J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

THE GILLA RUA. 99
ass ? " " Ah ! give us none of your impedence. It is as
good a mule as you'd find in Leinster." " We'll see how
that's to be ; good morning to you."
Off he went, an d Gilla began to be troubled. " Can it be
that there's anything amiss with my eyes ? Here's two
honest neighbours that can't have any object in deceiving.
If the next man I meet tells me it's an ass, be this and be
that I'll make him a present of it." A quarter of a mile
further on, who did he meet but the youngest brother 1
(They laid out the plan early in the fair) " Morra, Gilla."
" Morra kindly," " Where were you 1 " &c. &c. and the
questions and answers went on till the third rogue cursed
and swore that the mule was an ass ; " And it's an ass
that's on his back," says Gilla. " Take him, and be hanged
to him ! "
Gilla came home, and Cautli [Catherine] his housekeeper
asked him where was the mule he went to buy. " Tat-
theration to him for a mule ! he turned out to be an ass,
and for sharoose 1 bestowed him on so-and-so." "Oh,
musha, masther, but you're the sorra's own gaum. Sure
it was nothing but a thrick laid out between the three un-
hanged rogues to get your baste from you." Gilla stood for
a while in a quanda'ry. " Wait, Cauth," says he, " I'll pay^
'em in their own coin."
He went and bought two goats that you wouldn't know
one from another. He tied up one in the bawn, with plenty
of grass before her, and threw a wallet over the other's back,
and led her into town next market day. He was very busy
going from the butcher's to the grocer's, and from the grocer's
to the mealman's, and putting what he bought into both
ends of the wallet. The three rogues saw what he was
about, and asked him what it was all for. " It's for a
dinner it is, that I'm giving to-day to a few friends, and
i/ez three will be heartily welcome along with them. I
owe you a kindness for taking that nasty baste off my hands."
'* Faitli an' we'll go with a heart an' a half." " Well, while
Jin is carrying the makins o the dinner home, let us wet
our whistle." "Why, will the goat go home by herself?"
" She will, and give my message to Cauth. Here, Jin ; tell
Cauth to make the dumplins as she always does, and to