School: Doire na Groighe (C.), An Bhán-tír (roll number 7451)
- Location:
- Dernagree, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Eibhlín, Bean Uí Mhurchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0359, Page 385
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- (continued from previous page)from the fairy when she gave in to her curiousity and sat down and opened the sack.Of course all the beetles and ants and the other small insects were delighted to see the open sky again, and at once they scampered about the field all running as fast as ever they could.When the old woman saw this she was terribly frightened. She tried to recover the ants, the beetles, and the others and put them into the sack.The fairy had been watching all the time, and when the old woman was entirely out of breath from running about and was nearly dead from fatigue she came along and said."Is that the way you keep your promises? Where are all the ants and beetles and the rest I gave you to carry"? You're a wicked old woman and not fit to live. Henceforth you shall be a bird, and a bird you shall stay until you have picked up all the beetle and ants and the rest which I gave you to carry unil the sack is full again"So the bird we know as a Woodpecker came to be.
- Informant
- Mr Batt Sweeney
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- c. 50
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Coolcloher South, Co. Cork
