School: Ardrahan, Mainistir Ó dTórna (roll number 13167)

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1. A Story (continued)

   “Long ago an old man named Fitzgerald lived in West Kerry.”

   

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   So he told him that he heard he was to give 100 pounds to anyone who would sleep one night in the castle. The gentleman said that was so but being such a fine handsome young man he wished he would not undertake such a task because several others did but when morning came they were not alive. The boy told him that it mattered nothing whether he survived or not but he was willing to take the chance. "All right" said the gentleman. You will be very comfortable for the night with plenty to eat and drink plenty of fire and light and a good bed to sleep on. At night fall he went to the castle. He sat down by the fire and took out a book and read till bed time. Just at midnight he was about to go to bed he heard a terrible noise up stairs and to his surprise he saw four men bringing down a coffin to the kitchen. He jumped up and taken a stick faced them. When the men saw him they laid down the coffin and off with them. He was very much surprised but he said to himself that he should find out what was in the coffin. He took off the lid and found a man inside who looked asleep. He took him out of the coffin and placed him before the fire and cared for him as much as he could, but still found no life in him. He propped him before the fire saying to himself that he would not lose a nights sleep to him. So he went to bed. He was not long in bed when there

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0326: The Youth Who Wanted to Learn What Fear Is

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Eileen O' Sullivan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Kilgulbin East, Co. Kerry

   Collector

   Mrs M.B. Brosnan

   Gender

   Female

   Occupation

   Teacher

   Informant

   Patrick Leahy

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   c. 85

   Address

   Glankeagh, Co. Kerry