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Ugly Feet
by Grainne Rowland.
Tadhg was a tailor in Ballyvourney. People constantly made fun of Tadhg.
"Who's got the ugliest feet, Tadhg?" the children would jeer.
"Tadhg, cover those feet, please!" taunted the adults in town.
But Tadhg took the teasing in stride. He just laughed with the townspeople and joked back with them.
One night, there was a gathering in the house of one of the women. A hooley was in full swing. People were everywhere in the cottage. Music was floating through the air, and people were dancing.
Tadhg sat perched on top of the table with one leg stretched out in front of him. He was busily stitching away on a new shirt while he listened to the music. The woman who owned the house passed by the table with a plate of cakes.
She looked at the one foot that Tadhg had rested in front of himself.
"By my father's bones, that is one ugly foot!" she said, wrinkling up her nose.
"By your father's bones, there is an uglier foot than that in this room," replied Tadhg.
Well, the woman must have had ugly feet herself, for she thought Tadhg was talking about her.
"There can't possibly be an uglier foot than your own foot, sitting in front of yourself," commented the woman.
"Would you like to place a bet on that?" asked Tadhg.
"I would indeed," said the woman.
"Then if I can find an uglier foot than this one, you must cook me a fine meal. If I can't, then I will buy you a fine meal myself," coaxed Tadhg.
"That is a good bet, and I accept," said the woman. Tadhg and the woman shook hands on it.
At that point, Tadhg stretched out his other foot. It was indeed much uglier than his first foot. This foot was swollen and knobbly. It had long, sharp toenails. The toes were bent at weird angles.
"Ugh!" exclaimed the woman. "There surely is nothing in the world uglier than that foot. You win, and I will cook you the best meal I can tomorrow."
Tadhg smiled. He knew the woman was the best cook in the entire county.
"Thank you," said Tadhg. "I will see you tomorrow then. And I promise to have strong shoes on my feet so you will not have to look at them!"
Image: Ugly Feet cartoon republished with the kind permission of Bill Huratiak. If you would like to see his other cartoons and artwork, please click Bill Huratiak.
Important Note: Site is not intended for young readers.
Index of All Children's Stories
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Mon, Jun 1, 2009
Fungie, the Dolphin of Dingle Bay
The dolphin is one of Ireland’s most fascinating mammals and Fungie is the most famous. He is a fully- grown bottlenose who is 13 feet (4 meteres) long and weighs about 500 lbs or around one-quarter tonne.
Fungie was first noticed in 1984 when Paddy Ferriter, the Dingle Harbour lighthouse keeper, began watching a lone wild dolphin escort the town's fishing boats to and from port.
Later that year, it became officially recorded that Fungie was a permanent resident of the entrance channel to Dingle and the self-appointed “pilot” of the fleet.
Over the years Fungie has developed from a timid but inquisitive observer of the human visitors into a playful, though mischievous, companion. From observation of marks on his body, it seems that he does 'interact' with other whales, dolphins or porpoises, proving perhaps he is neither hermit nor outcast from his own kind, but rather that he is simply content to spend most of his time in and around Dingle Bay.
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"No man ever wore a cravat as nice, as his own child's arm around his neck."
- Irish Proverb
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