand adviser again to see what would they do with him & they told him that there was two other giants further away again & that he should send Jack to capture the two other giants so he sent for Jack & told him about the two other giants & Jack gladly accepted the offer to off to kill

  9. Jack Bound to a Robber

    CBÉ 0265

    Jack let out the 3rd one but he couldn't catch the 3rd one too easy because he ad to mind the other two he could not leave them down - he hadn't time for to kill them. Jack let them out too quick after each other so they took him out of the field altogether & when he was gone out of the field Jack threw the tacklings off the horses & galloped the horses home. So next morning Lord C. came to the garden where the man was & he said "Jack done that trick well but he'll have to do something better so he says "What do you want him to do now". He said "I have a prize pony in the stable & there is four men minding her & unless he is able to take the pony out of the stable from the

  10. Firey Dragon

    CBÉ 0265

    Once upon a time there lived an old man and woman and they had one son. His name was Jack. He lay in the bed for 20 yrs and after 20 yrs he got up and shook himself and he says to the mother. "Now mother" says he "I think you ought kill me the cock and bake me a cake and I'll go seek my fortune" So the mother done so and Jack started out the next morning further than I can know or you can tell till he came to a big gentleman's place and he was a very good boy and hired with the gentleman and he had nothing to do only herd and milk cows and watch the giants and not

  11. Firey Dragon

    CBÉ 0265

    let them in on the man's farm so Jack done that alright but this day 2 bulls a little black bull belonging to the man and a bull belonging to the giant got into a fight and Jack separated the two bulls and says the little black bull to him when he saved him "Take a piece of shin from the top of me head to the sole of my foot Jack and no matter what you want with that bit of a shin it will serve you" so Jack took the bit of a skin from the top of the bulls head to the sole of his foot and "now" says the bull says he "You have nothing to do but say "stretch belt stretch belt and kill anything comes in your way" so Jack came on along with the cows that night and every morning

  12. Firey Dragon

    CBÉ 0265

    and his brother came on to meet with the lad that kilt him so he met with Jack minding the castle and he attacked Jack but Jack pulled out his little belt and he says "stretch belt stretch belt and swipe two heads off of him" - he had two heads on him. So there was a great feast coming off about a Kings daughter and whoever was to win her was to kill the fiery dragon so all the king's sons came to fight the dragon to win the king's daughter so Jack went down to the giant's place and he got a suit of the giants clothes the best he had and the best horse he had and started on - he passed his own master and his two sons going on to fight the fiery dragon but they didn't know who he was

  13. Enchanted King and Queen

    CBÉ 0265

    & if you beat her & you'll be contented& happy so the crow flew away & about 10 o'c that morning the witch came on hanging on two sticks & two teeth out of her head down to her feet. "Says she you are a fine girl. The only thing I ask is for the cash of gold from under your head & if you don't give it to me I'll kill you". "Begor I won't" says Nancy & they attacked each other & Nancy bet her & put her away." She was standing in the door that evening rejoiced at the way she bet the witch. When the crow flew home & told Nancy she got on well today but to-morrow says he will be a teller on " so the crow flew away the next day again

  14. Enchanted King and Queen

    CBÉ 0265

    came on to stop with the the next night & she forgot locking the fowl house door & the lad went out to lock the fowl house door so pulled out her 3 crows feathers & said "By the bark of my 3 crows feathers that you may be locking & locking all night & that fire may come out of your mouth & that you may be going around like a devil through the yard". so the lad was going mad all together & the other two along with him did not know what was up so the next morning Nancy went to the river again & the clothes came after & these 3 lads made it up to kill Nancy. They went into the wood & cut three quicken-gads & when they

  15. Enchanted King and Queen

    CBÉ 0265

    came out of the wood Nancy was up to their trick & she pulled out her 3 crows feathers & says "Be the bark of my 3 crows feathers that the 3 of you may light upon one another & kill one another so here the 3 of them laid into one another & bet one another while beating was good for them so the old witch came on them so she pulled out the feathers again & said "be the bark of me 3 crows feathers that they may lie upon her" so they lay on her & the old witch called on Nancy to save her & Nancy would not go so the old king came down & they lay on him & the witch called on Nancy to save her again "I won't save you says Nancy unless you

  16. (no title)

    “Once upon a time there was a man and woman lived in a bog...”

    CBÉ 0265

    and I’ll give you a good days hire” so Tom started off and he minded the jungle animals for a day or so a lion faced him and he fought the lion but the lion devoured him so began says Jim to the mother “Tom is not coming back I must go seek my fortune. Bake me a cake and kill me a cock and I’ll go off to seek my fortune” so began Jim says the mother to him “which would you rather have the half of it with my blessing or the whole of it with my curses. “Oh I’d rather have the whole of it with your curse” he says “Him she be hungry on the way so he shouldn’t off and come to this and he sat down and he ate there and he heard

  17. Jack the Strongfella

    CBÉ 0460

    After a few seconds he laid down the dog on the ground as dead as ever a dog was in all his life. Jack looked at the giant and the giant looked at him. They looked at each other for a long time without speaking and wan of them was just as wicked looking as the other. The giant at last began to approach slowly towards Jack and begor Jack moved slowly moved towards him. "Why did you kill my dog?" said the giant to him and he spoke in a very strange voice "Why did you allow him to bite me and then stand in the door and laugh at me!" said Jack. There wasn't another word spoken on either side. They rushed at each other and they started to fight and I'm telling you that was some fight. They fought like two enraged wild animals and they kept at it for a long time. It was a very fierce battle and wan of them was almost as good as the

  18. Jack the Strongfella

    CBÉ 0460

    the man "as let out that wild boar. Are you mad our do you know that if that boar got out he would kill half the people in Ireland in a few minutes." "There'll be no fear of him getting away" said Jack If I get my hands on him that is certain." "Well" said the man there is another thing certain you will get no crow-bar from me to break down that wall." When Jack heard this great talk coming out of the little fella in such an angry way he began to laugh. When he had satisfied himself laughing he went around the place looking for a heavy rod of iron to knock down the wall with. He could find nothing and he was wondering what he would do when he saw a large round bar of iron holding up a shed. He went over to this and he stepped in under the shed and lifted it up with

  19. (no title)

    “Go to Heaven! You'd often hear people saying...”

    CBÉ 0460

    Go to Heaven!___ You'd often hear people saying "Go to Hell!" Well, it's not right to say that I heard tell of a fellow wan night coming down and he met a ghost at a style near his own house. This Ghost was often seen in the same place. When this man was coming home he met the ghost and she standing just at the style. The man thought 'twas some wan that was going to frighten him and he says: "Yerra, Go to Heaven an' that!" The Ghost spoke to him: "Twas a good job for you that you told me "Go to Heaven; for if you told me Go to the other place I'd kill you on the spot." So wasn't he lucky!

  20. An Tarbh Breac

    CBÉ 0463

    his human shape when he would kill him. The boy now agreed to do as the bull had asked him. The bull told him that before he killed him he was to cut a strip of his hide from the tail to the head and wear it round his waist and that it would him in all his difficulties. The boy thanked the bull for all his kindness to him and then proceeded to do with him as he was told. He cut the strip of hide from tail to head tied it round his waist and then he killed the bull. The boy set out from himself and after travelling all day he saw a light in the distance. He made towards the light, went in and asked for a night's lodging and some food. This they gave him. After the meal the boy asked the man of the house if he knew where he would get work. The man asked him what work was he able to do. The boy said that