Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 5, 1894.djvu/211

Rh 14. Bundle of Rushes. (Similar to Kennedy's Corpse-Watchers.)

The following I have also heard, and hope in due course to write down in full—at present I have only notes:—

1. Clip o' the Heel. (Cinderella hero tale.)

2. The Earl of Benbo.

3. Giant's Juggle and Stoneheart, a tale of the Giants' Causeway.

Two other tales, "The Steed of Bells" (printed in Hibernian Tales) and "Fiorina and the Charming King" (printed in another chap-book), are also told. Whether derived orally or from the printed sources is uncertain, but I incline towards the latter.

As a further specimen of these Englished versions of Gaelic stories I select the tale of Cul-fin, a Cinderella story, first, because Cinderella is to the front just now, and any additions to the stock from these Islands are, I suppose, welcome; and secondly, because it affords some evidence (if any were needed) of the faithfulness of Mr. Curtin's versions of the Ancient Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland.

Long ago there was a poor woman, and she had three daughters, named Cul-fin, Cul-din, Cul-corrach. The two elder ones were two pretty girls, but the youngest was an ugly girl, and her sisters wouldn't let her be seen out.

One morning they found that the fire had gone out, and they couldn't get it lit anyway. So Cul-fin went round the tail of the rock and met with a little cabin, and an aged woman sitting in it. She had a little counter with scales on it before her, as though she was doing business.

"Sit down", she says; but Cul-fin said she was in a hurry, and had come for a light for her fire, which had gone out, if she could give it to her.

The old woman said she hadn't any fire there, but if she would wait while she got a light she was welcome.