but redhead whispered and nudged tom about how shabby it would look to reneague the adventure . so he asked him which way he was to go , and redhead directed him through a street where a great many bad women lived , and a great many shibbeen houses were open , and away he set . well , he travelled and travelled till he came in sight of the walls of hell ; and , bedad , before he knocked at the gates , he rubbed himself over with the greenish ointment . when he knocked a hundred little imps popped their heads out through the bars , and axed him what he wanted . " i want to speak to the big divel of all , " says tom : " open the gate . " it was n't long till the gate was thrune open , and the ould boy received tom with bows and scrapes , and axed his business . " my business is n't much , " says tom . " i only came for the loan of that flail that i see hanging on the collar - beam for the king of dublin to give a thrashing to the danes . " " well , " says the other , " the danes is much better customers to me . but , since you walked so far , i wo n't refuse . hand that flail , " says he to a young imp . he winked the far - off eye at the same time .
the big divel of all .
who did tom want to speak to ?
who did tom want to speak to ?