School: Tomghéis (roll number 9239/9277)
- Location:
- Tumgesh, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: M. Ó Casaide
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0123, Page 163
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Tomghéis
- XML Page 163
- XML “Willie the Wisp”
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- Willie the wisp
Once upon a time there lived a blacksmith who was very tall, and on that account he was called "Willie the wisp." This blacksmith was very fond of drink and one day as he was going towards his forge, the devil came to him with a purse. He said "I will give you this purse which is never empty if you promise to come with me after seven years." "Well if I get the purse, I will go with you after seven years" said Willie.
On getting the purse he was delighted. but he never told anybody, lest it might be stolen. About a year afterwards, one morning on going to his forge, he saw a little man standing outside, who seemed to be shivering with the cold.
He told him to come in and warm him self, this the stranger did, but on leaving he told Willie he would grant him any wish he desired. "Well I am not short of money" said Willie "but I have a purse and will you grant that anything I put into it will never come out."
"Well your wish is granted" said the(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary Neary
- Gender
- Female
