42 things from this book went into her brain. Here are the first 6.
Joseph Jacobs held that a good story collection needs a due mix of the comic and the romantic, since neither alone keeps a listener engaged.
In Connla and the Fairy Maiden, the tale shows how a longing for somewhere else can pull a person away from the folk they love, and how hard that pull is to resist.
In Guleesh, a rough farm boy with a soft heart refuses to abandon a frightened girl who has lost her voice, and his kindness matters more than his cleverness.
In Guleesh, when no safe way forward is clear, the boy and the priest agree to keep quiet and wait for a better chance rather than act rashly.
In The Field of Boliauns, Tom Fitzpatrick rushes off for a spade to chase a quick fortune and returns with nothing, a sharp lesson about greed and haste.
In The Horned Women, a frightened woman is saved by plain resourcefulness: she binds a leaking sieve with clay and moss so it holds water, and the trick works.
In Conall Yellowclaw, Conall is caught stealing the king's horse, but he tells the plain truth about why he came, and that honesty earns the king's mercy.
In Conall Yellowclaw, trapped in a giant's cave, Conall keeps his head, works calmly and waits out the night, showing how patience can turn a hopeless spot.
In Hudden and Dudden and Donald O'Neary, two rich farmers scheme against a poor neighbour because the more they have the more they want, and their envy makes them fools.
In Donald O'Neary, a poor man turns the death of his cow into a shrewd plan, showing that a setback can still be made to pay if you think hard about it.
In The Shepherd of Myddvai, the lake-maiden leaves her husband after he strikes her three times without cause, showing how small careless wrongs add up until a bond breaks.
In The Sprightly Tailor, the tailor keeps stitching calmly while a giant rises through the church floor, a picture of steady work held to a task under real fear.
In The Story of Deirdre, the young woman trusts her own sense of compassion over her guardian's caution and lets a cold, hungry stranger in from the storm.
In The Story of Deirdre, Naois brushes aside Deirdre's warning dream as a woman's fear, and the story shows what it costs when a sincere warning is not taken seriously.
In The Story of Deirdre, Ferchar's sons refuse the king's offer of free bridges for their family, preferring to go home with their honour than to buy safety by betraying their friends.
In Munachar and Manachar, one grudge sets off a comic chain where each helper demands something first, a fine reminder of how a good story builds momentum by piling up small steps.
In Gold-tree and Silver-tree, a queen's jealousy of her stepdaughter's beauty drives her to murder again and again, and in the end her own envy is what brings her down.
In King O'Toole and his Goose, the king gives his last acre for a bargain he has made, and the saint tells him that a kept word is what made the whole deal work.
In The Wooing of Olwen, Kilhuch answers each impossible task with the same calm reply, that it will be easy for him, and his steady confidence is what carries the quest forward.
In Jack and His Comrades, Jack pulls a stranded ass out of the bog without a second thought, and that small kindness brings the animals back to help him on his road.
In Jack and His Comrades, after winning back the stolen gold, Jack and his friends carry it straight back to its owner rather than keep it, and their honesty is what finally earns them a home.
In The Shee an Gannon, the young cowboy finds fresh strength in a fight with a giant when he thinks of his parents and of what he is working towards, a reminder that a clear purpose can steady the nerve.
In The Story-Teller at Fault, a dice game with a stranger starts small and keeps raising the stakes until the storyteller has lost everything, a warning that chasing a loss only deepens it.
In The Story-Teller at Fault, the stranger tells the storyteller that a wrong done under a spell was not really his wife's doing, and urges him to forgive and forget.
In a Celtic tale retold by Joseph Jacobs, a young herd shares a kill fairly among a dog, an otter and a falcon, and each one later comes to his aid. Generosity comes back around.
In a Celtic tale retold by Joseph Jacobs, the one who fled the beast later claims the victory, and only the true hero can prove it by his deeds. Truth shows itself in the end.
In a Celtic tale retold by Joseph Jacobs, a wife wins back her husband by playing her harp and stopping at each step, so the sea-maiden has to keep bargaining. Patient cleverness can undo a loss.
In the Fin M'Coul legend Joseph Jacobs retells, Fin hides his real reason for choosing a windy hilltop, a clear view of a rival coming, and laughs off his neighbours' doubts. Foresight is often quietly practical.
In the Fin M'Coul legend Joseph Jacobs retells, Oonagh meets a frightening rival calmly and turns his own strength against him with a clever trick. Calm wits can outmatch brute force.
In Fair, Brown, and Trembling, retold by Joseph Jacobs, two sisters spend their days envying a stranger's finery and copying it. Envy keeps people busy with the wrong things.
In Fair, Brown, and Trembling, the youngest sister is kept hidden and scorned, but she finally speaks up and is believed once she shows the proof. Quiet people often have the most to say.
In Jack and His Master, retold by Joseph Jacobs, a servant turns his master's vague orders into the letter of the law, and the master learns that loose instructions get literal results. Say exactly what you mean.
In Beth Gellert, retold by Joseph Jacobs, Llewelyn kills his faithful hound in a rage after jumping to conclusions, and only then finds his child safe beside a dead wolf. Check the facts before acting in anger.
In The Tale of Ivan, a servant who keeps to the old road escapes robbers that catch his companions on the new one. Tried and familiar paths are often the safer choice.
In The Tale of Ivan, a lodger refuses to hang for a murder he did not commit and insists that the real culprits be found. Standing up for the truth matters most when you are the one under suspicion.
In Andrew Coffey, a story from Joseph Jacobs, a man is so busy puzzling over strange goings-on that he neglects the fire he is minding and is rebuked for it. Attend to the task in front of you.
In The Battle of the Birds, a prince rashly promises his firstborn to a giant to win back a bundle, and the promise returns years later. Think hard before promising something you may not be able to keep.
In The Battle of the Birds, Auburn Mary tells the prince exactly how to climb the giant's tree and warns that one missed step leaves a part of her behind. Careful attention to small details can matter more than strength.
In The Battle of the Birds, the prince recognises his true helper when a golden pigeon reminds him of the help it gave him. Keeping a record of what others have done for you is worth the effort.
In The Lad with the Goat-skin, retold by Joseph Jacobs, Tom beats every challenger in the palace yard but takes care not to kill any of them. Real strength shows in restraint.
In The Lad with the Goat-skin, Tom heals the envious Redhead who tried to steal his flail, and it is Redhead who is left ashamed and grateful. Showing mercy to a rival costs far less than it seems.
In King O'Toole and His Goose, Samuel Lover makes a point about keeping your word through humour, so the moral slips in without a lecture. Stories teach best when they entertain.
