School: Ladhar an Chrompáin (roll number 14998)

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1. Little Cane Do Your Duty

   

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   Seo iad na Sgéalta a fuaireas ó Eibhlín ní hÉichthigheirn as Cnoc na gCloch, Ladhar an Chrompáin. Cailín sgoile í.

   16/1/38

   "Little cane do your duty"

   Long ago there lived in Ireland a man by the name of Jack. He was walking one day on the bank of a river when he met a brown-haired woman who gave him a little cane. She told him that if ever he was fighting to say "Little cane do your duty" and the cane would fight for him. A farmer who lived near Jack had been building a new house at that time and what he built by day would be knocked down by night. The farmer was very angry when he could not build his house so he offered one pound (£) to any person who would mind the house for him and not let it be knocked during the night. Several men chanced it but they were all found dead in the morning. It happened that Jack went minding it one night and he carried the cane with him. In the middle of the night four men came into the house and the brought a coffin in with them. Then they let down the coffin & went out. After a while' the man in' the coffin' rose up and Jack invited him out for a drink but he said "Soon enough I'll go out," and then he jumped out of the coffin & began to fight Jack. He had Jack nearly killed, but when he said "Little cane do your duty," the cane began to beat the man. He ran out as

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0326: The Youth Who Wanted to Learn What Fear Is

   AT0563: The Table, the Ass, and the Stick

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Eibhlín Ní hEichthigheirn

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Knocknaglogh, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Michael P. Aherne

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   63

   Address

   Knocknaglogh, Co. Kerry