School: Tráigh Omna (roll number 13092)

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1. A Story Heard at a Wake

   

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   There was once a boy who went to a wake one night. He wore a hard hat, and after saying his prayers he went up and sat on a stool by the fire. Before the dawn the poor boy fell fast asleep, and when he was snoring some other young lads rubbed soot on his face, and when he woke up later he couldn't understand what the others were laughing at. So he knelt down and said his prayers, and home he went.
   He went upstairs to bed, and soon was sound asleep. Later in the day his mother went into his bedroom to rouse him when on looking at the sleeping boy she gave a loud scream, which woke her son. He thought his poor mother had gone mad when he saw her crying and "olagón"-ing that her own son was gone, and that a black man had come home instead.
   The boy quickly dressed himself, went down stairs and looking in the glass, he jumped when he saw his sooty face. Then he knew why his mother was frightened, and also the young men who had played the trick on him while he was asleep in the
   wake-house.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. verbal arts (~1,483)
         1. jokes (~6,086)
   2. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)
            1. games
               1. wake games (~170)

   Languages

   Irish

   English

   Informant

   Denis O' Sullivan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Address

   Bawnlahan, Co. Cork