Download files
Complete book:
Individual page:
Thumbnail gallery: Grid view | List view
86 THE FIRESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND.
knees to lier to make it up. So at last she smiled, and
said, *' If I can make up my mind to forgive you, I'll come
to the next ball without invitation." So she was away,
and when they came under the tree in the lawn she took
the upper hem of her dress in her fingers and it came off
like a glove, and she made her way in at the back door,
and into her crib at the stair-foot.
The prince slept little that night, and in the morning he
sent his footman to ask the girl in the cat-skins to bring up
a needle and thread to sew a button on his sliirt-sleeve.
He watched her fingers, and saw they were small a nd of a
lovej j shape ; and when one of theiii'foiiciie d liis wrist, it
TelFas soTTand delTcate as silkT' AH he could say got no-
"Tliing out of her only, " It wasn't a nice thing for a prince
to speak in that way to a girl of low degree, and he boast-
ing of it after to princesses and great ladies." Well, how
he did begin to deny anything so ungenteel, but the button
was sewed, and she skipped away down stairs.
The third night came, and she shook the dress of silk
and pearls and diamonds over her, and the nicest crown of
the same on her head. As grand and beautiful as she was
before, she was twice as grand now; and the lords and
ladies hardly dared to speak above their breaths, and the
prince thought he was in heaven. He asked her at last
would she be his queen, and not keep him in misery any
longer, and she said she would, if she was sure he wouldn't
ask ]\Iiss Cat-skin the same question next day. Oh, how
he spoke, and how he promised ! He asked leave to see
her safe home, but she wouldn't agree. " But don't be
downcast," said she, " you will see me again sooner than
you think ; and if you know me when you meet me next,
we'U part no more." Just as she was sitting in her saddle,
and the prince was holding her hand, he slipped a dawny
limber ring of gold on one finger. It was so small and so
nice to the touch he thought she wouldn't feel it. " And
now, my princess," says he to himself, " I think I'll know
you when I meet you."
Next morning he sent again for the scullery girl, and she
came and made a curtchy. " What does your majesty want
me to do 1: " said she. " Only to advise me which of these
knees to lier to make it up. So at last she smiled, and
said, *' If I can make up my mind to forgive you, I'll come
to the next ball without invitation." So she was away,
and when they came under the tree in the lawn she took
the upper hem of her dress in her fingers and it came off
like a glove, and she made her way in at the back door,
and into her crib at the stair-foot.
The prince slept little that night, and in the morning he
sent his footman to ask the girl in the cat-skins to bring up
a needle and thread to sew a button on his sliirt-sleeve.
He watched her fingers, and saw they were small a nd of a
lovej j shape ; and when one of theiii'foiiciie d liis wrist, it
TelFas soTTand delTcate as silkT' AH he could say got no-
"Tliing out of her only, " It wasn't a nice thing for a prince
to speak in that way to a girl of low degree, and he boast-
ing of it after to princesses and great ladies." Well, how
he did begin to deny anything so ungenteel, but the button
was sewed, and she skipped away down stairs.
The third night came, and she shook the dress of silk
and pearls and diamonds over her, and the nicest crown of
the same on her head. As grand and beautiful as she was
before, she was twice as grand now; and the lords and
ladies hardly dared to speak above their breaths, and the
prince thought he was in heaven. He asked her at last
would she be his queen, and not keep him in misery any
longer, and she said she would, if she was sure he wouldn't
ask ]\Iiss Cat-skin the same question next day. Oh, how
he spoke, and how he promised ! He asked leave to see
her safe home, but she wouldn't agree. " But don't be
downcast," said she, " you will see me again sooner than
you think ; and if you know me when you meet me next,
we'U part no more." Just as she was sitting in her saddle,
and the prince was holding her hand, he slipped a dawny
limber ring of gold on one finger. It was so small and so
nice to the touch he thought she wouldn't feel it. " And
now, my princess," says he to himself, " I think I'll know
you when I meet you."
Next morning he sent again for the scullery girl, and she
came and made a curtchy. " What does your majesty want
me to do 1: " said she. " Only to advise me which of these
Set display mode to: Large image | Transcription
Images and transcriptions on this page, including medium image downloads, may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence unless otherwise stated. 
| Early Gaelic Book Collections > J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland > (104) |
|---|
| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/79184308 |
|---|
| Description | By Patrick Kennedy. |
|---|---|
| Shelfmark | Cam.1.f.17 |
| Additional NLS resources: | |
| Attribution and copyright: |
|
More information
|
|
| Description | Volumes from a collection of 610 books rich in Highland folklore, Ossianic literature and other Celtic subjects. Many of the books annotated by John Francis Campbell of Islay, who assembled the collection. |
|---|
| Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
|---|