School: Bun Machan

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1. The Man who Wanted to Catch a Fairy

   

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   There was once a man who wished to catch a fairy. One night he went to a white-thorn bush and lay down and pretended to be asleep. It was not long until the faires came out and danced around him. One fairy came up to him and the man made a grab for him but he only caught the fairy's glass shoe. He went home and put it on the dresser and he looked at it often that night and during the next day. Just before dark on the following day a stranger came to the door. He was dressed like a poor man and was looking for alms. He got a piece of bread and butter. He began to eat it, but all the time he had his eyes fixed on the little glass shoe on the dresser. Of course he was not really a poor man at all but a fairy, the owner of the tiny shoe, who had come looking for his property. He remained standing at the door, eating the bread and butter as if he was very hungry. After a while he said, "That is a pretty thing you have there on the dresser. Will you sell it? I will give you a few shillings for it." So the bargain was made. The fairy took the shoe and straight away he disappeared. The man put the few shillings he had received into his pocket and went into his house feeling very pleased with himself. But the few shillings he had got from the fairy were soon spent and he became as poor as ever. Had he kept the little glass shoe he would have been rich and happy to the end of his life, but he did not know that until it was too late. He never saw a fairy afterwards.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John Coffey

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballydowane West, Co. Waterford

   Informant

   Thomas Coffey

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballydowane West, Co. Waterford