School: Leitir Mhic an Bhaird (Robertson) (roll number 15283)
- Location:
- Leitir Mhic an Bhaird, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Nábla Nic Amhlaidhe
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1054, Page 391
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- Long ago there lived a very rich man in a castle near the sea in the Parish of Lettermacaward. He kept a male horse and the farmers round about took their mares to him.
One particular mare had a foal and this rich man demanded the foal as he had a great fancy for it. The owner of the mare and foal said to him “Why should I give you the foal” “Oh” says the rich man. “The horse has as much right to the foal as the mare”. However the man had to give up the foal. He was very vexed about his foal and he went to an old witch to see what he might do.
The old witch told him to get a fishing rod and to go down & begin to fish in the sea opposite the castle. She told him to stand with his back to the water while fishing and the rich man would see him and come to him to inquire why he took that position while fishing. He then was to say to the rich man “That’s no more wonderful than a horse to have a foal. The rich man would then be so much disgusted that he would give back the foal. This man did as he was told and the rich man saw him from the castle window. He came then to him and asked the questions as the witch said. He ran and gave back the foal and everything went well afterwards.
- Collector
- Nábla Nic Amhlaidhé
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Múinteoir
- Informant
- Andy Elliott
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 60
- Address
- Na Fargáin, Co. Donegal
