Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry — John Shaqi
Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry
General
Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry
Tales -- Ireland
That night the child died, and the story goes that on the second
evening afterwards, the carpenter who was called upon to make the
coffin brought a table out from Thomas's house to the Forth, as a
temporary bench; and, it is said, that the sawing and hammering
necessary for the completion of his task were precisely the same which
had been heard the evening but one before--neither more nor less. I
remember the death of the child myself, and the making of its coffin,
but I think the story of the supernatural carpenter was not heard in
the village for some months after its interment.
Frank had every appearance of a hypochondriac about him. At the time I
saw him, he might be about thirty-four years of age, but I do not
think, from the debility of his frame and infirm health, that he has
been alive for several years. He was an object of considerable
interest and curiosity, and often have I been present when he was
pointed out to strangers as "the man that could see the good people."
[Footnote 3: The dressings are a species of sizy flummery, which is
brushed into the yarn to keep the thread round and even, and to
prevent it from being frayed by the friction of the reed.]
THE PRIEST'S SUPPER.
T. CROFTON CROKER.
It is said by those who ought to understand such things, that the good
people, or the fairies, are some of the angels who were turned out of
heaven, and who landed on their feet in this world, while the rest of
their companions, who had more sin to sink them, went down farther to
a worse place. Be this as it may, there was a merry troop of the
fairies, dancing and playing all manner of wild pranks, on a bright
moonlight evening towards the end of September. The scene of their
merriment was not far distant from Inchegeela, in the west of the
county Cork--a poor village, although it had a barrack for soldiers;
but great mountains and barren rocks, like those round about it, are
enough to strike poverty into any place: however, as the fairies can
have everything they want for wishing, poverty does not trouble them
much, and all their care is to seek out unfrequented nooks and places
where it is not likely any one will come to spoil their sport.
On a nice green sod by the river's side were the little fellows
dancing in a ring as gaily as may be, with their red caps wagging
about at every bound in the moonshine, and so light were these bounds
that the lobs of dew, although they trembled under their feet, were
not disturbed by their capering. Thus did they carry on their gambols,
spinning round and round, and twirling and bobbing and diving, and
going through all manner of figures, until one of them chirped out,
"Cease, cease, with your drumming,
Here's an end to our mumming;
By my smell
I can tell
A priest this way is coming!"
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