Read Online Irish Folk Tales by Henry Glassie - Free Book Online Page A

would be the wages he would be looking for? He said: “The first kiss of his wife if he should get her.” The king of Ireland’s son said that he must get that.
    Not far did they go until they met another man and his gun in his hand, and he a-leveling it at the blackbird that was in the eastern world, that he might have it for his dinner. The short green man said to him that it was as good for him to take that man into his service if he would go on service with him. The son of the king of Ireland asked him if he would come on service with him.
    “I will,” said the man, “if I get my wages.”
    “And what is the wages you’ll be looking for?”
    “The place of a house and garden.”
    “You’ll get that if my journey succeeds with me.”
    The king of Ireland’s son went forward with the short green man and the gunner, and it was not far they went until a man met them, and his ear left to the ground, and he listening to the grass growing.
    “It’s as good for you to take that man into your service,” said the short green man.
    The king’s son asked the man whether he would come with him on service.
    “I’ll come if I get the place of a house and garden.”
    “You will get that from me if the thing I have in my head succeeds with me.”
    The son of the king of Ireland, the short green man, the gunman, andthe earman, went forward, and it was not far they went until they met another man, and his one foot on his shoulder, and he keeping a field of hares, without letting one hare in or out of the field. There was wonder on the king’s son, and he asked him “What was the sense of his having one foot on his shoulder like that.”
    “Oh,” says he, “if I had my two feet on the ground I should be so swift that I would be out of sight.”
    “Will you come on service with me?” says the king’s son.
    “I’ll come if I get the place of a house and garden.”
    “You’ll get that if the thing I have in my head succeeds with me.”
    The son of the king of Ireland, the short green man, the gunman, the earman, and the footman, went forward, and it was not far they went till they came to a man and he turning round a windmill with one nostril, and his finger left on his nose shutting the other nostril.
    “Why have you your finger on your nose?” said the king of Ireland’s son.
    “Oh,” says he, “if I were to blow with the two nostrils I would sweep the mill altogether out of that up into the air.”
    “Will you come on hire with me?”
    “I will if I get the place of a house and garden.”
    “You’ll get that if the thing I have in my head succeeds with me.”
    The son of the king of Ireland, the short green man, the gunman, the earman, the footman, and the blowman went forward until they came to a man who was sitting on the side of the road and he a-breaking stones with one thigh, and he had no hammer or anything else. The king’s son asked him why it was he was breaking stones with his half thigh.
    “Oh,” says he, “if I were to strike them with the double thigh I’d make powder of them.”
    “Will you hire with me?”
    “I will if I get the place of a house and garden.”
    “You’ll get that if the thing I have in my head succeeds with me.”
    Then they all went forward together—the son of the king of Ireland, the short green man, the gunman, the earman, the footman, the blowman, and the man that broke stones with the side of his thigh, and they would overtake the March wind that was before them, and the March wind that was behind them would not overtake them, until the evening came and the end of the day.
    The king of Ireland’s son looked from him, and he did not see any house in which he might be that night. The short green man looked from him, and he saw a house, and there was not the top of a quill outside of it, nor the bottom of a quill inside of it, but only one quill alone, which waskeeping shelter and protection on it. The king’s son said that he did not know where he should