School: Carrowbeg (roll number 10754)

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1. The Leipreachan (continued)

   

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   Once upon a time, there was a man who had a hump on his back roaming about on a hill where there were gentle folk and he met one and it asked him what he would give it, if it would take this hump away. The man at once answered "I would give anything to get rid of it". So the fairy took off the hump for him. This man was greatly delighted with himself and he told an old man who had a hump just like himself and he went to the fairies also, but he had not so much belief in them and he gave them some sort of a cross or sharp answer, so instead of taking off the hump, they stuck the second one on him that they had taken off the other man. On May Eve or the last day of April, fairies are very busy, so to prevent them from coming in and doing any harm the people put May flowers, sheggins, whins or any other yellow blossom outside the doors. They walk a lot on Halloween also. On Halloween nights people used to eat potatoes and bread. The lady of the house had the spoons nicely shined up and a fairy came in and asked for the loan of spoons. She said she

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
         1. leprechauns (~1,007)

   Folktales index

   AT0503: The Gifts of the Little People

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Robert Campbell

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballymagaraghy, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Mrs Mc Dermott

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   61

   Address

   Carrowbeg, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Robert Campbell

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   82

   Address

   Ballymagaraghy, Co. Donegal