School: Boston, Tubber (roll number 10763)

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1. Story - Jack the Tinker (Origin of Jack of the Lantern or Will o' the Wisp) (continued)

   

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   promised to supply him free for life. Each of the three individuals fulfilled their promises.
   Times rolled on for a year or so, and then a young son was born to Seán. He would not accept any of his neighbours as sponsors, so he went on in search of one and the first he met was Our Lord. Our Lord asked Jack to grant Him the privilege of acting sponsor for his child. Jack refused Our Lord - adding that He was not fair, as some very rich and others very poor. He continued on his journey and the next he met was the devil. Jack asked him who he was and the devil told him. The devil asked him to allow him to act as sponsor for the child, but Jack hunted him. The next he met was death and when the death told him who he was, Jack agreed to allow him to act as sponsor, as he was the fairest one of all, since he brought rich and poor alike. He allowed death to stand for the child and when the child was baptized, the death was so thankful, that he told Jack that he would make a great doctor of him (Jack)
   Death told him how for sure he would be able to tell whether the patient would recover or not. "Any time you see me standing at the patient's feet, that person will recover by giving him any kind of

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
         1. Will-o’-the-wisp (~74)

   Folktales index

   AT0330A: The Smith and the Devil (Death)

   AT0332: Godfather Death

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Noone

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Rockvale, Co. Clare

   Informant

   Patrick Mullins

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Rockvale, Co. Clare