School: Clonbullogue

Location:
Clonbulloge, Co. Offaly
Teacher:
A. Fitzgerald
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0800, Page 199

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0800, Page 199

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  1. Long ago when the men were going out at four or five o'clock in the morning to fairs they would meet a man with his head cut off and he walking on the middle of the road. When they would meet him they would have to pull in the way that he would go by. If you did not pull in he would walk under the horse's feet. You would not see him until he would be up against you.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
  2. Breeding will always tell in the long run. There was a cobbler one time and he had a cat, a very clever cat. He had him trained to hold a lighted candle for him while he worked at his bench. The cat was the wonder and admiration of the whole country. One night a man came in for his boots and saw the cat sitting up holding the candle. He said to the cobbler "It is against nature. He will leave you in the dark yet." The cobbler laid a bet with the man that the cat would not. The man went off and came back later in the night. The cat was still sitting up with the candle in its paw. The man put his hand in his pocket and took out a live mouse, and held it up by the tail. The cat's ears went up. but he held the candle. The man dangled the mouse nearer the cast's nose. The cat's eyes glowed and the candle shook but still he held on. Finally he let the mouse run across the bench. The cat instantly drooped the candle and went after the mouse leaving the cobbler in the dark.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Folktales index
    AT0217: The Cat and the Candle
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Dick Shea
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    50
    Address
    Clontubbrid, Co. Kilkenny