Tobar an Dualchais - Kist O Riches

Title - Jack is taught magic skills by a laird of the black art and...
Contributors - Betsy Whyte
Reporters - Peter R. Cooke; Dr Linda Williamson

Summary - Jack is taught magic skills by a laird of the black art and eventually kills him.

A man and woman who lived by the sea agreed to let their son Jack go away for a year and a day with a sea captain. On his return they let him go for another year and a day. The sea captain was a laird of the black art, and by the end of this time he had taught Jack so well that he knew as much of the black art as the laird.

The laird saw the danger of this, and turned Jack into a horse, telling his servants not to let him out of the stable. Jack persuaded a servant girl to take him out and take the bit out of his mouth so he could have a drink of water. Jack changed himself into a fish and swam away. The laird changed into an otter and pursued him. Jack changed himself into a ring on the hand of a lady who was sitting by the stream. The laird came to the lady's house disguised as a workman, and was taken on to do repairs. When the repairs were done Jack changed into himself again and told the lady to have a bonfire made to celebrate the end of the works. Peas and barley were to be scattered round the fire. Jack changed himself into a grain of barley and the laird changed himself into a cockerel and started pecking at the grain. Jack changed into a fox and killed the laird.

Betsy Whyte heard this story from her mother's father, a Johnston.


Track Duration (h:m:s) - 00:08:18
Date Recorded - 1975.02.28
Language - English
Genre - Story, Information
Collection - School of Scottish Studies

Track ID - 76667
Original Tape ID - SA1975.010
Original Track ID - SA1975.10
Audio Quality - Good
Audio Format - R2R


Item Notes -

Permanent Link - http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/fullrecord/76667/1


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