J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

I lO THE FIRESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND.
" Kow, King of Dublin," said Gilla. " I have won two
halves of the princess, and I hope it wont be long till the
third half will fall to me." " Oh ! for goodness' sake," said
the king, " never mind halves or quarters : banish this vaga-
bone beast to Bandon, or Halifax, or Lusk, or the Eed *S'ay,
and we'll see what is to come next." Gilla took his flute
out of his mouth, and the dancing stopped like shot. The
poor beast was thrown oif his balance, and fell on his side,
and a good many of the dancers had a tumble at the same
moment. Then said Gilla to the beast, " You see that street
leading straight to the mountain. Down that street with
you ; don't let a hare catch you ; and if you fall, don't wait
to get up ; and if I ever hear of you coming within a mile
of castle or cabin within the four seas of Ireland, I'll make
an example of you ; remember the club." He had no need
to give his orders twice. Before he was done speaking the
beast was half way down the street like a frightened dog
with a kettle tied to his tail. He was once after seen in
the Devil's Glen in Wicklow, picking a bone, and that's all
was ever heard of him.
Well, that was work enough for one day, and the potatoes
were just done in the big kitchen of the palace. I don't
know what great people take instead of stirabout and milk
before they go to bed. Indeed people do be saying thai
some of them never leave the table from dinner to bed-time,
but I don't believe it. Anyhow they took dinner and sup-
per, and went to bed, everything in its own time, and rose
in the morning when the sun was as high as the trees.
So when they were at breakfast, Eed -head, who wasn't
at all agreeable to the match, says to the King in Gilla' s
hearing : " The Danes, ill luck be in their road ! will be near
the city in a day or two ; and it is said in an old prophecy
book, that if you could get the flail that's hanging on the
couple under the ridge pole of Hell you could drive every
enemy you have into the sea, — Dane or divel. I'm sure,
sir, Gilla wouldn't have much trouble in getting that flail:
nothing seems too hot or too heavy for him." " If he goes,"
said the princess, " it is against my wish and will," " If he
goes," said the King, " it is not by my order." " Go I
will," said Gilla, "if any one shows me the way." There