School: An Mhainistir, Cloch na Rón

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1. The Card-Player (continued)

   

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   up after it. When the old man came home in the evening he was surprised and he said. "Someone is helping you but I don't know who it is. You can clean out the dung in the stable tomorrow." The next day he went forking the dung out of the stable but for every forkful he would throw out, three would come in. The woman came out as before, threw out one forkful and all the rest followed it. The little man was more surprised that before and he said, "Well you must get the apple on top of that pole there tomorrow." The next day the young man was out there trying to climb up the pole but it was all smeared with grease so that he could not climb up. The young woman came out at last but she said. "I cannot climb up the tree because he is watching it, but I will lend you my fingers and they will help you to climb up." The man put on the fingers and climbed up the pole but as he was catching the apple one of the fingers got lost. He came down and told young woman, "We;; I suppose I will have to go with only nine fingers for the rest of my life. The old man was surprised in the evening and he said "Well my blessing to you but my curse to who ever is helping.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0313: The Girl as Helper

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Robert Dundas

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Roundstone, Co. Galway

   Informant

   Mrs Richard Dundas

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   80

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Roundstone, Co. Galway