School: Tráigh Omna (roll number 13092)

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1. A Strange Story

   

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   I heard of a woman who was coming from a market in Skibbereen. She had sold her eggs and butter at a fair price, and was taking the road home, and she singing to herself because she was happy. Just as she came to the fairies gap she could go no farther and her legs got stiff. A woman rose up out of the ground before her and asked her to come to a land where she would never grow old. The woman who was coming from market said that she would not, as she preferred her own home. The next minute, her basket and her shawl lay on the ground, and she found herself in a big mansion. Every night from that on she used be riding with the good people. So one night when the woman's brother was coming home late from Castletownshend, and a very wild night it was too, he stopped to light his pipe. At that minute he heard the galloping of horses coming towards him. They galloped past him, and while they were galloping past he could not get his pipe to draw. All but one horse passed and on this horse rode a pale sad forlorn woman. She stopped her horse and said "John, will you carry a message for me to my husband ?". "I will" said he "and welcome". "Tell my husband" said she "that I am out riding with the "sidhe" each night. Let him come and claim me about Hallow Eve because after that there will be no good in trying.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   James Nagle

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   James Scully

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   80

   Address

   Castlehaven, Co. Cork