School: Finiskill (roll number 13075)

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1. Old Stories - The Legend of Knockgrafton

   

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   There was once a poor man who lived in the glen of Atherlow at the foot of the Galtee mountains and he had a great hump on his back. He looked just as if his body had been rolled up and placed on his shoulders. The country people were rather shy of meeting him in any lonesome place. Although poor creature he was as harmless as an infant his deformity was so great that he scarcely appeared to be human. He was said to have a great knowledge of herbs and charms. But certain he had a mighty skilful hand in plaiting straw and rushes into hats and baskets. That was what he made his hats out of to give to his neighbours. He was nicknamed Lusmore because he always wore a spring of the fairy-cap in his little straw hat. One evening when he was returning towards Cappagh from the pretty town of Cahir and he walked very slowly on account of his hump. It was quite dark when he came to the old moat of Knockgrafton. Thinking sadly of the miles he had still to travel he sat down under the moat to rest himself . As he rested there rose a wild strain of unearthly melody. Lusmore listened and he thought he had never heard such music before. It was like the sound of many voices all singing different strains yet each mingling and blending with the others so strangely that they seemed to be one. Scarcely drawing his breath lest he might lose the slightest note, Lusmore listened. He perceived that the singing was within the moat and though at first it had charmed him so much, he began to get tired of hearing the same round song over and

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

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