Patricia Egan

This collection of twenty short stories for children, some originally conceived as discrete, independent tales, some taken from larger works, was designed, according to the introduction by Eilís Dillon, to introduce young readers to some of the wonderful authors in the Irish tradition, and to encourage them to eventually seek out more from those authors. Selections include:

A Likely Story by Mary Lavin, in which a young boy, repeating the stories of his playfellows to his mother, is always answered with the comment that it's "a likely story." So it is that when Packy meets a strange gentleman on Shee hill, a gentleman who claims to have been in the country some 5000 years, he does not tell his mother.

The Breadth of a Whisker by Janet McNeill, which tells of an alchemist and his mouse companion, and how the alchemist kept his word to his murine friend, when he finally made gold.

Eonín by Mary Patton, in which a young boy, living on the big Aran Island off the Galway coast, finds himself a prisoner of the mermaids, until he manages to teach them a song they don't know, thereby winning his freedom.

Christmas by Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha, in which a young boy gets up to some mischief (including getting the family gander drunk!) while his parents are off in Dingle. This was originally published in Irish, as part of the longer 1919 novel, Jimín Mháire Thaidhg.

Bad Blood by Eilís Dillon, in which two neighboring families are engaging in a bitter lawsuit.

The Widow's Daughter by Seumus MacManus, in which a poor Donegal widow's lazy daughter, Nabla, wins herself the king's son as groom.

Gulliver Reaches Lilliput by Jonathan Swift, in which the eponymous hero arrives in the land of miniature people. This excerpt is taken from the classic novel, Gulliver's Travels.

A Stocking Full of Gold by Kathleen Fitzpatrick, in which a young boy named Tom, dying of consumption, is sent to a drier climate with the help of Mr. McKeown's gold. This is an excerpt from The Weans of Rowallan.

The Trout by Seán O'Faoláin, in which a young girl rescues a large trout from a tiny well.

Granny's Wonderful Chair by Frances Browne, in which the pretty Snowflower sets out to find her grandmother, with the aid of their magical, storytelling chair. This is an excerpt from Browne's full-length novel, also entitled Granny's Wonderful Chair, and first published in 1857.

My Little Black Ass by Pádraic Ó Conaire, in which the narrator buys a little black donkey on fair day. Originally published in Irish as part of M'Asal Beag Dubh, and translated by Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha.

Cliona, Fairy Queen of Muskerry by Eileen O'Faoláin, in which the narrator tells of the disaster that came to her cows, after she fenced off Cliona's fairy mound. This is taken from The Little Black Hen.

Neilly and the Fir Tree by John O'Connor, in which a boy, teased for being small, becomes so enraged that he climbs the tallest tree he can find. This is excerpted from Come-Day-Go-Day.

St. Brigid's Feast by Micheál Mac Liammóir, in which naughty little Gráinne runs off into the forest on St. Brigid's Eve, and encounters a group of red-capped fairy dancers. This is taken from the longer work, Faery Nights / Óicheanta Sí: Stories On Ancient Irish Festivals.

First Confession by Frank O'Connor, in which a young boy is prepared for his first confession by the hell-obsessed Mrs. Ryan, and finds the reality far less daunting than he imagined it would be.

After Summer by Maura Laverty, in which a young girl longs for a bicycle. This comes from Laverty's Never No More: The Story of a Lost Village.

Weep for Our Pride by James Plunkett, in which Peter is beaten for not having learned "Lament for the Death of Eoghan Roe" for class, and then beaten again for violence toward the weak, when he fights another boy at school. Oh, the irony...

The China Doll by Polly Devlin, in which Mary-Ellen receives a doll from far-off America, only to have it beheaded by hedge-clippers. This comes from The Far Side of the Lough.

The Unworthy Princess by James Stephens, in which a group of boys, inspired by a fairy-tale, set out to rescue a princess, only to find the object of their chivalry does not want to be helped. Taken from Here Are Ladies.

The Potato Gatherers by Brian Friel, in which two brothers work as potato gatherers for farmer Kelly.

All in all, I enjoyed this collection of stories, which was assigned to me as a text in the course on the history of children's literature I took while getting my masters. I did intend, reading many of these selections, to track down the longer works from which they were taken, or to read more from some of the authors. I have not yet done so, despite the passing of a few years, but I still hope to do so at some point. Recommended to anyone interested in Irish children's fiction, and looking for an introductory sampling.… (más)