School: Gort Sceithe (roll number 13062)

Location:
Gortskehy, Co. Mayo
Teacher:
Tomás Ó Cléirigh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0105, Page 213

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0105, Page 213

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  1. XML School: Gort Sceithe
  2. XML Page 213
  3. XML “Fortune and the Beggar”

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  1. One day a ragged beggar was creeping along from house to house. He carried an old hat in his hand and was asking for a few pence to buy something to eat. As he was grumbling at his lot he kept wondering why it was that the folks who had money were never satisfied but were always wanting more.
    "Here", said he, "is the master of this house; I know him well. He was always a good business man and he made himself very rich a long time ago. He began building ships and sending them to [?] to trade wich foreign lands; he thought he would get mountains of gold. But great storms arose, his ships were wrecked and his riches were swllowed by the waves. Now his hopes all lie at the bottom of the sea.
    There are many such cases. Men seem to be never satisfied unless they can gain the whole world. As for myself if I had only enough to eat and to wear I would not want anything more. Just at that moment fortune came down the street. She saw the beggar and stopped. Hold your hat and I will pour gold into it. All that falls into the hat shall be pure gold, but every piece that falls upon the ground shall become dust.
    The beggar hardly waited till he held out his hat. And the stream of yellow coins were poured into it. The hat soon
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Tomás Ó Cléirigh
    Gender
    Male
    Occupation
    Múinteoir
    Address
    Annefield, Co. Mayo