FOLK TALES OF BREFFNY
BY
B. HUNT
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON
1912
INTRODUCTION
Many of the stories in this volume were told by an old man who said he had more and better learning nor the scholars. “The like of them,” he declared, “do be filled with conceit out of books, and the most of it only nonsense; ’tis myself has the real old knowledge was handed down from the ancient times.” The spread of education and cheap literature robbed him of audience: the boys read of adventure by land and sea, the girls interested themselves in the fate of heroes with marble-white complexion and coal-black moustache. But it happened that the old man took a contract to break stones for lime, and a child with an insatiable desire for information came to watch him at work. “I promise you will walk the world, like a Queen of ancient days, renowned for learning and wit,” he assured her, delighted to find a listener at last. The child was only seven years old, and could not remember all she heard, so most of his lore died with him.