School: Cromadh (B.)

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1. Local Traditions - Miscellaneous

   

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   UNCLASSIFIED

   Once upon a time there were two poor scholars who were great friends and companions. They were constantly arguing and debating and one day they we arguing as to whether Almighty God or the devil was the stronger. One of them, contended that God was the stronger, and to lend weight to his argument, bet all his books with his opponent. The latter accepted the bet, but asked who is going to decide it. They agreed between them that the first man who should come along would do so. They agreed about what way they should ask him to decide the matter and when a stranger did come along, he promptly decided that the devil was stronger than Almighty God. When the two poor scholar's met next the debate again arose on the same subject and this time the poor scholar who had lost his books, bet his slate, aon the same conditions as before, and lost it. A third time they met and out of the discussion that followed, our poor scholar who had lost his books and his slate wagered his two eyes that Almighty God was stronger and again he lost. And the two eyes were picked out of him. The man who always decided the bet was the devil himself. Now the poor scholar who had lost his all, books, slate and eyes went into a barrel in a churchyard so that the wounds might heal. While he was there, he heard one night a number of cats talking. He first heard them ordering one of their number to see if there was anyone listening to them and that cat reported that there was not, for

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0613: The Two Travelers (Truth and Falsehood)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Daithí O Ceanntabhail

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir