School: Cúl Chaonaig (Coolkenney) (roll number 14631)

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1. A Legend

   

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   Once upon a time there was a man who had a number of bags of coin in a mill and he could not get them out. Every day he would tether his horse down at the foot of his field and every night he would go down and take him home. One very nice clear moonlight night he went down to take up the horse. As he was pulling the "bacan" a little man leaped up out of the ground. "Hello. Is this yours" said the little man. "Indeed it is" said the man. "I know you are in need of meal" and as he spoke a big bag of meal jumped up out of the ground. "Take that with you" said the little man "and if you like you can pay it back. If you do not it is all right."
   The man went away and took the bag of meal with him and the little fairy vanished. The man was very proud and he thought he never would let anything go without paying it back. A week after the man went down to the field having filled a bag of meal and took it with him. As he came to the spot where he left the bag down the little fairy appeared again. He opened the bag and looked into it.
   "Ah" said the little man "that is not as good as our meal because our's was the top grain but it is all right and I'll take it with me." Then the fairy said "I am going away to a country in England to fight an army of English fairies and tomorrow morning when you rise come down to this well and if the well is as clear as it is now "I have win" and if the well is

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Cassie Kelly

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ballysallagh, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Patrick Houghton

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   Over 70

   Address

   Leamatooder, Co. Donegal