School: Tara Hill (roll number 13689)

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1. The Fairy Changeling (continued)

   

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   guessed from the first how it was. Biddy was astonished and asked her, what else is it? "Some old man belonging to the good people", said Sally, "they took him when he was a child, and had him among them ever since, but now he is too old, and the left him in place of your fine boy ". "What is to become of me?" said Biddy. "Are you a bold woman for you must do a bold thing?" Sally asked Biddy. " I would do anything to get my boy back ", Biddy answered. "Then", said Sally, "You must watch your time with a brave heart and catch the old man and put him in a bag and take him to the river and throw him in, but don't left your heart fail you, or you are a gone woman. Be sure to leave him plenty of oaten bread until it is done ". Biddy went home again, and the child as it seemed to be was asleep, but when she bent over him he opened his eyes and grinned up at her, as if to say, she thought, "I know all about it". So Biddy ran to the other side of the cabin, and tried to collect her wits. She was almost afraid to do what Sally told her, She was afraid she would drown her own child, but then she though of all she had seen and said to herself, no right child could do the like. So when she found him sleeping inearnest she put him in a meal bag and tied a string around the top to hold him fast. When she was tying it he cried and kicked so hard, that poor Biddy let him drop from her hands and was afraid to lift him up for a long time. In the meantime he had got his nose out of the sack and gave a great curse, that if he was a Christian baby he could not speak for months to come. This made her sure and she took up the bag on her back and ran away shouting to the river, and

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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