School: Cromadh (B.)

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   “When I was a young lad at home I used often hear a story about a family in which there were three boys who lost their lives through the anxiety of their parents that their sons should have a knowledge of the English language.”

   

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   a robbery and murder in the neighbourhood. The youth of the district were arrested, and among them were the three brothers. When the prisoners were being questioned by their captors, no one could answer anything, but Irish with the exception of the three would be aristocrats. Accordingly when it came to their turn, on being asked "Do you know who committed this deed?". The eldest replied "We three", and the astonished interrogators asked, "For what?", to received from the second brother the reply "For the money", and still more astounded at his own success with his questioning, asked a third time, "For what reason?", and promptly received from the youngest boy the reply, "For right and very good reason". Accordingly the brothers having self-indicted themselves were in due course brought before the judge, and on replying as before to similar questions put to them before him, were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged.

   Of the foregoing story I am only sure of the method in which the three brothers got their English phrases, as well as of the phrases themselves. I am not even sure as to who was the narrator, but I believe it was my father. I am strengthened in this opinion because many of his relations lived about Clonmel, and had associations with Waterford people among whom I think the story originated. I am led to this way of thinking because I saw in the Christmas

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT1697: “We Three; For Money.”

   Language

   English