School: Emly (B.) (roll number 16059)

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1. Biddy Early and the Gold

   

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   Two brothers, named Mike and Ned O' N--- heard of the talk of Sir John Burke's gold, and they made up their minds to go to Biddy Early and ask her all about it.
   Off they set one morning and down to Biddy Early and when she saw them coming in the door she told them their business and told them that gold was there, heaps and heaps of it; but she told them too that they would never lay a hand on it.
   "That gold," says she, "is for Tom In----, and 'tis he will get it. And what's more to ye, the man that lifts the stone that covers that gold, he would be better off if he was never born."
   They could not understand her, as no man named Tom In----lived in the district, and that night at home they made up their minds to try for the gold the first bright night would come.
   When the night came to suit them they went to dig but they weren't long digging when a black cat attacked them and drove them away.
   Back they went next day to Biddy Early but she only laughed at them.
   "Don't mind the cat," says she, "She won't harm ye, but the man that lifts the stone over the gold will never live to tell what he saw."
   Home they went again and they made a clever plan to let some other man get the trouble and themselves to get the gold. They bought another man with them next night to lift the stone, to destroy him and win the gold for themselves. Their cleverness did no good though, for just as they reached the stone the cat appeared

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. supernatural and legendary beings (~14,864)
         1. Biddy Early (~186)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   T.M. Loftus

   Address

   Emly, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Mrs M. Walsh

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Castle-erkin South, Co. Limerick