Fairy Story

There was once a school master going around teaching night school. He was very fond of playing cards. One night he was going home late, and he met two men. They asked him to play a game of cards for his books. He played for them and lost them. He played for his money and lost it. Then they asked him to play for the eyes in his head and he played for them thinking they wouldn't take them off him. He played and lost them. Then he had no eyes and he couldn't go home and he managed to get an old house where he stayed for the night. 
He was not long there when a great crowd of cats came in telling the news of the day to the king cat. Then they talked about the man who lost his eyes. One of the cats asked would he ever get back his eyes again. Then the king cat said there was only one way of getting them back again. "There is a well at the back of this house and if he washes his eyes there he will get them back" that is the only way; but he will never find it.
In the morning when the cats had gone until the next night the man left and found the well and got back his eyesight again.
The next day the man met the devils again and they saw he had his eyes again and they asked him how he got them back and he told them. These cats had all the news of the day.
The devils went the next night for news and he hid in a corner. When the cats came in that night they told the king cat all the news. They told him that the man got his sight again. They said some-one must have been listening here last night. So, they made a search and found the devils and tore them to pieces.

 

INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo
— Dúchas.ie