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IRISH STORY FROM COUNTY KERRY.
[See ante, vol. ii. p. 33.]
By the Honourable J. Abercrombie.
The Poor Scholar.
N the old times there was a certain poor man living at Cumthola, near Bantry. His occupation was fishing and hunting. As a pinnacle of good fortune he was wanting in wealth, just living from hand to mouth. The wife had no offspring for a period of many years, but at last she bore a son, and great was the joy of the father for him.
One of the neighbours told the father if he would give the child before baptism a drink of broth made from a black raven, he would be a wizard. The father went hunting one day and killed a black raven. He cooked it and gave a drink of the broth to the child before baptism. The father and mother were doting enough upon it until it grew up. In a short time the father and mother died, and left the child alone, without friend, without money. So the child was obliged to take his books with him, and go away as a poor scholar.
He travelled on from school to school for a year or two in order that he should acquire a good notion of education. Learning was coming to him in streams. He had no particular lodging from the time he left his father's house, but a night here and breakfast there. He was a long time like that without being settled.
One evening he was going from school by himself, and the other scholars away in front of him by themselves, as they considered him too insignificant for a companion. Then a farmer came up with him, and asked why he stayed behind the other scholars. He replied, he was but a poor scholar, and, as such, they did not care about his
