School: Fairche, Cill Dairbhre (roll number 6834)

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1. An Old Story

   

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   Once upon a time a poor woodcutter had a boy and a girl named John and Margaret. Their mother died when they were very young. After a while their father got married and the little children's stepmother was very wicked to them. The woodcutter was not able to earn enough money to support them. One night when they thought that John and Margaret were asleep they began to say to each other there would be nothing to give the children to eat after a bit. "There is only one thing to be done to them." Said the cruel stepmother. "Early tomorrow morning we will give them a piece of bread and then we will send them into the big wood and leave them there and they will never be able to find their way home again." "My poor children" said the woodcutter "what will happen to them then."
   "What else is to be done with them." said the stepmother. Now John and Margaret were not asleep and began to cry when they heard what was going to happen to them. "Sh sh" whispered John. "I have a plan." When the woodcutter and his wife were asleep John stole out the window. The grass outside was sprinkled

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0327: The Children and the Ogre

   AT1121: Ogre's Wife Burned in his Own Oven

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Peggy Hannan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Graigue, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mrs Hannan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Graigue, Co. Cork