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  3. Ladhar an Chrompáin

School: Ladhar an Chrompáin (roll number 14998)

Location:
Lyracrumpane, Co. Kerry
Teacher:
Pádraig Ó Súilleabháin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0407, Page 241

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0407, Page 241

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  1. XML School: Ladhar an Chrompáin
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  3. XML “Cam is Díreach”

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  1. Cam is Díreach

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    19/1/'38 Long ago there lived in Ireland a great mason. He had only one son and he was looking for a wife for him. All the girls of the place were coming to him to know if he would take them. When they came he used to say to them "what way will you be to me?"
    One day a girl came to him and he asked her what way would she be to him and she said "I'll be to you as you will be to me," and he took that on. One day the mason and his son were building a house for the king. When they had it nearly finished they heard that they were to be killed by the king when they would have finished so that they would build no other house like it. Then the mason and his son pretended that the house was not finished at all and that they could not finish it without the cam is Díreach, and that they should go home for it. The king would not let them go home at all, so they decided that the king's son should go for it. The king had no Irish and he could not understand the meaning of cam is Díreach. When the son went for it he asked the mason's daughter-in-law, for the cam-is-Díreach. She knew there was no such thing, but she knew that it was how the king would not let them come back. So she said to the king's son, "It is in here and you are younger than I am to get it out." The king's son was searching for it and she threw him into a small room and she told him he should
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Folktales index
    AT0875: The Clever Peasant Girl
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Eibhlín Ní hEichthigheirn
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Knocknaglogh, Co. Kerry
    Informant
    Michael P. Aherne
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    63
    Address
    Knocknaglogh, Co. Kerry