School: Bun Machan

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1. The Man and the Banshee (continued)

   

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   After a while when the man looked to see was she gone, he saw her combing her hair, and she sitting on a little heap of stones by the side of the road a little distance away. Next day the man found the banshee's comb on top of the heap of stones. He picked it up and brought it home thinking to keep it. Often during the day he laughed to himself and he thinking of the treasure he had found. He was sure it would bring him great luck. But that night as he sat by the fire he heard a sound as if someone moaning outside. Then he heard a very soft rapping upon the pane. He went over to the window and looked out but he did not open the window. He thought he noticed a white form moving slowly away in the distance. He came back and sat down again by the fire. No sooner had he settled himself comfortably and was beginning to fill his pipe when he again heard the moans and the rapping on the pane and he again went to the window but did not open it, and again he saw the white form disappearing in the distance. He returned once more to the fire but he did not bother with his pipe; he was feeling a bit nervous. The thought came to him that it might be the fairy woman looking for her comb. When he heard the sounds for the third time he got up, he picked up the comb with the tongs and put it out of the window which he had opened a tiny bit. A hand came and seized the comb and disappeared. The man never saw the comb or the fairy woman afterwards.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bridget Doody

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Baile an Airid, Co. Phort Láirge

   Informant

   John Doody

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Address

   Baile an Airid, Co. Phort Láirge