J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

1^6 THE FIRESIDE STORIES OP IRELAND.
The much-lamented scholar and estimable man, Mr. John "Windele
of Cork, fmTiished the editor of this work with the following bizarre
tradition : —
A BULLOCK CHANGELING.
In the famed kingdom of Kerry, and not far from Tralee,
stood the estate of Mr. Bateman, who, among other valuable
cattle, owned one fine bullock, not to be matched in the
seven neighbouring townlands for size and condition. But
all at once he unaccountably began to fall away, and at last
might be exhibited as a bovine living skeleton. All at-
tempts to put fat on his unfortunate ribs by oil or other
cake were fruitless, and at last Mr. Bateman gave him to
one of his tenants to convert him to any use he pleased.
He, knowing the folly of attempting to turn him to profit
while living, imagined his death instead, and sold liim to a
Tralee butcher for little more than the value of his hide.
The honest flesher, wishing to realise at once, put his prize
in a suitable knocking-down position in his slaughter-house,
and, swinging his pole-axe, came down with a mighty blow
where he expected to find his head. But the selfish ani-
mal, at the moment the axe cut deep into the floor, was
cleaving the half door in good style, preparatory to a head-
long charge down the street. The battle-axe man, not
willing to be a loser, swept after him fully armed ; and the
neighbours, excited by his cries, and the pace of the ill-
favoured ox, joined in the pursuit. He kept his odds well;
and when he came to the open gate of the demesne, he
dashed through, and galloped direct for the old lios. On-
ward came in hot haste men, and boys, and dogs, but the
more haste they made to come up, the less he seemed dis-
posed to allow them. He scampered furiously round the
fort, and by the time his pursuers arrived, hot and tired,
no bullock was to be seen. "While they were searching and
wondering, the genuine and original ox was seen to walk
out from behind a large bush, showing not the least incli-
nation for a game at " fox and hounds." This was one of
the few instances of an animal's being bona fide restored,
and without injury.