School: St Peter's, Phibsboro

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1. Tom the Fool (continued)

   

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   hid him in a big oaken chest. Late that night her man returned from the fair and the pig with him. He told his wife that not one in the fair asked him if he had a mouth on him. Oh said his wife we'll not be thrown out for the rent I got £5 to-day and she told him all about the stranger. That night they went happy and contented to bed.

   The next morning the woman went to the chest to let the minister out - she was horrified to find him dead. He evidently was unable to get out for the woman had secured the lid of the chest by the heavy iron hasp and he was as result smothered for want of air. "Oh wirra there what will we do now at all" said the woman. Just then who came in but "Tom the Fool" a wandering beggarman. They told their story to him. "arrah" says Tom, "leave him to me I'll take him away and bury him and there wont be a word about him". Tom took away the dead minister and buried him in a bog. That night he went out and killed a neighbour's goat carried him to the spot where he had buried the minister, reopened the grave and buried the goat above the minister's body.

   Soon afterward's there was a great search for this missing minister whose wife had promised a reward of £20 to anyone who could give her information about him. Tom presented himself

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT1600: The Fool as Murderer

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Séamus Breathnach

   Gender

   Male