School: Loch Measca

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1. The Pilfered Corn

   

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   Not far from here-about three niles from the town of Ballinrobe, there lived the steward of a gentleman,, and he made a practice every evening of bringing home from his employer's barn a pocketful of corn, which he managed to steal during the day. By this means, when sowing time came, the steward had collected sufficient grain to sow an acre of ground for himself. This he did and the corn grew and promised well; in fact it was better than any other corn crop around.
   Harvest time came, so when his corn was quite ripe he engaged the reapers. He was pleased with himself when he thought of the free wheat and how much he would now gain, as that year corn happened to(to) be very scarce and bore a high price.
   The evening before his acre of corn was to be cut he went out to see it, walking backwards and forwards and admiring the golden grain as it swayed to and fro with the Autumn breeze.
   It was a beautiful sight with the full harvest moon shining down upon it. Suddenly the moon was hidden in a cloud, and on looking up the steward saw a flock of crows hovering over his cornfield. So numerous were they that the light of day was shut out and the whole field in darkness. Loudly did he shout and lustily did he call, but the crows were not to be scared away. He saw crow after crow descend, and each drawing up a stalk in his beak, flew away with it. This vexed

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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

   Tommy Lynagh

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Killour, Co. Mayo

   Informant

   Martin Gannon

   Relation

   Unknown

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   87

   Address

   Drumsheel Lower, Co. Mayo