School: Drom Clúmhach (Dromclogh) (roll number 16246)
- Location:
- Dromclogh, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Riobárd Ó Ceallaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0282, Page 386
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- There were once a king and a queen who had lived happily together for many years. They had twelve children and it so happens that they were twelve boys. One day the king said to the queen, "If your next child will be a girl all the boys must die!"
So he ordered twelve coffins to be made and after a pillow had been placed in each one of them he locked them up in a room. He gave the key to his wife and told her not to say a word to anyone about it. The poor woman was very sorrowful and the youngest of the boys, who was named Benjamin, asked his mother the reason for her sorrow but she would not tell him.
Benjamin persisted in his demand that he should be told the reason for her grief, and in the end she led him to the room where the coffins were. "Your father has these coffins prepared for you and your brothers" she said. "If ever I have a daughter you are to be killed and buried in them".
Benjamin went and told his brothers all that he had heard. The twelve brothers went away through the woods. Before they left their mother told them to keep a watch on the palace from the highest tree they could find, and that if they should see a red flag upon the tower they should not return home, but if they should see a white flag they could come home again.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Cáit Bean Uí Dhrisceoil
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Derreenkealig, Co. Cork
