School: Caisleán Grás, Cloichín an Mhargaidh (roll number 11288)

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   the stile leading into the wood, and the other on the stile leading out of the wood. Tim on coming along, saw the first shoe, but did not take much notice of it, as it was of no use to him without it's comrade, however when he saw the second he decided to go back for the first one, having first tied the sheep to a tree. While he was gone the servantboy who was in hiding stole the sheep and won the bet. The boy kept on stealing until he was discovered at last and sentenced to death. Before pronouncing the death sentence a proclamation was made saying "If this boy can steal the sheet from Tim's bed he will be set free". The boy agreed to try and steal the sheet. That night the boy went to the grave-yard and took the corpse of a boy who had been buried that day from the grave. He took the corpse to Tim's house, and getting to the bedroom window by a ladder put the dead boy standing on the window sill. Then Tim saw it he fired two shots , and the corpse fell. The live boy ran to the other side of the room. Tim, thinking he had killed the boy ran for somebody to bury him. When he was gone, the other boy went in the window and stole the sheet. Next day he showed it to the judge who set him free.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT1525: The Master Thief

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Michael Dwyer

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Castlegrace, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Julia Dwyer

   Relation

   Relative (other than parent or grandparent)

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   50

   Occupation

   Worker

   Address

   Ballyboy East, Co. Tipperary