School: Drumbibe (roll number 10765)

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   Once upon a time there lived a man called Pat Cannon. He was very poor and spent his time minding sheep for a Rector. He had a very big family and had but one cow. At last his wife told him to sell the cow, so that they could buy some food for the children. He went to the fair and sold the cow for £15. On his way home he met a funeral. It was the custom at that time to turn back a few steps with a funeral. So he did. The corpse was left down, and the asked him for his money or his life. Pat said he had no money. They said: "Where is the £15 you got for the cow to-day?" Then Pat gave them the money and they let him go. So Pat had to go home without the money or the cow. That night, Pat and his wife and family were sitting very lonely by the fire when a knock came to the door. Pat opened it, and in came a little red man, and asked for lodgings. Pat said there was no food in the house, but that he would give him the shelter of the house if he liked. After a while the little red man said that the Rector down there had a lot of sheep, and that they should go down and bring up one and eat it. "No, we will not" said Pat. "Well, I will" said the little red man. So he went down and brought

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0505: Dead Man as Helper

   AT1536A: The Woman in the Chest

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Michael Mc Girl

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Aughnasheelan, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   John Gilheany

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   58

   Address

   Miskaun Glebe, Co. Leitrim