School: Baile Máirtín, Muine Beag

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1. An Old Story

   

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   A long time ago there was a boy herding sheep on mount Leinster and he spent his time pulling flowers and catching butterflies.

   One day he found a flower that he had never seen before growing about that place. He pulled it up and admired it for a long time. When he looked around he saw a door which he had never seen before in the rocks near him. He went to it and pushed it open and walked into a lovely palace full of gold, diamonds and other precious stones.

   There was an old woman in charge and she told him to fill his pockets with all he would like but not to forget the best.

   So he began to fill his pockets and the woman kept on telling him not to forget the best. he took off his cap and filled it up, and still she insisted on his not forgetting the best. He could not carry any more and when he was going out in the door he heard her say, "do not forget the best". When he went outside the door the gold was changed into dry leaves, because he forgot the best, and that was the little flower that he left on the table when he went in.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Richard Phelan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   13

   Address

   Ballymartin, Co. Carlow