School: Loch Measca

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1. The Tailor and the Changeling (continued)

   

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   turned out of Heaven. We came to flit up and down through the world, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad, until the day of judgement, growing less time after time. I fear very much unless we mend our manners we must all of us, in the end, go to hell. But, no more of this now, Con. You seem to be a good and likely boy, and know how to roast an egg, so Con, meet me the night of Hallow E'en at the Carn and I will make your fortune for you."
   The week before Hallow E'en the child was heard to bawl no more. He would not take any more milk, and one morning he was found stiff and cold in his cradle. To be sure Paddy and his wife were not sorry to be well rid of the boy, so with a light heard he took the corpse under his arm and put him quietly to rest in the churchyard of Ballinchalla on the north side of the old abbey, where the sun never shone upon him. Twenty times a day did Con think to himself whether he would mind the fairy's bidding and go to Carn on the night of All Souls, or not.
   'Twas head or harp. but conscience and curiosity won the toss. So he set out by the light of the moon and began his climb to the top of the Carn.
   Half-way up he felt something on his shoulder, and on looking what did he see but the neatest little gentleman in the world sitting there, just like an

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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

   Mary K. Casey

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Creevagh Middle, Co. Mayo

   Informant

   Martin Gannon

   Relation

   Unknown

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   87

   Address

   Drumsheel Lower, Co. Mayo