the king was as good as his word, St. Kavin was pleased with him, and then it was that he made himself known to the king. ‘And,’ says he, ‘King O’Toole, you’re a decent man, for I only came here to try you. You don’t know me,’ says he, ‘because I’m disguised.’
‘Musha! Then,’ says the king, ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m St. Kavin,’ said the saint, blessing himself.
‘Oh, queen of heaven!’ says the king, making the sign of the cross between his eyes, and falling down on his knees before the saint. ‘Is it the great St. Kavin,’ says he, ‘that I’ve been discoursing all this time without knowing it,’ says he, ‘all as one as if he was a lump of a gossoon? – and so you’re a saint?’ says the king.
‘I am,’ says St. Kavin.
‘By Jabers, I thought I was only talking to a dacent boy,’ says the king.
‘Well, you know the difference now,’ says the saint. ‘I’m St. Kavin,’ says he, ‘the greatest of all the saints.’
And so the king had his goose as good as new, to divert him as long as he lived and the saint supported him after he came into his property, as I told you, until the day of his death – and that was soon after; for the poor goose thought he was catching a trout one Friday; but, my jewel, it was a mistake he made – and instead of a trout, it was a thieving horse-eel; and instead of the goose killing a trout for the king’s supper – by dad, the eel killed the king’s goose – and small blame to him[22]; but he didn’t ate her, because he darn’t ate what St. Kavin had laid his blessed hands on.
Jack and His Comrades
Once there was a poor widow, as often there has been, and she had one son. A very scarce summer[23] came, and they didn’t know how they’d live till the new potatoes would be fit for eating. So Jack said to his mother one evening, ‘Mother, bake my cake, and kill my hen, till I go seek my fortune; and if I meet it, never fear but I’ll soon be back to share it with you.’
So she did as he asked her, and he set out at break of day on his journey. His mother came along with him to the yard gate, and says she, ‘Jack, which would you rather have, half the cake and half the hen with my blessing, or the whole of ’em with my curse?’
‘O Musha, mother,’ says Jack, ‘why do you ax me that question? Sure you know I wouldn’t have your curse and Damer’s estate along with it.’
‘Well, then, Jack,’ says she, ‘here’s the whole lot of ’em, with my thousand blessings along with them.’ So she stood on the yard fence and blessed him as far as her eyes could see him.
Well, he went along and along till he was tired, and ne’er a farmer’s house he went into wanted a boy. At last his road led by the side of a bog, and there was a poor ass up to his shoulders near a big bunch of grass he was striving to come at.
‘Ah, then, Jack asthore,’ says he, ‘help me out or I’ll be drowned.’
‘Never say’t twice[24],’ says Jack, and he pitched in big stones and sods into the slob, till the ass got good ground under him.
‘Thank you, Jack,’ says he, when he was out on the hard road; ‘I’ll do as much for you another time. Where are you going?’
‘Faith, I’m going to seek my fortune till harvest comes in, God bless it!’
‘And if you like,’ says the ass, ‘I’ll go along with you; who knows what luck we may have!’
‘With all my heart, it’s getting late, let us be jogging.’
Well, they were going through a village, and a whole army of gossoons were hunting a poor dog with a kettle tied to his tail. He ran up to Jack for protection, and the ass let such a roar out of him, that the little thieves took to their heels as if the ould boy was after them[25].
‘More power to you, Jack,’ says the dog. ‘I’m much obleeged to you; where is the baste and yourself going?’
‘We’re going to seek our fortune till harvest comes in.’
‘And wouldn’t I be proud to go with you!’ says the dog. ‘And get rid of them ill-conducted boys; purshuin’ to ’em.’
‘Well, well, throw your tail over your arm, and come along.’
They got outside the town, and sat down under an old wall, and Jack pulled out his bread and meat, and shared with the dog; and the ass made his dinner on a bunch of thistles. While they were eating and chatting, what should come by but a poor half-starved cat, and the moll-row he gave out of him would make your heart ache.
‘You look as if you saw the tops of nine houses since breakfast[26],’ says Jack; ‘here’s a bone and something on it.’
‘May your child never know a hungry belly!’ says Tom. ‘It’s myself that’s in need of your kindness. May I be so bold as to ask where yez are all going?’
‘We’re going to seek out fortune till the harvest comes in, and you may join us if you like.’
‘And that I’ll do with a heart and a half,’ says the cat, ‘and thank’ee for asking me.’
Off they set again, and just as the shadows of the trees were three times as long as themselves, they heard a great cackling in a field inside the road, and out over the ditch jumped a fox with a fine black cock in his mouth.
‘Oh, you anointed villain!’ says the ass, roaring like thunder.
‘At him, good dog!’ says Jack, and the word wasn’t out of his mouth when Coley was in full sweep after the Red Dog. Reynard dropped his prize like a hot potato, and was off like shot, and the poor cock came back fluttering and trembling to Jack and his comrades.
‘O Musha, naybours!’ says he. ‘Wasn’t it the heigth o’ luck that threw you in my way! Maybe I won’t remember your kindness if ever I find you in hardship; and where in the world are you all going?’
‘We’re going to seek our fortune till the harvest comes in; you may join our party if you like, and sit on Neddy’s crupper when your legs and wings are tired.’
Well, the march began again, and just as the sun was gone down they looked around, and there was neither cabin nor farm house in sight.
‘Well, well,’ says Jack, ‘the worse luck now the better another time[27], and it’s only a summer night after all. We’ll go into the wood, and make our bed on the long grass.’
No sooner said than done.[28] Jack stretched himself on a bunch of dry grass, the ass lay near him, the dog and cat lay in the ass’s warm lap, and the cock went to roost in the next tree.
Well, the soundness of deep sleep was over them all, when the cock took a notion of crowing.
‘Bother you, Black Cock!’ says the ass. ‘You disturbed me from as nice a wisp
and small blame to him – (
A very scarce summer – (
Never say’t twice – (
as if the ould boy was after them – (
saw the tops of nine houses since breakfast – (
the worse luck now the better another time – (
No sooner said than done. – (
