School: Páirc an Iarla (roll number 9303)

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   on the journey home. But Fursa told his father that the magician wanted to get him back and that they must be very careful. So first he turned himself into a horse and telling his father to get on his back, he swam across the sea, back to the mainland again and off home like the wind. Fursa turned himself into a beautiful hunting dog and made his father sell him for a large sum of money. He hunted so well for his new master that the latter soon got his money back and more with it. Fursa then came back to his father, and earned another very large sum as a most beautiful horse. Afterwards he came home back again to his father, who had now become rich, and worked for him in the shape of a little pony. But the crafty magician came in disguise, and one day while his father was drunk, bought the little pony for a few pounds. Fursa exerted himself to undo his father's foolishness. One day, in the magician's castle, he turned himself into a trout and swam away. But the magician sent his pupils after him in the form of otters. When he was almost caught, Fursa turned himself into a pigeon, and flew off, pursued by the pupils in the form of hawks. The pursuit was so keen that he had to fly in through a window in his father's Lord's house. The Lord caught him and, admiring him greatly, for he was a handsome bird, smoothed him and washed his claws. Then he flew the hawks. Fursa then had to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0325: The Magician and his Pupil

   Language

   English

   Informant

   John O' Rourke

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   40

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Rathpeak, Co. Roscommon