Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 5, 1894.djvu/190

 1 82 Le land L. Duncan.

many cows, and was altogether in a fairly prosperous way. One day, as he was going by a bush, he heard a voice say, " We shall have plenty of milk to day." He knew it was the good people talking, so he told his man to leave one cow and her calf always in the field, hoping that thereby he would have the friendship of the fairies. After a time bad luck came upon him, and at last all his cattle were seized for debt and driven off towards Boyle. The poor man in his misery called out in the fields to the good people, saying he had always left them a cow for milk, and now, in his evil days, they had deserted him. It was not so, however. When the party with his cattle reached the Shannon, and went to cross it, they were assailed by an invisible host which beat them without mercy, and hunted them and drove back the cattle to the farm again, and they were left in peace, none caring to interfere with them.

It is from this circumstance that the place where it occurred is called Battle Bridge.

THE FIRST TURF FIRE.

So natural does it seem to see the turf burning on the cottage hearths, that it is difficult to conceive of a time when the people were ignorant of the use of it. Most things, however, have a beginning, and this is the story of the first turf fire according to Francis Whelan of Drin}', who had it from an old resident in the place : —

Before the days of Saint Patrick, the only fuel the Irish had was wood, for the use of turf had not been discovered. One day St. Patrick's servant was returning home, when suddenly a little man in red appeared in front of him. " If you will ask St. Patrick the answer to one question", said he, " I will tell you something in return."

" Weil, what is it ?" said the man.

" To-morrow morning at Mass ask him this question : ' Is there any hope for the fallen angels ?' "

So the next morning at Mass, at the elevation, the