Liam O Flaherty's Three Lambs: The Power Of Folklore

The Power of Folklore: From Pancakes to the Talk of the Town Folklore can be defined as a popular belief relating to a particular activity. In the short story, “Three Lambs,” written by Liam O’Flaherty, the little boy, Michael, wanted to be the first one to see the newborn lamb, because there was a prize of three pancakes to whoever saw the lamb first. Yet, through a miraculous turn of events Michael not only gets to see the lamb first, but also gets assists the black sheep with the birth of not just one, but three “she” lambs, which had never happened. Although “Three Lambs” seems to an innocent story of a young boy who wanted to win a prize, through the use of folklore the simple birth of a lamb turns into a significant moment to understand

That morning Michael was anxious to see the lamb, which is seen through his actions. However, he was reserved in that he made sure to “lift the latch gently,” (O’Flaherty 128) because if he were too loud he would wake his brother John who would implore to come with him. Once outside he was in such great urgency that as he opened the gate he tore a “hole in the breast pocket of his blue jersey” (O’Flaherty 128). This inattentiveness shows his child-like behavior, because he had no concern for tearing his shirt and just wanted to get to the sheep. Furthermore while racing to get to the fields where the sheep were, Michael saw a rabbit in which he “imitated a dog barking and the rabbit scurried away in short sharp leaps” (O’Flaherty 129). This is just another instance that demonstrates Michael’s juvenile behavior. He makes an effort to startle the rabbit, which is something children tend to do, instead of just letting the rabbit enjoy the quiet, bliss of the morning. Similarly he envied Little Jimmy, because he was not

He is playful in that he is carefree in trying to get to the sheep, by ripping his shirt, and thoroughly enjoying frightening the rabbit in the field; yet, it is also responsible and mature, because he helps the sheep by breaking its bladder and birthing the first lamb, and by diligently working, without becoming distracted, to make sure all of the yellow slime was removed from the lambs and that they were able to latch to their mother to receive milk. Only before his responsibilities began and after they were complete, did we, as readers, see Michael behave in juvenile and carefree ways. Seemly a simplistic and lighthearted story, “Three Lambs,” by Liam O’Flaherty contains complex characters that are revealed through O’Flaherty’s use of folklore. Although folklore tends to be a popular belief within a culture, it can be as simple as winning pancakes for witnessing the birth of a