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029 - Rent-Day - Loughleagh Lake of Healing · Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

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Speaker 1: Section twenty eight of Fairy and Folk Tales of the
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Speaker 1: Irish Peasantry. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
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Speaker 1: are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
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Speaker 1: please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by No All Padrian
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Speaker 1: Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, edited and
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Speaker 1: selected by W. B. Yates. Section twenty eight Rent Day,
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Speaker 1: oh ulagon Ulagon. This is a wide world. But what
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Speaker 1: will we do in it? Or where will we go?
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Speaker 1: Muttered Bill Doody, as he sat on a rock by
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Speaker 1: the lake of Killanny. What will we do to Morrow's
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Speaker 1: rent day? And Tim the driver swears if we don't
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Speaker 1: pay our rent, he'll cant every hayperth we have, And
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Speaker 1: then sure enough there's Judy and myself and the poor
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Speaker 1: Grawls children will be turned out to starve on the
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Speaker 1: high road for never a halfpenny of rent have I,
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Speaker 1: oh hone that ever I should live to see this day.
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Speaker 1: Thus did Bill Doody bemoan his hard fate, pouring his
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Speaker 1: sorrows to the reckless waves of the most beautiful of lakes,
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Speaker 1: which seemed to mock his misery as they rejoiced beneath
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Speaker 1: the cloudless sky of a May morning. That lake, glittering
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Speaker 1: in sunshine, sprinkled with fairy isles of rock and verdure,
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Speaker 1: and bounded by giant hills of ever varying hues, might,
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Speaker 1: with its magic beauty charm all sadness but despair for
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Speaker 1: alas how ill the scene that offers rest and heart
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Speaker 1: that cannot rest agree. Yet, Bill Dudy was not so
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Speaker 1: desolate as he supposed. There was one listening to him
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Speaker 1: he little thought of, and help was at hand from
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Speaker 1: a quarter he could not have expected. What's the matter
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Speaker 1: with you, my poor man, said a tall, portly looking
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Speaker 1: gentleman at the same time, stepping out of a furze break.
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Speaker 1: Now Bill was seated on a rock that commanded the
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Speaker 1: view of a large field. Nothing in the field could
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Speaker 1: be concealed from him except this furze break, which grew
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Speaker 1: in a hollow near the margin of the lake. He
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Speaker 1: was therefore not a little surprised at the gentleman's sudden appearance,
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Speaker 1: and began to question whether the personage before him belonged
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Speaker 1: to this world or not. He, however, soon must ad
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Speaker 1: courage sufficient to tell him how his crops had failed,
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Speaker 1: how some bad member had charmed away his butter, and
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Speaker 1: how tim the driver threatened to turn him out of
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Speaker 1: the farm if he didn't pay up every penny of
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Speaker 1: the rent by twelve o'clock next day. A sad story, indeed,
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Speaker 1: said the stranger. But surely if you represent the case
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Speaker 1: to your landlord's agent, he won't have the heart to
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Speaker 1: turn you out. Hart, your honor, where would an agent
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Speaker 1: get a heart? Exclaimed Bill. I see your honor does
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Speaker 1: not know him. Besides, he has an eye on the
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Speaker 1: farm this long time for a fosterer of his own.
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Speaker 1: So I expect no mercy at all at all, only
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Speaker 1: to be turned out. Take this, my poor fellow, Take this,
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Speaker 1: said the stranger, pouring a purseful of gold into Bill's
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Speaker 1: old hat, which in his grief he had flung on
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Speaker 1: the ground. Pay the fellow your rent, but I'll take care.
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Speaker 1: It shall do him no good. I remember the time
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Speaker 1: when things went otherwise in this country, when I would
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Speaker 1: have hung up such a fellow in the twinkling of
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Speaker 1: an eye. These words were lost upon Bill, who was
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Speaker 1: insensible to everything but the sight of the gold. And
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Speaker 1: before he could unfix his gaze and lift up his
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Speaker 1: head to pour out his hundred thousand blessings. The stranger
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Speaker 1: was gone. The bewildered peasant looked around in search of
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Speaker 1: his benefactor, and at last he thought he saw him
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Speaker 1: riding on a white horse a long way off on
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Speaker 1: the lake. Oh donahue, O donohue, shouted Bill the good,
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Speaker 1: the blessed, o'donihue, and he ran capering like a madman,
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Speaker 1: to show Judy the gold and to rejoice her heart
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Speaker 1: with the prospect of wealth and happiness. The next day,
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Speaker 1: Bill proceeded to the agent's not sneakingly with his hat
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Speaker 1: in his hand, his eyes fixed on the ground, and
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Speaker 1: his knees bending under him, but bold and upright, like
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Speaker 1: a man conscious of his independence. Why don't you take
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Speaker 1: off your hat, fellow, don't you know you are speaking
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Speaker 1: to a magistrate, said the agent. I know I'm not
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Speaker 1: speaking to the king, sir, said Bill. And I never
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Speaker 1: takes off my hat, but to them. I can respect
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Speaker 1: and love. The eye that sees all knows. I've no
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Speaker 1: right either to respect or love an agent, you scoundrel,
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Speaker 1: retorted the man in office, biting his lips with rage
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Speaker 1: at such an unusual and unexpected opposition. I'll teach you
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Speaker 1: how to be insolent again. I have the power, remember
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Speaker 1: to the cost of the country. I know you have,
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Speaker 1: said Bill, who still remained with his head as firmly
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Speaker 1: covered as if he was the Lord king sail himself.
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Speaker 1: But come, said the magistrate. Have you got the money
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Speaker 1: for me? This is rent day. If there's one penny
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Speaker 1: of it wanting, or the running gale that's due, prepare
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Speaker 1: to turn out before night, for you shall not remain
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Speaker 1: another hour in possession. There is your end, said Bill,
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Speaker 1: with an unmoved expression of tone and countenance. You'd better
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Speaker 1: count it and give me a receipt in full for
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Speaker 1: the running gale and all. The agent gave a look
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Speaker 1: of amazement at the gold, for it was gold, real guineas,
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Speaker 1: and not bits of dirty, ragged small notes that are
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Speaker 1: only fit to light one's pipe with. However willing the
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Speaker 1: agent may have been to ruin as he thought the
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Speaker 1: unfortunate tenant. He took up the gold and handed the
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Speaker 1: receipt to Bill, who strutted off with it as proud
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Speaker 1: as a cat of her whiskers. The agent, going to
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Speaker 1: his desk shortly after, was confounded at beholding a heap
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Speaker 1: of gingerbread cakes instead of the money he had deposited there.
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Speaker 1: He raved and swore, but all to no purpose. The
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Speaker 1: gold had become gingerbread cakes, just marked like the guineas
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Speaker 1: with the king's head, and Bill had the receipt in
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Speaker 1: his pocket, so he saw there was no use in
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Speaker 1: saying anything about the affair, as he would only get
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Speaker 1: laughter for his pains. From that hour, Bill Dudy grew rich,
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Speaker 1: all his undertakings prospered, and he often blessed the day
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Speaker 1: that he met with the Donihue, the great prince that
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Speaker 1: lives down under the Lake of Guillanney, loch Lie, Lake
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Speaker 1: of Healing. Do you see that bit of a lake?
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Speaker 1: Said my companion, turning his eyes towards the acclivity that
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Speaker 1: overhung Loch Lie. Truth. And as little as you think
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Speaker 1: of it, and as ugly as it looks, with its
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Speaker 1: weeds and its flags, it is the most famous one
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Speaker 1: in all Ireland. Young and old, rich and poor, far
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Speaker 1: and near have come to that lake to get cured
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Speaker 1: of all kinds of scurvy and sores. The Lord keeper
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Speaker 1: salimbs whole and sound, for it's a sorrowful thing not
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Speaker 1: to have the userlem But last week we had a
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Speaker 1: great grand Frenchman here, and though he came upon crutches faith,
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Speaker 1: he went home sound as a bell. And well he
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Speaker 1: paid Billy Riley for curing him. And pray, how did
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Speaker 1: Billy Ridy cure him? Oh? Well enough? He took his
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Speaker 1: long pole, dipped it down to the bottom of the lake,
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Speaker 1: and brought up on the top of it as much
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Speaker 1: plaster as would do for a thousand sores. What kind
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Speaker 1: of plaster? What kind of plaster? Why black plaster? To
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Speaker 1: be sure, For isn't the bottom of the lake filled
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Speaker 1: with a kind of black mud which cures all the world?
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Speaker 1: Then it ought to be a famous lake. Indeed famous,
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Speaker 1: and so it is, replied my companion. But it isn't
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Speaker 1: for his cures, neither that it is famous? For sure?
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Speaker 1: Doesn't all the world know there is a fine, beautiful
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Speaker 1: city at the bottom of it, with the good people
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Speaker 1: live just like Christians troth. It is the truth, I
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Speaker 1: tell you. For Shamus, a snade, saw it all when
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Speaker 1: he followed his dun cow that was stolen. Who stole her?
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Speaker 1: I'll tell you all about it. Seamus was a poor
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Speaker 1: Gossoon who lived on the brow of the hill in
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Speaker 1: a cabin with his old mother. They lived by hook
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Speaker 1: and by crook, one way and another, in the best
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Speaker 1: way they could. They had a bit of ground that
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Speaker 1: gave them the pretty and a little dun cow that
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Speaker 1: gave them the dropper milk, and considering how times go,
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Speaker 1: they weren't badly off. For Shamus was a handy gossoon
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Speaker 1: to boot, and while minding the cow, cut heath and
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Speaker 1: made brooms, which his mother sold on a market day,
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Speaker 1: and brought home the bitter tobaccy, the grain of salt,
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Speaker 1: and other nick knackins which the poor body can't well
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Speaker 1: do without. Once upon a time, however, Shamus went further
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Speaker 1: than usual up the mountain, lookin' for long heath, for
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Speaker 1: townspeople don't like to stoop, and so like long handles
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Speaker 1: to their brooms. The little dun cow was almost as
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Speaker 1: cunning as a Christian sinner, and followed Shamus like a
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Speaker 1: lapdog everywhere he'd go, so that she required little or
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Speaker 1: no herdin. On this day she found nice pickin on
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Speaker 1: a round spot, as green as a leak, And as
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Speaker 1: poor Shamus was weary as a body would be on
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Speaker 1: a fine summer's day, he lay down on the grass
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Speaker 1: to rest himself, just as weariest in ourselves on the
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Speaker 1: cairn here big gad, he hadn't long lane there sure enough,
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Speaker 1: when what should he see but whole loads of gun
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Speaker 1: conas fairies dancing about the place. Some of them were hurlin,
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Speaker 1: some kicking a football, and others leaping a kick, step
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Speaker 1: and a lap. They were so suple and so active
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Speaker 1: that Seamus was highly delighted with the sport. And a
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Speaker 1: little tan skin chap in a red cap pleased him
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Speaker 1: better than any of them, because he used to tumble
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Speaker 1: the other fellows like mushrooms. At one time, he had
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Speaker 1: kept the ball up for as good as half an hour.
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Speaker 1: When Seamus cried out, well done, my hurler. The word
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Speaker 1: wasn't well out of his mouth when wap went the
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Speaker 1: ball on his eye and flash went the fire. Poor
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Speaker 1: Seamus thought he was blind and roared out mille murther
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Speaker 1: a thousand murders. But the only thing he heard was
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Speaker 1: a loud laugh. Crosso christ about us, says he to himself,
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Speaker 1: what is this for? And after rubbing his eyes, they
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Speaker 1: came too a little, and he could see the sun
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Speaker 1: and the sky, and by and by he could see everything,
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Speaker 1: But his cow, and the mischievous Ganconers they were gone
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Speaker 1: to their wrath or mot But where was the little
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Speaker 1: dun cow? He looked, and he looked, and he might
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Speaker 1: have looked from that day to this because she wasn't
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Speaker 1: to be found, and good reason why the gan Conners
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Speaker 1: took her away with them. Seamus a snade, however, didn't
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Speaker 1: think so, but ran home to his mother. Where is
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Speaker 1: the cow? Seamus asked the old woman. Ough Musha, bad
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Speaker 1: luck to her, said Seamus. I dunno where she is?
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Speaker 1: Is that an answer, you big blaggard for the likes
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Speaker 1: of you to give your poor old mother? Said she? Oh?
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Speaker 1: Musha said Seamus, I don't kick up such a bull
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Speaker 1: house about nothing. The old cow is safe enough. I'll
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Speaker 1: be bail some place or other, though I could find
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Speaker 1: her if I put my eyes upon Kippin's a stick's.
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Speaker 1: And speaking of eyes, faith, I had very good luck
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Speaker 1: o my side, or I had never a one to
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Speaker 1: look after her. Why what happened your eyes, zagra axe?
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Speaker 1: The old woman? Oh? Didn't the gangconas the Lord save
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Speaker 1: us from all hurt and harm? Drive their hurling ball
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Speaker 1: into them both? And sure I was stone blind for
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Speaker 1: an hour, and may be said the mother, the good
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Speaker 1: people took our cow. No nor a devil o one
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Speaker 1: o them, said Seamus. For by the powers, that same
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Speaker 1: cow is as known as a lawyer, and wouldn't be
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Speaker 1: such a fool as to go with the gangconas while
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Speaker 1: she could get such grass as I found for her
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Speaker 1: to day. In this way, continued my informant. They talked
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Speaker 1: about the cow all that night, and next mornin both
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Speaker 1: of them set off to look for her. After searchin
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Speaker 1: every place high and low, what should Shamus see sticking
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Speaker 1: out of a bog hole but something very like the
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Speaker 1: horns of his little beast. Oh, mother, mother said he,
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Speaker 1: I've found her where, Alana axed the old woman in
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Speaker 1: the bog hole, Mother answered Seamus. At this the poor
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Speaker 1: old creature set up such a pull allieu that she
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Speaker 1: brought the seven parishes about her, and the neighbors soon
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Speaker 1: pulled a cow out of the bog hole. You'd swear
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Speaker 1: it was the same, and yet it wasn't, As you
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Speaker 1: shall hear. By and by, Seamus and his mother brought
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Speaker 1: the dead beast home with them, and after skinnin her,
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Speaker 1: they hung the meat up in the chimney. The loss
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Speaker 1: of the drop o milk was a sorrowful thing, and
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Speaker 1: though they had a good deal of meat, that couldn't
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Speaker 1: last always. Besides, the whole parish focked upon them for
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Speaker 1: eating the flesh of a beast that died without bleeding.
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Speaker 1: But the pretty thing was they couldn't eat the meat
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Speaker 1: after all, for when it was boiled it was as
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Speaker 1: tough as carrion and as black as a turf. You
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Speaker 1: might as well think of sinking your teeth into an
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Speaker 1: oak plank as into a piece of it, And then
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Speaker 1: you'd want to sit a great piece from the wall
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Speaker 1: for fear of knocking your head against it when pulling
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Speaker 1: it through your teeth. At last, and at long run,
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Speaker 1: they were forced to throw it to the dogs, But
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Speaker 1: the dogs wouldn't smell to it, and so it was
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Speaker 1: thrown into the ditch, where it rotted. This misfortune cost
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Speaker 1: poor Shamers many a salteer, for he was now obliged
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Speaker 1: to work twice as hard as before and be out
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Speaker 1: cutten heath on the mountain. Late and early one day
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Speaker 1: he was passing by this cairn with a load of
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Speaker 1: brooms on his back, when what should he see but
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Speaker 1: the little dun cow and two red headed fellows herding her.
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Speaker 1: That's my mother's cow, said Seamus a snay, No it
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Speaker 1: is not, said one of the chaps, But I say
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Speaker 1: it is, said Seamus, throwing the brooms on the ground
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Speaker 1: and seizing the cow by the horns. At that the
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Speaker 1: red fellows drove her as fast as they could to
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Speaker 1: the steep place, and with one leap she bounced over,
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Speaker 1: with Shamus stuck fast to her horns. They made only
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Speaker 1: one splash in the loch when the waters closed over em,
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Speaker 1: and they sunk to the bottom. Just as Seamus a
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Speaker 1: shnad thought that all was over with him, he found
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Speaker 1: himself before a most elegant palace, built with jewels and
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Speaker 1: all manner of fine stones. Though his eyes were dazzled
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Speaker 1: with the splendor of the place, faith he had gulsh
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Speaker 1: enough sense enough not to let go his halt. But
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Speaker 1: in spite of all they could do, he held his
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Speaker 1: little cow by the horns. He was axed into the palace,
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Speaker 1: but wouldn't go. The hubber at last grew so great
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Speaker 1: that the door flew open, and out walked a hundred
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Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen, as fine as any in the land.
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Speaker 1: What does this boy, want, asked one of them, who
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Speaker 1: seemed to be the master. I want my mother's cow,
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Speaker 1: said Shamus. That's not your mother's cow, said the gentleman.
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Speaker 1: Betha shin impossible, cried Seamus. A snade. Don't I know
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Speaker 1: her as well as I know my right hand. Where
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Speaker 1: did you lose her, asked the gentleman. And so Shamus
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Speaker 1: up and told him all about it, how he was
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Speaker 1: on the mountain, how he saw the good people hurlen,
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Speaker 1: how the ball was knocked in his eye and his
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Speaker 1: cow was lost. I believe you are right, said the gentleman,
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Speaker 1: pulling out his purse. And here is the price of
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Speaker 1: twenty cows for you. No, no, said Seamus. You'll not
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Speaker 1: catch old birds with chaff. I'll have my cow and
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Speaker 1: nothing else. You're a funny fellow, said the gentleman. Stop
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Speaker 1: and live in a palace. I'd rather live with my mother,
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Speaker 1: foolish boy, said the gentleman. Stop here and live in
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Speaker 1: a palace. I'd rather live in my mother's cabin. Here
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Speaker 1: you can walk through gardens loaded with fruit and flowers.
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Speaker 1: I'd rather, said Sheamus, be cutting heath on the mountain.
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Speaker 1: Here you can eat and drink of the best. Since
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Speaker 1: I've got my cow, I can have milk once more
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Speaker 1: with the prateies, oh, cried the ladies gathering round him.
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Speaker 1: Sure you wouldn't take away the cow that gives us
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Speaker 1: milk for our tea, oh said Seamus. My mother wants
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Speaker 1: milk as bad as any one, and she must have it.
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Speaker 1: So there's no use in your perlava. I must have
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Speaker 1: my cow. At this they all gathered about him and
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Speaker 1: offered him bushels of gold, but he wouldn't have anything
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Speaker 1: but his cow. Seeing him as obstinate as a mule,
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Speaker 1: they began to thump and beat him, but still he
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Speaker 1: held fast by the horns till at length a great
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Speaker 1: blast of wind blew him out of the place, and
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Speaker 1: in a moment he found himself and the cow standing
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Speaker 1: on the side of the lake, the water of which
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Speaker 1: looked as if it hadn't been disturbed since Adam was
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Speaker 1: a boy, and that's a long time since. Well, seamusus
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Speaker 1: Snade drove home his cow, and right glad his mother
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Speaker 1: was to see her. But the moment she said, God
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Speaker 1: bless the beast, she sunk down like de Breacher breaking
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Speaker 1: a for turf rick. That was the end of Seamusus
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Speaker 1: Snade's dun cow, and sure continued my companion standing up.
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Speaker 1: It's now time for me to look after my brown cow,
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Speaker 1: and God send the ganconas haven't taken her of this.
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Speaker 1: I assured him there could be no fear, and so
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Speaker 1: we parted. End of Section twenty eight