School: Castlepollard Boys (roll number 5513)

On this page

1. An Old Story

   

   Share Share Post

   There was once upon a time a little boy and his sister whose father and mother were dead. They lived with their aunt out in the country and they used have a great time picking strawberries. One day they were out picking them when they saw an old witch comng towards them, but they did not know what it was.
   "Good day to you, my young friends", says she to them. "What, may I ask, are you doing.
   "Oh", said the boy, "we're just picking some strawberries".
   She then told them that she knew where there was a lot of lovely strawberries and that if they cared to go with her she would help them pick some. The old woman then brought off the children in an old cart which she had. When they had gone about two miles the little boy asked her to turn back. He said that he was afraid. The old witch only laughed at them and then she told them who she was. She then told them that she was going to bring them home, fatten them up, and kill them. They then started to cry but the old witch would not turn back.
   When she got to an old shed she told the little children to go inside. They did as they were told and the old witch followed them. She then got an old sack and filled it with feathers. She then got a very small pin and put it into the bag of feathers, and she told them that

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Folktales index

   AT0327: The Children and the Ogre

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Bernard Mc Guiness

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Slieveboy, Co. Westmeath