J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

THE FELLOW IN THE GOAT -SKIN. I I I
was an old gentleman with a red nose on him sitting at the
table, and says he, "Oh ! I'll shew you the way : it lies down
Cut Purse Row. You will know it by the sign of the
" Cat and Bagpipes " on one side, and the " Ace of Spades "
stuck in the window opposite." "I'm off," says Gilla : "pray
all of you for my safe return." He easily found the " Cat
and Bag-pipes," and the "Ace of Spades," and nothing
further is said of him till he was knocking at Hell's Gate.
It was opened by an old fellow with horns on him
seven feet long, and says he to Gilla, mighty politely,
" What is it you want here, sir V " I am a great tra-
veller," said Gilla, " and wish to see every place worth
seeing, inside and outside." "Oh! if that's the case," says
the porter, " walk in. Here, brothers, show this gentle-
man-traveller all the curosities of the place." With that
they all, big and httle, locked and bolted every window and
door, and stuffed every hole, till a midge itself couldn't find
its way out ; and then they surrounded Gilla with their spits,
and pitch -forks, and. sprongs ; and if they didn't whack and
prod him it's a wonder. " Gentlemen," says Gilla, " these
are the tricks of clowns. Fair play is bonny play : show
yourselves gentlemen if you have a good drop at all in you.
Hand me a weapon, and let us fight fair. There's an old
flail on that couple, it will do as well as another." " Oh,
yes ! the flail ! the flail !" cried them all ; and some little
imps climbed up the rafters, pulled down the flail, and
handed it to Gilla, expecting to see his hands burned
through the moment it touched them. They knew no-
thing of the giant's balsam that Gilla rubbed on his hands
as he was coming along, but they soon knew and felt the
strength of his arm when he was knocking them down like
nine-pins, and thrashing them, arms, legs, and bodies, like
so much oaten straw. " Oh ! murdher ! murdher ! " says
the big devil of all, at last. " Stop your hand, and we'll
give you anything in our power." " AYell," says Gilla,
" I've seen all I want in your habitation. I don't like the
welcome I've got, and will thank you to open the gate."
Oh ! wasn't there twenty pair of legs tearing in a moment
to let Gilla out. " You don't mean, I hope, to carry off
the flail," says the big fellow ; ** it's very useful to us in