The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-01-06
THE LAST OF THE SERPINTS.
The following legend is from the pen of T,

The following legend is from the pen of T
G. Croker:
Sure every body has heard tell of the bless.
cd st. Patrick, and how he druve the serpints
and all manner Of vinemous things out OF
Ireland how he "bothcred all the vcrmint''
entirely. But for all that, there was one ould
sarpint left, who was too cunning to be talked
out Of the country, and made to drown him
self. st. Patrick did MT well know how to
manage this fellow, who was doing great hay
oc; till, at long last he bethought HIMSELF and
got strong iron chest made with nine bouts
upon it. SO one fine morning he takes a walk
to where the scrpint used to keep and the
sorpint, who did nj like the saint in the least,
and small blame to him for that, began to hiss
and show his teeth at him like anything
"Oh,' says St. Patrick, says he, " where's
the use Of making such piece Of work about
4 gntleman like myself coming to see you.
lis a nice house | have got made for you
agin the winter; for I'm going to civilize the
whole country, man and bastc," says he,
" and you can come and look at it whcncvcr
you please, and IT'S myself will be glad to see
YOU" The serpint bearing such smooth
words, thought that though St Patrick had
druv all the rest Of the serpints into the sea,
he meant no harm to HIMSELF so the scrpnt
walks fair and aisy up to see him and the
house he was speaking about. But when the
sarpint saw the nine bolts upon the iron chest,
he thought he was sould, (bctraycd,) and was
for making off with himself as fast as ever he
could. "Tis nice warm house, you Sec"
says st. Patrick, land IT'S Il good friend | am
to YOU" 81 thank you kindly, St. Patrick,
for your civility," says the scrpint; "but
think it's too small it is for me''-meaning it
for an excuse, and away he was going. "Too
small !" says St. Patrick, " stop, if you please"
says he, you re out in that, my boy, anyhow
i am sure It will fit you completely; and
I'll tell you what" says he, "Tll bet you a
gallon Of porter" says he, " that if you'll only
try and get in, there,l be plenty of room for
you" The scrpint was as thirsty as could be
with his walk; and twas great joy to him the
thoughts of doing St. Patrick out of the gal
lon of porter; SO swelling himself up as big
as he could, in he got to the chest, all but a
little bit of his tail. There now," says he,
"Pvc won the gallon, for you see the house is
too small for me, for | can't get in my tail"
When what does st Patrick do, but he comes
behind the great heavy lid of the chest, and,
putting his two hands to it, down he slaps it
with bang like thunder. When the rogue
of a serpint saw the lid coming down, in went
his tail like a shot, for fear of being whipped
off him, and st, Patrick began at once to
boult the nine iron bouts. "Oh, murder
wont you let me out, St. Patrick ?" says the
sarpint; Give lost the bet fairly, and I'll pay
you the gallon like man." "Lct you out,
my darling" says St. Patrick, "to be sure l
will, by all manner Of means; but you see |
havn't time now, SO you must wait till to-mor.
row."
And so he took the iron chest, with the ser
pint in it, and pitches it into the lake here,
where, it is to this hour for certain and It's
the serpint struggling down at the bottom that
makes the waves upon it. Many is the living
man Continued Pickett besides myself has
heard the serpint crying out from the chest
under the water" Is it tomorrow yet ?"
which, to be sure, it never can be and that's
the way st. Patrick settled the last of the
sorpints, sir.