MURDOCH'S RATH.[\[8\]](#Footnote88)
by Juliana Horatia Ewing · from Old-Fashioned Fairy Tales
![Cover: MURDOCH'S RATH.[\[8\]](#Footnote88)](/library-files/english/juliana_horatia_ewing/old_fashioned_fairy_tales/murdochs_rath_8_footnote88/images/cover/cover.png?w=600)
Adapted Version
Pat was a kind boy. He was poor. He worked hard every day. He carried messages for people. Pat was honest. He was good. Everyone liked Pat very much.
One night, Pat walked home from town. It was very dark. He took the wrong path. He went to Murdoch's Rath. This was a special place.
Pat saw many small people there. They danced in a circle. They were fairies! The fairies danced and danced. A small Fairy Man saw Pat. He asked Pat to dance.
Pat danced with the fairies. He danced all night long. His shoes broke. His feet hurt very much. The small Fairy Man came. He gave Pat red shoes. "Bring them back at sunrise," he said.
The Fairy Man showed Pat shiny stones. He showed Pat yellow flowers. "Do you want stones or flowers?" he asked. Pat was polite. He took the yellow flowers. He put them in his pocket.
The Fairy Man touched Pat's shoes. He breathed on them. Pat closed his eyes. Poof! Pat was home. His parcels were safe.
Next day, Pat woke up. He took the red shoes. He went back to the Rath. He gave shoes to The Fairy Man. Pat was honest.
Pat went home. He looked in his pocket. The yellow flowers were gone. Now, there was shiny gold! Pat was very happy.
Pat had much gold now. He bought food. He bought new clothes. He told his story to a Shoemaker. The Shoemaker listened well.
The Shoemaker wanted gold too. He was greedy. He went to the special place. He saw the fairies dance. He danced with them. He got red shoes.
The Fairy Man asked, "Stones or flowers?" The Shoemaker saw many shiny stones. He took many stones. He grabbed them fast. He was very greedy.
Next day, The Shoemaker looked. His shiny stones were not gold. They were just grey rocks. They were not special. He was not happy.
The Shoemaker wanted the red shoes. He did not want to give them back. He made new fake shoes. He wanted to trick The Fairy Man.
The Fairy Man knew the trick. He touched The Shoemaker's feet. The Shoemaker wore the red shoes. He could not stop dancing. He danced and danced.
The Shoemaker danced forever. He danced around the Rath. He danced and danced. He cannot stop today. He was greedy.
The story shows us: It is good to be honest. It is bad to be greedy. Good people get good things. Greedy people get bad things. Pat was happy. He was honest. The Shoemaker danced forever. He was greedy. Always be kind and honest.
Original Story
MURDOCH'S RATH.[8]
There was not a nicer boy in all Ireland than Pat, and clever at his trade too, if only he'd had one.
But from his cradle he learned nothing (small blame to him with no one to teach him!), so when he came to years of discretion, he earned his living by running messages for his neighbours; and Pat could always be trusted to make the best of a bad bargain, and bring back all the change, for he was the soul of honesty and good-nature.
It's no wonder then that he was beloved by every one, and got as much work as he could do, and if the pay had but fitted the work, he'd have been mighty comfortable; but as it was, what he got wouldn't have kept him in shoe-leather, but for making both ends meet by wearing his shoes in his pocket, except when he was in the town, and obliged to look genteel for the credit of the place he came from.
Well, all was going on as peaceable as could be, till one market-day, when business (or it may have been pleasure) detained him till the heel of the evening, and by nightfall, when he began to make the road short in good earnest, he was so flustered, rehearsing his messages to make sure he'd forgotten nothing, that he never bethought him to leave off his brogues, but tramped on just as if shoe-leather were made to be knocked to bits on the king's highway.
And this was what he was after saying:
"A dozen hanks of grey yarn for Mistress Murphy."
"Three gross of bright buttons for the tailor."
"Half an ounce of throat drops for Father Andrew, and an ounce of snuff for his housekeeper," and so on.
For these were what he went to the town to fetch, and he was afraid lest one of the lot might have slipped his memory.
Now everybody knows there are two ways home from the town; and that's not meaning the right way and the wrong way, which my grandmother (rest her soul!) said there was to every place but one that it's not genteel to name. (There could only be a wrong way there, she said.) The two ways home from the town were the highway, and the way by Murdoch's Rath.
Murdoch's Rath was a pleasant enough spot in the daytime, but not many persons cared to go by it when the sun was down. And in all the years Pat was going backwards and forwards, he never once came home except by the high-road till this unlucky evening, when, just at the place where the two roads part, he got, as one may say, into a sort of confusion.
"Halt!" says he to himself (for his own uncle had been a soldier, and Pat knew the word of command). "The left-hand turn is the right one," says he, and he was going down the high-road as straight as he could go, when suddenly he bethought himself. "And what am I doing?" he says. "This was my left hand going to town, and how in the name of fortune could it be my left going back, considering that I've turned round? It's well that I looked into it in time." And with that he went off as fast down the other road as he started down this.
But how far he walked he never could tell, before all of a sudden the moon shone out as bright as day, and Pat found himself in Murdoch's Rath.
And this was the smallest part of the wonder; for the Rath was full of fairies.
When Pat got in they were dancing round and round till his feet tingled to look at them, being a good dancer himself. And as he sat on the side of the Rath, and snapped his fingers to mark the time, the dancing stopped, and a little man comes up, in a black hat and a green coat, with white stockings, and red shoes on his feet.
"Won't you take a turn with us, Pat?" says he, bowing till he nearly touched the ground. And, indeed, he had not far to go, for he was barely two feet high.
"Don't say it twice, sir," says Pat. "It's myself will be proud to foot the floor wid ye;" and before you could look round, there was Pat in the circle dancing away for bare life.
At first his feet felt like feathers for lightness, and it seemed as if he could have gone on for ever. But at last he grew tired, and would have liked to stop, but the fairies would not, and so they danced on and on. Pat tried to think of something good to say, that he might free himself from the spell, but all he could think of was:
"A dozen hanks of grey yarn for Missis Murphy."
"Three gross of bright buttons for the tailor."
"Half an ounce of throat drops for Father Andrew, and an ounce of snuff for his housekeeper," and so on.
And it seemed to Pat that the moon was on the one side of the Rath when they began to dance, and on the other side when they left off; but he could not be sure after all that going round. One thing was plain enough. He danced every bit of leather off the soles of his feet, and they were blistered so that he could hardly stand; but all the little folk did was to stand and hold their sides with laughing at him.
At last the one who spoke before stepped up to him, and—"Don't break your heart about it, Pat," says he; "I'll lend you my own shoes till the morning, for you seem to be a good-natured sort of a boy."
Well, Pat looked at the fairy man's shoes, that were the size of a baby's, and he looked at his own feet; but not wishing to be uncivil, "Thank ye kindly, sir," says he. "And if your honour 'll be good enough to put them on for me, maybe you won't spoil the shape." For he thought to himself, "Small blame to me if the little gentleman can't get them to fit."
With that he sat down on the side of the Rath, and the fairy man put on the shoes for him, and no sooner did they touch Pat's feet, than they became altogether a convenient size, and fitted him like wax. And, more than that, when he stood up, he didn't feel his blisters at all.
"Bring 'em back to the Rath at sunrise, Pat, my boy," says the little man.
And as Pat was climbing over the ditch, "Look round, Pat," says he. And when Pat looked round, there were jewels and pearls lying at the roots of the furze-bushes on the ditch, as thick as peas.
"Will you help yourself, or take what's given ye, Pat?" says the fairy man.
"Did I ever learn manners?" says Pat. "Would you have me help myself before company? I'll take what your honour pleases to give me, and be thankful."
The fairy man picked a lot of yellow furze-blossoms from the bushes, and filled Pat's pockets.
"Keep 'em for love, Pat, me darlin'," says he.
Pat would have liked some of the jewels, but he put the furze-blossoms by for love.
"Good-evening to your honour," says he.
"And where are you going, Pat, dear?" says the fairy man.
"I'm going home," says Pat. And if the fairy man didn't know where that was, small blame to him.
"Just let me dust them shoes for ye, Pat," says the fairy man. And as Pat lifted up each foot he breathed on it, and dusted it with the tail of his green coat.
"Home!" says he, and when he let go, Pat was at his own doorstep before he could look round, and his parcels safe and sound with him.
Next morning he was up with the sun, and carried the fairy man's shoes back to the Rath. As he came up, the little man looked over the ditch.
"The top of the morning to, your honour," says Pat; "here's your shoes."
"You're an honest boy, Pat," says the little gentleman. "It's inconvenienced I am without them, for. I have but the one pair. Have you looked at the yellow flowers this morning?" he says.
"I have not, sir," says Pat; "I'd be loth to deceive you. I came off as soon as I was up."
"Be sure to look when you get back, Pat," says the fairy man, "and good luck to ye."
With which he disappeared, and Pat went home. He looked for the furze-blossoms, as the fairy man told him, and there's not a word of truth in this tale if they weren't all pure gold pieces.
Well, now Pat was so rich, he went to the shoemaker to order another pair of brogues, and being a kindly, gossiping boy, the shoemaker soon learned the whole story of the fairy man and the Rath. And this so stirred up the shoemaker's greed that he resolved to go the very next night himself, to see if he could not dance with the fairies, and have like luck.
He found his way to the Rath all correct, and sure enough the fairies were dancing, and they asked him to join. He danced the soles off his brogues, as Pat did, and the fairy man lent him his shoes, and sent him home in a twinkling.
As he was going over the ditch, he looked round, and saw the roots of the furze-bushes glowing with precious stones as if they had been glow-worms.
"Will you help yourself, or take what's given ye?" said the fairy man.
"I'll help myself, if you please," said the cobbler, for he thought—"If I can't get more than Pat brought home, my fingers must all be thumbs."
So he drove his hand into the bushes, and if he didn't get plenty, it wasn't for want of grasping.
When he got up in the morning, he went straight to the jewels. But not a stone of the lot was more precious than roadside pebbles. "I ought not to look till I come from the Rath," said he. "It's best to do like Pat all through."
But he made up his mind not to return the fairy man's shoes.
"Who knows the virtue that's in them?" he said. So he made a small pair of red leather shoes, as like them as could be, and he blacked the others upon his feet, that the fairies might not know them, and at sunrise he went to the Rath.
The fairy man was looking over the ditch as before.
"Good-morning to you," said he.
"The top of the morning to you, sir," said the cobbler; "here's your shoes." And he handed him the pair that he had made, with a face as grave as a judge.
The fairy man looked at them, but he said nothing, though he did not put them on.
"Have you looked at the things you got last night?" says he.
"I'll not deceive you, sir," says the cobbler. "I came off as soon as I was up. Sorra peep I took at them."
"Be sure to look when you get back," says the fairy man. And just as the cobbler was getting over the ditch to go home, he says:
"If my eyes don't deceive me," says he, "there's the least taste in life of dirt on your left shoe. Let me dust it with the tail of my coat."
"That means home in a twinkling," thought the cobbler, and he held up his foot.
The fairy man dusted it, and muttered something the cobbler did not hear. Then, "Sure," says he, "it's the dirty pastures that you've come through, for the other shoe's as bad."
So the cobbler held up his right foot, and the fairy man rubbed that with the tail of his green coat.
When all was done the cobbler's feet seemed to tingle, and then to itch, and then to smart, and then to burn. And at last he began to dance, and he danced all round the Rath (the fairy man laughing and holding his sides), and then round and round again. And he danced till he cried out with weariness, and tried to shake the shoes off. But they stuck fast, and the fairies drove him over, the ditch, and through the prickly furze-bushes, and he danced away. Where he danced to, I cannot tell you. Whether he ever got rid of the fairy shoes, I do not know. The jewels never were more than wayside pebbles, and they were swept out when his cabin was cleaned, which was not too soon, you may be sure.
All this happened long ago; but there are those who say that the covetous cobbler dances still, between sunset and sunrise, round Murdoch's Rath.
Story DNA
Moral
Honesty and good nature are rewarded, while greed and deceit lead to misfortune.
Plot Summary
Pat, an honest but poor Irish boy, accidentally stumbles upon Murdoch's Rath, a fairy dwelling, and is compelled to dance with the fairies until his shoes are destroyed. A kind fairy man lends him magical shoes and, impressed by Pat's honesty when he returns them, rewards him with furze-blossoms that turn into gold. A greedy shoemaker, hearing Pat's story, attempts to replicate his fortune but tries to cheat the fairy man by keeping the magical shoes. The fairy man discovers the deception and curses the shoemaker, condemning him to dance endlessly in the magical shoes, while his ill-gotten gains turn to worthless pebbles.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to wisdom
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common Irish folklore beliefs about fairies, their dwelling places (Raths), and the consequences of interacting with them, particularly regarding honesty and greed.
Plot Beats (15)
- Pat, a kind and honest but poor young man, works as a messenger.
- One evening, returning from town, Pat mistakenly takes the path through Murdoch's Rath.
- He finds the Rath full of dancing fairies and is invited to join them.
- Pat dances all night until his shoes are worn out, and a small fairy man lends him magical red shoes, asking him to return them at sunrise.
- The fairy man offers Pat a choice of jewels or what he is given; Pat politely accepts a pocketful of yellow furze-blossoms.
- The fairy man dusts Pat's shoes, instantly transporting him home.
- The next morning, Pat honestly returns the shoes to the fairy man.
- Upon checking his pockets, Pat discovers the furze-blossoms have transformed into pure gold pieces.
- Pat uses his new wealth to improve his life, and in doing so, shares his story with a shoemaker.
- The shoemaker, driven by greed, goes to Murdoch's Rath, dances with the fairies, and is also lent the magical shoes.
- When offered a choice of treasures, the shoemaker greedily helps himself to as many jewels as he can carry.
- The next morning, the shoemaker finds his jewels have turned to worthless pebbles.
- Determined to keep the magical shoes, the shoemaker makes a fake pair to return to the fairy man.
- The fairy man sees through the deception, dusts the shoemaker's feet (still wearing the real magical shoes), and curses him to dance endlessly.
- The shoemaker is last seen dancing uncontrollably, and it is said he dances around Murdoch's Rath to this day.
Characters
Pat ★ protagonist
A sturdy, well-built young man, likely of average height, with a healthy, active physique from his work as a messenger. His feet are notably strong, though prone to blistering from extensive walking.
Attire: Simple, practical Irish peasant clothing. He wears sturdy brogues (leather shoes) which he often carries in his pocket to preserve them, donning them only for town visits. His everyday attire would be homespun linen or wool, likely in muted, earthy tones, perhaps a simple tunic and trousers.
Wants: To earn an honest living, fulfill his duties, and maintain his good reputation. He desires to be comfortable but not necessarily rich.
Flaw: His naivety and excessive politeness can make him easily led, though his good nature ultimately protects him.
He begins as a poor but honest messenger and, through his encounter with the fairies, becomes wealthy without losing his core virtues. He learns that honesty and humility are rewarded.
Honest, good-natured, humble, respectful, and a bit naive. He is diligent in his work and grateful for what he receives.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young Irish man, lean but sturdy, with a kind, open face and dark, slightly tousled hair. He wears a simple, homespun linen tunic in a muted green, practical brown wool trousers, and a leather belt. He carries a pair of well-worn leather brogues in one hand and a small, tied linen parcel in the other. His expression is honest and slightly bewildered. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Fairy Man ◆ supporting
Extremely small, barely two feet high, with a sprightly and agile build. He moves with a quick, almost darting grace.
Attire: Distinctive and formal attire: a black hat, a vibrant green coat, pristine white stockings, and bright red shoes. The coat is likely made of fine, perhaps shimmering, fabric.
Wants: To observe and interact with humans, to uphold the unwritten laws of the fairy world, and to entertain himself through tests of character.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, but his reliance on his magical shoes for convenience could be seen as a minor vulnerability (though he has a spare pair, implying foresight).
Remains consistent throughout the story, acting as a catalyst for the human characters' transformations rather than undergoing one himself.
Mischievous, observant, fair, and a trickster. He rewards honesty and humility but punishes greed and deceit with fitting magical consequences.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tiny, sprightly male fairy, no taller than two feet, with a mischievous, ancient face and bright, knowing eyes. He wears a tall, black, slightly pointed hat, a vibrant emerald green coat with small silver buttons, pristine white stockings, and bright red, pointed shoes. He stands with one hand on his hip, a slight, knowing smile on his lips. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Cobbler ⚔ antagonist
Likely a man of average build, perhaps a bit portly from a sedentary trade. His hands would be calloused from working with leather. His feet, like Pat's, are strong but become blistered from dancing.
Attire: Practical, sturdy clothing suitable for a craftsman, likely leather apron over homespun tunic and trousers, in muted, earthy tones. His brogues would be well-made, as befits his trade.
Wants: To acquire wealth, specifically more than Pat, through any means necessary, including trickery.
Flaw: His overwhelming greed and dishonesty, which lead him to attempt to deceive the fairy folk and ultimately cause his downfall.
Begins as a seemingly ordinary tradesman, but his greed is exposed and punished. He transforms into a perpetually dancing figure, a cautionary tale of covetousness.
Greedy, deceitful, envious, and arrogant. He believes he can outsmart others and is driven by a desire for wealth.
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged Irish man, slightly stout, with a calculating expression and thinning dark hair. He wears a practical, dark brown leather apron over a grey linen tunic and dark trousers. His hands are calloused. His feet are clad in bright red, pointed shoes, and he is depicted in mid-dance, looking exhausted and frantic, unable to stop. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Murdoch's Rath
A circular earthen fort or mound, common in ancient Ireland, appearing pleasant by day but eerie at night. Under the moonlight, it transforms into a vibrant, magical space filled with dancing fairies. The perimeter is lined with furze-bushes (gorse) growing on a ditch.
Mood: Magical, enchanting, later exhausting and mischievous for Pat; terrifying and punishing for the cobbler.
Pat encounters and dances with the fairies, receiving magical shoes and gold. The greedy cobbler later attempts the same, but is cursed to dance forever.
Image Prompt & Upload
A moonlit ancient Irish rath, a circular earthen fort, with a shallow ditch and dense, spiky furze-bushes growing along its edge. The ground within the rath is a flat, grassy circle, illuminated by a large, full moon high in a clear, dark sky. Tiny, glowing figures of fairies in green and red are dancing in a rapid circle on the grass. The atmosphere is ethereal and slightly mysterious. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Pat's Doorstep
The entrance to Pat's humble Irish cabin, a simple, weathered wooden door, likely with a stone threshold, where Pat is instantly transported by the fairy man.
Mood: Safe, familiar, sudden arrival
Pat is magically returned home by the fairy man, parcels and all, after his adventure at the Rath.
Image Prompt & Upload
A close-up view of a simple, weathered wooden door of an Irish cabin, likely a whitewashed stone or mud-brick structure with a thatched roof, though only the door and immediate surroundings are visible. A rough-hewn stone step leads up to the door. The light is dim, suggesting late night, with soft shadows. A small, worn parcel sits on the step. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Cobbler's Cabin Interior
The inside of the cobbler's small, likely cluttered cabin, where he stores his ill-gotten 'jewels' and later sweeps them out as worthless pebbles. It would feature a stone hearth and simple, functional furnishings.
Mood: Disappointment, greed, mundane reality
The cobbler discovers his 'jewels' are mere pebbles, confirming his greed has brought him no true fortune.
Image Prompt & Upload
The interior of a small, rustic Irish cobbler's cabin, with rough-hewn timber beams supporting a low ceiling and simple, whitewashed stone walls. A small, glowing fire crackles in a stone hearth to one side. A worn wooden workbench with tools sits under a small window, letting in soft morning light. On the swept dirt floor, a small pile of ordinary grey pebbles is visible near the hearth. The atmosphere is humble and slightly dim. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
