Blair Collection > Beside the fire

( 104 )
GULEESH NA GUSS DHU.
There was once a boy in the County Mayo, and he never
washed a foot from the day he was born, Guleesh
was his name ; but as nobody could ever prevail on him to
wash his feet, they used to call him Guleesh na guss
dhu, or Guleesh Black-foot. It's often the father said to
him : " Get up, you stronc-sha (lubber), and wash your-
self," but the devil a foot would he get up, and the devil
a foot would he wash. There was no use in talking to
him. Every one used to be humbugging him on account
of his dirty feet, but he paid them no heed nor attention.
You might say anything at all to him, but in spite of it
all he would have his own way afterwards.
One night the whole family were gathered in by the
fire, telling stories and making fun for themselves, and
he amongst them. The father said to him : " Guleesh,
)'ou are one and twenty years old to-night, and I believe
you never washed a foot from the day you were born till
to-day
" You lie," said Guleesh, " didn't I go a' swimming on
May day last? and I couldn't keep my feet out of the
water."
" Well, they were as dirty as ever they were when
you came to the shore," said the father.
" They were that, surely," said Guleesh.
" That's the thing I'm saying," says the father, " that
it wasn't in you to wash your feet ever."
"And I never will wash them till the day of my
death," said Guleesh.
"You miserable behoo7iugh! you clown ! you tinker !
you good-for-nothing lubber ! what kind of answer is
that ? " says the father ; " and with that he drew the hand