School: Tara Hill (roll number 13689)

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1. The Fairy Changeling (continued)

   

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   she knew of, not growing any bigger only just the same way and many a weary night she had watching it. One night she went to bed but did not sleep, her mind was so crossed thinking of her funny child. She felt a candle lighting and after lying with her eyes half open for a while, she saw it sit up in the cradle and turn about its little face and peep here and there to see if all were sleeping. Then it climbed out on the floor and went over to the hob where there was a cake of oaten bread for the breakfast next morning, and sat down and started eating the cake till it was gone, all the time looking around it like a thieving cat. Then it creeped back again to the cradle and took up a fairy bag pipes and played a fairy tune. Poor Biddy was very afraid and began to think how often she had missed bread before, and how she often came to the door when her man and the girls were from home and heard wild music within. She could not tell how, knowing that she only left the child at home. She did not tell the man of the house for he was very contrary and she was afraid he would her and the child. So she went one day to an old woman who had great knowledge of fairies and with tears in her eyes she told her story. The old woman whose name was Sally Branan told Biddy it was not her own child at all she had, for she

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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)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Gertrude Mooney

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Gorey, Co. Wexford

   Informant

   Mrs Mooney

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Gorey, Co. Wexford