School: Bun Machan

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1. The Headless Form that Spoke

   

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   Once upon a time a man was walking the road at night. Suddenly he heard a dreadful noise among the bushes a little distance away from him. When he drew near the place he saw the form of a man among the bushes. What terrified him entirely was that the form which he saw had no head, but still it spoke to him though the young man never afterwards told what it said. He got such a fright that he could not move a step from where he stood. His hair stood up on his head and a cold sweat broke out all over him. He tried to scream but his tongue was dry and he could not utter a sound. He stood there for what seemed to him ages, though really it could have been only a few minutes. He was shaking all over. He made a couple of attempts to pray but he could say no words. Suddenly he saw the headless form draw back among the trees, and he found that he himself could move. So he hurried home and told the story to his father who was very troubled about his son. He advised him to go to bed and try to sleep and he would send for the doctor on the following day. The son did so and early next morning his father sent for the doctor. This doctor was also a wise man. When he came the father told him the whole story. Then he brought him to the room where the boy was sleeping. The doctor looked at the boy and said, "This boy is after fighting for Ireland and the ghost is the spirit of a person he has slain in battle." When the young man woke the doctor warned him that he

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bridget Fleming

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ballynarrid, Co. Waterford

   Informant

   Mrs Mary Fleming

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   47

   Address

   Ballynarrid, Co. Waterford