School: Cnoc an Doire (B.) (roll number 2418)

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   Story Once there was a gentleman who had two sons. The youngest got married against his father's consent. So his father cut him off without a penny. He lived in a little cabin close to his father's mansion. He had a big family. He did not know what to do to support them. He had only one cow. The children were hungry. His wife said it was better for him to take the cow to a fair that was held next day and sell her to get some food for the children. The fair was held in some town far away. The poor man was travelling all night with her. He sold the cow for thirty shillings. On his way home he had to pass a grave yard. He was surprised to hear all the noise that was there. When he came to the gate he saw a crowd of men arguing over the coffin. Some of the men wanted to put it into the grave and more of them were holding it back. He went into the graveyard and asked one of the men why they would not to let the corpse be buried. The man told him that the corpse was that of a poor man. The man that made the coffin would not allow it to be buried until he was paid for it and there was no one there belonging to the dead man to pay for it. The man who was coming from the fair asked what was the price of the coffin. They told him that it was thirty shillings. He said "I will pay for it and let the poor man be buried". When he came home his wife felt it, as she had nothing

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   Folktales index

   AT0505: Dead Man as Helper

   AT1536A: The Woman in the Chest

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Henry Catom

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Castlefarm, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Mrs Duggan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Castlefarm, Co. Kerry