School: Tiobraid Árann (B.) (roll number 1285)

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   “Long ago, before creameries were started, the country folk made their own butter.”

   

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   obey. The woman, now aware of their presence leaped up from the stool on which she had been sitting. Then the watchers - no longer hidden - saw her turn herself into a hare. Then the woman - now a hare - turned ran like the wind. The dog followed the hare and the two amazed men followed in the dog’s wake. Having run about a hundred yards at a great rate both dog and hare began to tire but the dog - a greyhound - began to gain on the hare. The hound was soon only two yards from the hare and he prepared to jump. Just as he leaped the hare doubled back and ran towards the two pursuing men. The dog nearly lost his balance and the hare had regained the lead. The hare ran to the shack where the two men stood and, leaping to the window, the hare got in by the window. But, while the hare had been running to the window the dog had once again caught up with her, and now, as the hare leaped on to the window, the greyhound bit the hare’s leg. The dog’s head would not fit in through the broken pane, so the two men pushed in the door, and, there, sitting at the fire with her leg bleeding profusely, was the woman they had seen milking the cows. They bandaged her foot, and, knowing that she was at death’s door, they brought her to a priest. She then told them that her two cows had died and being short of milk to make butter she had asked the devil for the power of witchcraft and her wish had been granted. She died two days after.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John Mac Carthy

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Mrs M. Mac Carthy

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Tiobraid Árann, Co. Thiobraid Árann